National Education Association to Vote on Taking Neutral Stance on Abortion
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
June 30, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — When thousands of teachers and educators meet this week in California for their annual convention, they may vote on a measure to have the National Education Association take a neutral stance on abortion. Outside the convention hall, dozens of pro-life teachers will share their views.
The NEA has long been a thorn in the side of the majority of Americans who take a pro-life stance on abortion and are involved in educating America’s children.
Using their union dues, the NEA has funded pro-abortion candidates and has gone as far as holding an event with a late-term abortion practitioner.
Jeralee Smith, a co-founder of the NEA Conservative Educators Caucus, says a vote on abortion could open the door for positive change.
She says a special vote is slated for the July 1-6 convention that could have members voting on the NEA taking a neutral abortion position. That could help stop some of the pro-abortion activities the NEA undertakes.
"The union contributes to candidates who will maintain the current Roe v. Wade decision and make sure that the abortion industry is alive and well," she told OneNewsNow. "And this supposedly is done with the portion of union dues that…is optional. But a lot of times we found sneaky ways that the union supports things that we don’t believe in."
Smith told ONN why pro-life teachers and educators don’t leave the union.
"The union, in 30 of the states, is required — and you have to jump through a lot of hoops to get out of the union," Smith said. "And you’re told a lot of scary stories…should you try to leave, which most of the time they’re exaggerated."
This year’s event will be held at the San Diego Convention Center in southern California and corresponding state affiliate headquarters across the country.
Bob Pawson, the head of Pro-Life Educators and Students, has headed up the convention protests for several years.
He says the teachers, staff and other educators who participate in the "peaceful, prayer-and-picket demonstrations against the NEA leadership’s pro- abortion agenda" represent millions who can’t attend in person.
"By peacefully and prayerfully picketing the NEA’s convention and offices across America, pro-life citizens can publicly reaffirm that we express our concern, compassion, and desire for true justice through lawful and constitutional means using reason and rational discourse in the American tradition of the public square," he told LifeNews.com.
Pawson, an NEA-NJEA teacher in Trenton, New Jersey, says abortion has significant economic and education-related side effects many people don’t notice.
"Abortion is the primary factor causing America’s economic recession," he explained.
Pawson cites the economic duress as a direct result of killing 50 million people who could be contributing to the economy.
Related web sites:
Pro-Life Educators And Students – https://www.ProLifeEducators.com
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