Teachers Saving Children^® Inc. of Ohio

However, several have expressed concern regarding repercussion if they would join our forces. First of all, it is an individual's Constitutional right to join any organization they wish with NO RISK as long as no illegal activity is being done. There are laws that prohibit discrimination against employees who actively engage in union activities. TSC is trying to work within the union framework to make change.

I want to encourage those of you who have not yet renewed your membership or who have not yet joined us by sharing a thought by one of our members:

Beliefs aren't worth much if we are not willing to live (or die) by them. It's not just our right to disagree, it's our duty! Abraham Lincoln once said, "It is a sin to remain silent when it is your duty to speak up." It is one thing to tolerate a wrong done by someone we have no lawful control over, but wholly another to perpetuate that wrong ourselves. We are not out to cause controversy but we will not hide from it if the situation demands it.

Now is the time for action. The purpose is not to destroy the NEA, but help teachers regain a voice in making changes. Quite frankly, we are to blame for allowing this to happen through ignorance, apathy, and fear. It's not difficult to understand the decisions they (the NEA) have made because they have met so little opposition. Now is the time to do our part of what must be done.

I hope that you too can get excited and join us in rescuing our professional educators' organizations. The impact we will have will be partially dependent upon the number of people we represent. We need all of you who agree with our purpose to join TSC and help us fight for the lives of the unborn.

The TSC Board of Trustees works very carefully in making decisions and planning strategies. A general membership meeting is being held on an annual basis in hopes that more persons will get involved with suggestions to help the Board in determining strategy.

At this time, the demonstration at the OEA headquarters in Columbus is our main annual event. The purpose of this event is to alert the public and other NEA members as to the pro-abortion stand of the NEA and to let the NEA/OEA leadership know that there are pro-life NEA members. It is always stated that our goal is to neutralize the NEA on this issue.

TSC also cooperates with Life Issues Caucus at the state level and Educators for Life Caucus at the national level. Working with these caucuses helps TSC to get our concerns on the representative assembly floor.

This year's NEA Representative Assembly met in Washington, DC July 3-8. There were several events which took place during this RA which are of special interest to those who hold dear the lives of the unborn. In keeping with its present stand on abortion, the NEA decided to back Governor Clinton for President, and invited him to come and address the Assembly, 88% of which voted in favor of his endorsement. If, however, we can assume that the remaining 12% consists of a significant number of pro-life delegates, we may find that we can engage hundreds in the fight to neutralize the Association on this issue.

On grounds that the abortion issue is divisive (--as well as noneducational), we in the Educators for Life Caucus came together for the purpose of redirecting energy into areas more germane to us as educators. There is a substantial number of delegates who feel the same way, and we hope that they will be encouraged to be open in expressing themselves on the issue.

As the proceedings continued over the first few days, Bob Pawson, Founder of TSC, Inc. (national affiliate), brought home the truth about what this issue is doing to the United Teaching Profession, as he and dozens of demonstrators picketed out in front of the Convention Center.

There were many items of New Business with which we had to grapple. We were a factor in the passage of NB F, which guarantees us the right to use exhibition and fundraising areas without censorship; this is a victory in that there was not a repeat performance of last year's resistance to the Educators for Life booth.

In NB 22 and NB 29, however, NEA not only will take a proactive stance to protect the rights of women to "choice", but in the latter item, the NEA Women and Girls Center for Change establishes a $50,000 annual fund for grants to state affiliates actively participating in grassroots efforts to safeguard "reproductive freedom" without government intervention. As can be seen here, as well as in the refusal to even amend Resolution I-13 (Family Planning), the struggle continues.

After all is said and done, there are reasons for encouragement. We have seen healthy growth in the Educators for Life Caucus and its presence and visibility during the proceedings of the Representative Assembly. We believe that, as we continue to persist, we will see great progress in the effort to move the NEA into an abortion-free posture; we believe that what we're requesting is more than reasonable by anyone's standards - and achievable.

As a result, Resolution I-22 on Family Planning has been renumbered. It is now Resolution I-13. TSC will adjust its future public relations materials to reflect this change.

At the convention TSC will be presenting "Fighting for Life in Education" on Saturday, September 19th during the 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM workshop hour. A panel consisting of David Kaiser, Connie Bancroft, Gary Winney, Ken Mazer, and Doug Shamp will present information about the NEA Agenda, TSC Purpose and Activities, Life Issues Caucus, and Legal Recourse.

Plan now to join TSC at the convention!