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Defense of Family

Mar 09 2023
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Parental Protection not Paranoia

By | Defense of Family, Education, News and Events | No Comments

The truth will set you free! Vanity Fair reporter Caleb Ecarma in a recent article “How the Right is Turning Political Paranoia into ‘Parents’ Rights’” skews and takes out of context comments made by Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America, to the reporter directly and on a panel discussion at CPAC. We want to set the record straight and give everyone the full context of the questions and answers.

Mr. Ecarma: What most concerns you about the current American education system and cultural climate as it pertains to children?  

 

Penny Nance: Our children are falling behind in basic educational skills, especially in math and science.  Fundamentals are being replaced by some teachers and administrators in favor of gender theory, sex education, critical race theory, and Marxist ideology. 

Mr. Ecarma: You and your co-panelists yesterday discussed the lack of humanity and dignity within the schools shaping the next generation of Americans. As a former K-12 homeschooler myself, I’ve been hearing more and more stories from parents looking to raise their children in a similar fashion. Do you think that more conservative parents should consider homeschooling right now, even if just as a stop-gap measure while conservative advocates like yourself work to change schools? 

 

Penny Nance: Parents are desperate for their children to receive a quality education, but they are also appalled to learn that radical ideologues are callously overstepping their authority by undermining parents’ ability to protect their children.  Any adult, even a teacher or school administrator who says, “don’t tell your parents” is not looking after a child’s best interest.  

 

We support what parents want which is educational opportunities tailored to each child’s individual needs.  CWA is very enthusiastic about Education Savings Accounts that have been passed in ten states with more looking at this option for parents to use their tax dollars to choose the school that best fits the needs of their child. 

 

Although homeschooling is a good option for some families, it’s not a possible alternative for others. As a working mom, my children attended private Christian school but it’s expensive and I grieve that it’s out of reach for many other families.  My friend. whose child struggles due to special needs, literally moved in order for her child to attend a public school district that was better able to serve her child. Open enrollment would allow parents to choose from any school in their area.

 

Our point is that families should be able to choose from a range of options: public, private, Jewish Day school, Christian, STEM charter school, home tutors, or homeschooling. No child should be trapped in a substandard school due to their zip code.  My friend, Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, says, “The new redline is the zip codes that trap poor children in failing schools.”  Parents are most able to determine what’s best for their children. The money should follow the child instead of being controlled by government bureaucracies that don’t know that child. When parents are able to choose, eventually the failing schools will either rise to meet the challenge or close and be replaced by better options. 

Mr. Ecarma: On the stage yesterday, you mentioned that the old gods, Baal and Moloch, are being revived in America. Do you believe this is a literal manifestation––that these religions are on the rise again and that people shaping the culture serve them––or something else? 

 

Penny Nance: I was referencing a recent piece written by Naomi Wolf.  I am quite sure the people working to expose small children to graphic, sexually explicit material don’t think they are serving a pagan god or that they are damaging children, but this new culture is a cult or replacement religion where they find acceptance and belonging.

 

Unfortunately, the Christian Church has not been there for them.  As C.S. Lewis said there is a God shaped vacuum in every person, and that vacuum will be filled by something. Tim Keller wrote a book called “Counterfeit Gods” that talks about how as humans we can’t help but replace God with our own version: money, fame, power, sex, drugs, alcohol.  

 

But for some it is less obvious. I believe that “gender warriors” have found their new religion, but it’s not new; it’s actually old. Gnosticism, which was fought by the early Christians, believed that the body and spirit were completely separate. Christianity says that you are to worship God, body, mind, and spirit (I Corinthians 6:19-20).  Add to the mix that shockingly Satanism, although rare, is becoming more openly practiced. Satanists insist abortion is part of worship. The Old Testament Canaanites sacrificed their children to Baal.  How is this different?  Purposefully grooming a child, breaking down their innate sense of modesty and working to introduce confusion and chaos into their little minds is abusive. The smug community of educators who feel powerful by pulling one over on parents serve darkness whether they know it or not.  

Mr. Ecarma: It is often said that the Reagan revolution began at PTA meetings and school boards. Do you believe a similar nationwide movement is taking place right now? And can you detail some of the work you’re doing to change what is being taught in American schools? 

 

Penny Nance: The new freedom revolution began during Covid lockdowns at kitchen tables as parents witnessed both the lack of basic education being taught and in its place, children being served up gender ideology, critical race theory, and Marxist philosophy. Maybe some parents are okay with teachers suggesting that their elementary school child should consider with which of 72 genders they identify and conspiring to keep parents in the dark.  Those parents are welcome to keep the status quo.  But most parents want the ability to choose wisely for their children whom they love more than life itself.  We are urging moms to be aware of what is being taught to their children, women to run for school board, and most importantly, to speak up and advocate for educational freedom.  We are working in every state to break the education monopoly by passing laws that create the ability for the money to follow the child. 

Mr. Ecarma: If a Republican candidate wins the next presidential election, what would you like to see them change in regard to schools and parental rights once they are in power?

 

Penny Nance: Education is primarily a state and local issue, but to the extent that the federal government is involved, it needs to return jurisdiction of the schools to parents and incentivize schools to better accomplish their mission. I speak to teachers regularly who are deeply dissatisfied with the status quo. Educational reform is to the benefit of hardworking teachers as well as families.  

Feb 12 2023
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Caught with Hand in a Medicated Candy Jar

By | Defense of Family, News and Events, Special Feature | No Comments

“Addiction-for-profit industries have always targeted young audiences. The younger the addict, the longer the cycle of addiction, the greater the profit,” said Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America (CWA), in her recent article in American Thinker titled “Targeting Kids for Addiction.” The marijuana industry has taken this marketing to another level by creating indistinguishable dupes of edible marijuana candies. This intentional marketing ploy has increased the reported cases of accidental consumption of cannabis edibles by children under age six by 1,375% within just five years. Even more disturbing is a recent warning from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that a new trend is brightly colored fentanyl pills that look like candy dubbed “rainbow fentanyl.”

 

This is a dangerous trend, and CWA is working with Members of Congress to criminalize the combination of controlled substances with marketing or packaging that appeals to children.

Jan 26 2023
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Moral Apathy and Moral Corruption: Two Sides of the Same Coin

By | Defense of Family, LBB, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of Mia Cathell at Townhall, the public got a glimpse into the heinous crimes committed by a radical LGBTQ+ activist couple against their two adopted children (9 and 11 years old now). A grand jury indicted William Dale Zulock, Jr. and Zachary Jacoby Zulock on charges including “incest, aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation, felony sexual exploitation of children, and felony prostitution of a minor.”

 

The two, explains Cathell, were “darlings of the LGBTQ media” who were “part of an anti-gay hate campaign promoting ‘# NOH8′” and whose pictures were featured several times on the largest LGBTQ+ monthly publication in the nation, Out magazine.

 

The alleged charges must suffice for our purposes; the investigation details are too upsetting (see Cathell’s entire series, being mindful of their content warning—it is hard to get through). We can simply say this is the worst type of abuse against children. These poor children were in third and fourth grades. Some abuse was allegedly filmed to satisfy the perverted desires of the men. And they even allegedly offered their children up to other men. All the while threatening them, saying things like, “Our business is our business. What happens in our home, stays in our home.”

 

To think of what these children have gone through is genuinely heartbreaking. So, you can imagine how my heart sank to discover that the adoption of these children, which opened the door to this unimaginable abuse, was facilitated by a “Christian special-needs adoption agency.” I’m sorry, what? Yes, Cathell didn’t specify at first but later revealed it was an agency called “All God’s Children, Inc.”

 

So, here is where I’d like to focus your attention as Christians for a moment and appeal to your sense of righteousness and zeal for the Name of our Lord. We simply cannot stand silent while so many Christians today celebrate and support sin in the name of Christ. It is heresy. Those who choose to identify themselves as Christians bear the name of Christ. They cannot condone and celebrate sin in any of its forms. Not within and not without.

 

As Christians, we are tacitly complicit in the worst types of abuses when we remain silent to the trampling of God’s loving standards for us in the name of tolerance or anything else. Put another way, we cannot violate the first commandment of Christ (to love God above all, with all our hearts, soul, and mind) to promote the world’s distortion of our Lord’s second command (to love our neighbors as ourselves). See Matthew 22:37-40.

 

When we manipulate God’s Word, we weaken the only good and perfect standard for any sort of sustainable moral order. If Christians agree with the world that there is no objective standard, that God’s law is relative to our personal preferences, then it is impossible to establish some arbitrary human-created line of morality further along because we believe, oh now, “that” is too far. Says who? That might be too far for you, but I have my own truth. Isn’t that what we say? Isn’t that what millions of Christians go along with every day here in America?

 

To be clear. The connection I want us to draw is not between sexual orientation and child abuse and pedophilia (see this recent encounter for other examples of this depravity). Instead, the connection is between moral apathy and moral corruption.

 

As Cathell investigated the now conveniently defunct agency, she found a post of “All God’s Children, Inc. at the First Presbyterian Church of Athens, GA.” The report does not go into more detail about the church, but I got curious.

 

Not surprisingly, a quick search of First Presbyterian Church of Athens, GA, reveals that it is hosting (just as I write this on January 26, 2023) an event alongside PFLAG, “the nation’s largest family and ally organization for LGBTQIA+ people.” Here is the description of the event:

 

In partnership with Athens Pride Queer Collective, Pflag Athens Area will host a discussion circle during the LGBTQ+ youth group meeting time. We will meet separately from the youth group to have a free and open conversation between family members, parents, and LGBTQ+ allies. Mask wearing at your discretion.

 

Now you can see how a “Christian” adoption agency, like All God’s Children, Inc., would be eager to place children in a pro-LGBTQ+ home when it is born out of their theology. To affirm LGBTQ+ relationships is to do the work of their god. It is a work of the heart. Forget the Word of God. This is love to them.

 

The many red flags in these prospective parents (including accusations of “alleged pedophilic behavior”) were really part of the stigma attached to them by a cruel society. It is something they needed to break through, not explore further, to be extra diligent in order to protect these children. We wouldn’t want to upset the prospective couple. Everyone was surprised at how fast they moved through the adoption process (#diversity!).

 

Liberal Christians are not like those other Christians. One of the perpetrators in this case was very public in his criticism of Rev. Billy Graham’s daughter, Cissie Graham Lynch, because she spoke in favor of protecting the religious freedom of Christian organizations that are constantly harassed by government to abandon their faith if they want to do charity work. Cathell quotes Zachary as saying in a Facebook post, “What about all the LGBTQ couples out there that have been stopped from adopting?! What about their rights?”

 

The church that helped them adopt would agree. So would many other Christians today— even famous pastors. Your local pastor may use some of the teaching materials from these churches.

 

Andy Stanley, who has been on the pro-LGBTQ+ line for many years and whose materials are used all over this country, was recently featured praising the faith of his LGBTQ+ friends over any of his other congregants. The church needs to learn from them. “I know the verses; I know the clobber passages,” he said.

 

But again, the authority of Christ is the issue. Belief in God’s Word (His standards) is the issue. Stanley actively advocates diminishing God’s Word, especially the Old Testament, to be more appealing to the world. Moral apathy will give you a better hearing.

 

But this new form of liberal Christianity is the theological force behind the moral corruption we are all witnessing. And we must ask whether we are part of the problem. Am I showing signs of moral apathy in my own life?

 

David describes the workers of iniquity as those “Who speak peace to their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts” (Psalm 28:3). He prays to God against their efforts because “they do not regard the works of the Lord, nor the operation of His hands” (Psalm 28:5).

 

Are we doing the same? Are we showing so little regard for the Word of God that we are really promoting a false sense of peace? Again, we must ask, has my moral indifference given space to the moral corruption I see all around me?

 

If the answer is “yes,” we must repent. We must turn back to the God of Scripture – the whole of Scripture. We must proclaim His standards are best. Indeed, we must attest there is no other foundation for liberty and freedom known to man. True love protects.

 

There is only one way – the Jesus way.

Jan 18 2023
1

Local Restaurant Hosts Disney-Themed Drag Show

By | Defense of Family, News and Events, Sexual Exploitation, YWA | No Comments

By YWA Ambassador Hannah Gebhardt

 

As a former staff member at a children’s summer camp and the wife of a children’s minister, I have had the pleasure of getting to experience the innocence and joy that comes from the mind of a child. It is for this reason that news like the following breaks my heart. On January 15, 2023, Moondog Pizza, a local restaurant in downtown Morganton, North Carolina hosted a Disney themed drag show for all ages. The show consisted of several “drag queens” who engaged in Disney themed performances, aimed at fans of the well-loved franchise. Many local supporters of the restaurant posted comments showing support of Moondog’s drag show, emphasizing how “kid-friendly” the event was. Disney was created and still is by design a company whose target audience is young children and teens. Through using a childlike theme, the restaurant encouraged parents to bring their children and expose them to indecent sexual performances under the guise of a family experience.

Businesses and individuals across the country are promoting what they believe to be a culture of acceptance, but the sad reality is that events like this attack the most vulnerable members of society, our children. Karl Marx believed that the destruction of the nuclear family was necessary for the creation of a socialist society, the stepping stone to his ultimate goal of a communist utopia. Sadly, Marx was exactly right. Whether we want to accept it or not, our culture is determined to destroy the nuclear family in order to reshape morality. But this is where every single individual should draw the line.

 

The apostle Peter writes, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) The enemy is real and as Christian’s we are called to use reason in order to discern the truth among the evil that prevails in our society. I refuse to sit back and let corrupt businesses like this destroy morality by exploiting innocent and impressionable young children. It’s time for all of us to stand together and use our voices in order to fight for the protection of children against sexual exploitation.

Dec 15 2022
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Loudoun County Hellscape Part II: Reckless Disregard for Women’s Safety

By | Defense of Family, Education, LBB, News and Events, Sex Trafficking / Pornography, Virginia | No Comments

The abduction and sexual assault of a female student at Broad Run High School were preventable. This much the grand jury report states unequivocally—and appropriately so. The school administrators’ reckless disregard for women’s safety was systemic and has been going on for years at Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS).

When the perpetrator raped a young woman at Stone Bridge High School, the first time that we know of, the school had already been alerted to his dangerous sexual tendencies. When a teacher alerted her superiors, the administrators questioned her motivations. You see, the boy who ended up assaulting two female students wore a skirt. LCPS strives to be very sensitive, welcoming, and accepting of transgender students. That’s the priority.

When the rape of the young woman in the female bathroom was first reported, one of the first emails explaining the situation was from LCPS’ chief operating officer, who stated unequivocally that the incident “related to policy 8040.” The grand jury report notes, “Policy 8040 addresses the rights of transgender and gender-expansive students.” In other words, the focus of LCPS from the beginning was not on the victims and the safety of other female students potentially at risk but on the perpetrator’s rights…

 

Click here to read the rest of Mario’s exclusive Substack column. And be sure to subscribe below to never miss one of his posts again!

Dec 14 2022
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Conservatives Defend Ground on Defense Bill

By | Defense of Family, Legislative Updates, News and Events | No Comments

Every year, Congress passes the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a bill that governs policies and funding for federal defense agencies. The bill recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is on track for enactment before the end of the year. In a perfect world, the defense bill only focuses on military readiness and fortifying national security. Unfortunately, legislators try to use such an important bill as a vehicle for their non-defense-related pet priorities.

 

At Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), our main job is to be the sticky fly trap for those pet—or perhaps “pest”—priorities. Fortunately, as of this week, our sticky paper has caught the major vermin. We gave decision-makers clear, achievable goals – stop women in the draft, no bankrolling Big Marijuana, and keep out woke data collection mandates. Your activism and our direct communications with staff and legislators made it possible to kick out these bad provisions from the NDAA.

 

Stop Women in the Draft

  • This year, we once more combatted the existential threat of women in the draft. For several years now, certain legislators—Democrat and Republican—have tried to expand the Selective Service to include women. Thankfully, families and advocates batted off this latest attempt to draft our daughters. Leaders like Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and his colleagues staked their ground early on by demanding a vote to amend the bill if it included women in the draft. NDAA bill negotiators Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Alabama) listened to these legislators and constituents and ensured no Selective Service expansion.
  • We are grateful for the women who volunteer to serve, which includes daughters and mothers at CWA. We also pray towards a world in which we never need the draft. But it is contrary to reason and morals to force women—who would be 18-25—into the draft. Doing so takes away the only reason for a country to fight in the first place: to defend the family at home. If everyone is on the frontlines, the only thing being protected is government for its own sake, and this is antithetical to the proper role of government. The government exists to protect us and not the other way around.

 

Bankrolling Big Marijuana

  • Besides stopping women in the draft, activists successfully intercepted a drug deal to include the unrelated, unsafe “SAFE Banking Act” into the annual defense bill. Law enforcement input was the nail in the coffin. First, the National Sheriffs’ Association gave legislators a grave warning of the harm that the Unsafe Act would bring. The Sheriffs’ Association shared that amid the rising crime wave, its members are seeing a form of THC-induced psychosis when booking criminal defendants. Second, the Department of Justice provided an assessment that law enforcement is in no way prepared to handle the influx of money laundering likely to come from the Unsafe Act’s enactment.
  • The only thing the Unsafe Act achieves is legitimizing the marijuana industry, enabling criminal behavior. It gives marijuana businesses access to the federal banking system, and it grants access with no regulation or guidance for the financial and law enforcement industries. Enactment only exposes the economy to money laundering, and there will be little to show for the benefits proponents proclaim.

 

Woke Data Collection Mandate

  • Finally, negotiators said “no thanks” to woke data collection efforts, which have been kicked out of the bill. These efforts seek to inoculate “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” into as many areas of federal law as possible. This time, it was mandates on data collection of veterans and small business loans from the federal government. However, there is no limit to the ways in which the Left will try to include radical gender ideology in federal law.
  • It is worth noting that these provisions are but a snapshot of the unrelated riders that legislators often try to attach to the annual defense bill. Most bills “die” before they ever reach the level of consideration by a congressional committee. Some of these bills are great ideas and worthy of merit. But that is no excuse to cut corners—or as we say in the legislative world—circumvent “regular order.” This practice of cutting corners makes the NDAA more controversial than it needs to be. National security is critical, and no pet project, much less one fueled by leftist ideology, should dilute that goal.

 

Making our opposition loud and clear from the beginning helped focus this bill on national security. It is only with raising our voices and hard work that we have a shot at keeping out advances by the Left.

Dec 13 2022
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Loudoun County Hellscape Part I.5: Indictments Issued

By | Defense of Family, Education, LBB, News and Events, Virginia | No Comments

Part II of our series discussing Loudoun County Public Schools’ reckless disregard for women’s safety will be published later this week (for more background, please read Part I of this series). But I felt an update was needed before that. This week, the court unsealed four indictments against two Loudoun County Public School employees. I want to express again my appreciation for the efforts of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and the special grand jury. Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all.

 

Fired superintendent Scott Ziegler, who lied to the public, denying the rape that occurred in a school restroom under his watch, got “one count of misdemeanor false publication (Va. Code § 18.2-209), one count of misdemeanor prohibited conduct (Va. Code § 2.2-3103), and one count of misdemeanor penalizing an employee for a court appearance (Va. Code § 18.2-465.1).” Still current Public Information Officer (which is unbelievable, although he has been “put on leave”) Wayde Byard has been charged with “one count of felony perjury (Va. Code § 18.2-434).”

 

What does it all mean? For Ziegler, the false publication charge and the penalizing an employee for a court appearance charge are merely class 3 misdemeanors, which only carry “a fine not more than $500.” Given the outrageous package deal he got when he was dismissed “without cause” (yes, still fuming about that!), these charges alone would serve as a great insult to the victims and the community. Not to mention a great incentive for the next public official to take the chance of lying to the public when in hot waters…

 

Click here to read the rest of Mario’s exclusive Substack column. And be sure to subscribe below to never miss one of his posts again!

Dec 09 2022
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Loudoun County Hellscape Part I: Victims Be Damned

By | Defense of Family, Education, LBB, News and Events, Sexual Exploitation | No Comments

The weight of writing about this story has been almost unbearable. Every keystroke requires an unusual sort of effort accompanied by a prayer that God may grant the grace of a positive impact. “Positive” is not a word you would associate with the events of the past few years at Loudoun County Public Schools. And although we should be incredibly grateful to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares for appointing a grand jury to investigate these events and to the citizens who served on the grand jury, reading the report is painstakingly frustrating.

 

The report finds leadership failures at the highest levels of school administrations that are appalling, immoral, and should be criminal. Yet, no indictments have been issued. We will, therefore, examine these failures in a series of posts meant to stress the gravity of these events and amplify the victim’s continued cry for justice. Part I: Victims Be Damned.

 

Perhaps the most frustrating thing about the grand jury report is its lack of focus on the victims. But before I get into that, a quick summary of the events is in order…

 

Click here to read the rest of Mario’s exclusive Substack column. And be sure to subscribe below to never miss one of his posts again!

Dec 07 2022
0

Groups to GOP: “Marriage Matters”

By | Defense of Family, Legislative Updates, News and Events | No Comments

It is the sad reality that this week, the Respect for Marriage Act (better named the Disrespect of Marriage Act) passed both chambers of Congress. It now heads to the President’s desk to become law. Disappointingly, legislators in the Senate and House who tout pro-family values voted the exact opposite by voting to advance the bill. Find out how your Senator voted here and how your Representative voted here. Disrespect Act supporters overlook the religious freedom concerns posed in the bill and have redefined marriage from a commitment between a man and a woman to something else entirely.

 

Although these legislators failed to represent their constituents, there is hope to be had. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) said, “The attempts to derail this piece of legislation were probably more focused and robust than any other bills I’ve worked on in the last two years.” Sen. Sinema is right; coalition members and constituents mobilized in a way that was shocking to many members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans. It has long been believed that the marriage argument was dead and that the average American did not care about the definition of marriage. This is a large reason Democrats decided to move on this legislation; they saw it as a winning issue with little to no opposition. However, that belief has proven to be false.

 

Here at Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), we urged legislators to vote no. This summer, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on the Disrespect Act, and 47 Republicans voted in favor of the bill. This was of great concern, as there were no religious freedom protections. Twelve Senate Republicans voted to advance the bill with the addition of an abysmal and meaningless religious freedom amendment. These Republicans wrongly voted “yes.” It might be said that little advance notice and no committee hearings caught them off guard. However, they now understand loud and clear their constituents’ support for Biblical marriage. They have had ample time to understand the concerns of this bill and their constituents’ position. We experienced some breakthrough, as fewer House Republicans supported the bill in their vote this week than over the summer.

 

CWALAC will continue to defend marriage as God intended, as we know this leads to healthy family units. Marriage is a sacred union created to reflect Christ and His bride, the church. Marriage sanctifies those in the union in a unique way that God has intentionally and purposefully created, through the commitment of a woman and a man. Further, children need and have a right to both a mother and father, as God intended. It is cruel to tear a child away from their biological parents to fulfill the desires of an adult. Although God can restore and redeem all situations, it is not hard to see the problems that often arise in homes that are lacking a mother or father. Each provides an irreplaceable and important role in a child’s life to have the optimal environment to flourish.

 

The government has a responsibility to punish evil and praise good (1 Peter 2:13-14). Unfortunately, the so-called Respect for Marriage Act does neither in promoting what God has deemed unholy as good. This bill will affect people of faith trying to live out their religious convictions; it will affect the family unit, and, furthermore, it will create the opportunity to harm children. Therefore, CWALAC will continue to advance pro-family policies.  

Dec 01 2022
0

Who Cares About Marriage?

By | Defense of Family, Legal, Marriage, News and Events, Substack | No Comments

When I wrote to you On the Splendor of Marriage, I mentioned the United States Senate’s consideration of a bill meant to paint a target on anyone holding a true definition of marriage as created by God. The bill passed this week with bipartisan support by a vote of 61-36, with three senators not voting.

 

All Democrats present voted for the bill. The Republicans who voted for it were Senators Roy Blunt of Missouri, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Susan Collins of Maine, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rob Portman of Ohio, Mitt Romney of Utah, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Todd Young of Indiana.

 

Of course, none of these senators would describe the bill as targeting people of faith; they would say they just want to “respect all people.” But consider that Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) proposed and got a vote on an amendment making it clear that government would not retaliate against people of faith and religious institutions for their sincerely held religious convictions about marriage under this bill, and the vote actually failed. All the Republicans who voted to pass the (Dis)Respect for Marriage Act (except Collins) voted for the amendment. Those who voted for the Lee Amendment protecting religious freedom even included Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. But the Lee Amendment failed…

 

Click here to read the rest of Mario’s exclusive Substack column. And be sure to subscribe below to never miss one of his posts again!

Nov 27 2022
0

It Takes One to Know One

By | Defense of Family, News and Events | No Comments

It Takes One to Know One: Activist Groups that Sued for Same-Sex Marriage are Same Groups Peddling Fear about Suits Against Same-Sex Marriage

 

The Senate is expected to wrap up its vote on S.4556, the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act,” this week. All votes so far have been to advance the bill. Senators will now vote on the bill itself. There is an amendment supported by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Minnesota), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) to include references to religious liberty that unfortunately falls short of accomplishing anything significant.

 

Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), the nation’s largest public policy organization for women, has been sharing its opposition to the bill and the amendment. We are defending the merits of God-designed marriage in the halls of Congress. We are letting Senators know that the bill does not just codify same-sex marriage; it codifies a prohibition against preferring to place adoptive and foster kids in husband-wife households. The self-styled religious liberty amendment continues to leave wedding vendors like cakebaker Jack Phillips and website designer Lori Smith in the cold. Faith-based child welfare service providers remain vulnerable to litigation related to placing kids in traditional families. The Act gives activists renewed momentum.

 

There are precious few days on the legislative calendar. Why is Congress spending it on codifying same-sex marriage?

 

Activist groups have successfully drowned out every other priority. It is not just about conservative versus liberal policy. One priority drowned out is child welfare. Leftist activists appear unwilling to ask Congress to spend its time on even ideologically center-left child-focused legislation like the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. And Congress is apparently willing to let its priorities be decided by the leftists even though, as explained earlier, the rights and benefits for same-sex marriage are under no threat. Congress is not even taking time to pass the the annual defense bill, the National Defense Authorization Act, during these last few days of the legislative calendar. These are lost days and weeks for votes on policies that help America and its families.

 

The leftist rally for codification of same-sex marriage comes from insecurity. The Left has long used courts rather than legislatures to make radical changes in policy. But this way of policymaking is unstable, is subject to the whim of activist judges, and requires constant maintenance.

 

Thus, activists push for codification in the Respect for Marriage Act. They point to Justice Clarence Thomas’s concurrence in the historic overturning of Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization as impetus for the Respect for Marriage Act. Activists waive Justice Thomas’ nonbinding opinion in the air because it accurately describes the right to same-sex marriage as being another court-created right. They overlook the majority opinion limiting the scope of Dobbs to the overturn of the court-created right to abortion. They peddle fear, like the American Civil Liberties Union, which described “the right to marry potentially at risk.”

 

It is a classic case of “takes one to know one.” The activists are paranoid about being sued out of the right to same-sex marriage because they sued into the right to same-sex marriage. Observe the number of cases after United States v. Windsor (2013)—which held the federal Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional—and leading up to Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)—which held that the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution requires states to license and recognize same-sex marriages. In 2013, there were at least 17 lawsuits challenging marriage amendments in state constitutions, many of which were filed shortly after Windsor.

 

The same shortcut that activists used to get power is now their downfall. To close the gap, they have taken hold of the legislative calendar. Untold riches are spent to advance the radical individualism of the pro-abortion and gender ideology agenda. Imagine if they put it towards policies that help families instead.

 

At CWALAC, we continue to fight the good fight for marriage. But we do not lose sight of why government is involved in marriage in the first place. Foremost, marriage policy must build strong foundations for kids and families. Thus, we have spent almost as much time—if not more—advocating for policies like the Standing With Moms Act by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and the Unborn Child Support Act by Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota). The Unborn Child Support Act incentivizes states to have a child support program that provides for costs of parenting that many know begin well before the baby’s first birthday. The Standing With Moms Act, which CWALAC worked closely with legislative staff to create, would create a website called life.gov that would list local resources available for expectant moms and families at all levels of government and the private sector.

 

Twelve senators who traditionally support religious liberty policy voted to advance the Respect for Marriage Act. We are clear-eyed about the likelihood that they will vote to pass the bill. But we will continue to dutifully make the case for the sake of advancing pro-family policy at the federal and state level.

Nov 18 2022
0

On the Splendor of Marriage

By | Defense of Family, LBB, Legal, News and Events, Substack | No Comments

The fact is that too often we fail to see the beauty and majesty of God’s creation around us. But the splendor is there. It is a fact.

 

How often do you think about oxygen? Yet this invisible, odorless, tasteless, mysterious, glorious gas keeps you alive every day. For thousands of years, scientists believed the Earth was flat. They did not recognize the essential nature of the Earth’s shape and its precise distance from the Sun. And we still don’t fully understand the vastness of space. Somehow, it all works to our benefit— to sustain life in this speck of dust we call home. The more we discover, the more we stand in awe and wonder.

 

Such is the case with all of God’s creations. Marriage was God’s idea, too. “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).  But He noted one thing, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18).  Therefore, He creates “a suitable helper” for him: woman. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

 

One flesh, the two of them. Spectacular…

 

Click here to read the rest of Mario’s exclusive Substack column. And be sure to subscribe below to never miss one of his posts again!

Nov 15 2022
0

U.S. Senators MUST  Support Marriage

By | Defense of Family, News and Events, Press Releases | No Comments

For Immediate Release
November 15, 2022

 

Contact: CWA Press Team
[email protected]g
703-282-7320

 

U.S. Senators MUST  Support Marriage, Vote “NO” on “Respect for Marriage Act”

CWALAC will mark vote in annual Congressional scorecard

 

Washington, D.C. – Today, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), the country’s largest public policy women’s organization, joined other organizations in conveying to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) its strong opposition to S.4556, the falsely named “Respect for Marriage Act” as an attack on millions of Americans, particularly people of faith, who believe marriage is between one man and one woman.

 

The legislation, being considered in the Senate on Wednesday, after passing the U.S. House of Representatives earlier in the year, goes far beyond merely codifying same-sex marriage in federal law. It is a startling expansion of what marriage means—and who may be sued if they disagree—that threatens the freedom of decent and honorable Americans of different faiths, creeds, and walks of life who wish to live consistent with their deeply-held beliefs.

 

“Senators must not be duped by the lies in this bill,” said Penny Nance, CEO and President of CWALAC. “Marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Democrats and their propaganda peddlers in the media are trying to make this bill about something that it is not.”

 

The legislation would require federal recognition of a state’s definition of marriage with no parameters whatsoever, even beyond anything that is recognized right now—plural marriages, open marriages, or even marriages involving minors and adults. And the Act purposely ignores any sort of religious liberty protections.

 

This legislation does nothing to change the status of, or benefits afforded to, same-sex marriage in light of the Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell decision; it does much to endanger people of faith. This legislation will only hasten and intensify hostility against them. As such, anyone who supports this measure is crossing a line into aiding and abetting the persecution of people of faith.

 

“Our more than 500,000 members across the country will not forget Senators who sell us out on the fundamental issues of marriage and religious freedom,” said Nance.

 

CWALAC will include this vote in its annual Congressional scorecard.

 

### 

Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee is the legislation and advocacy arm of Concerned Women for America, the Nation’s largest public policy organization for women; we are dedicated to promoting Biblical values and Constitutional principles. More information is available at ConcernedWomen.org

Oct 10 2022
0

The Equal Rights Amendment—Long Gone or Here To Stay?

By | Defense of Family, Erasing Women, Legislative Updates, News and Events, Sanctity of Life, Sexual Exploitation | No Comments

The Equal Rights Amendment—Long Gone or Here To Stay?
Answer May Depend on Politicized Justice Department

 

Recently, the question of ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) emerged once again during Senate confirmation hearings for a new Archivist of the United States, the person in charge of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Colleen Shogan, Ph.D., is President Joe Biden’s pick to lead NARA. She previously worked in the U.S. Senate and the Library of Congress, and she has held various positions on boards and commissions related to American History. She faced rigorous questioning from Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) about her stance on whether NARA could certify the ERA.

 

What is the ERA, exactly, and why would it be unlawful to certify it? The misnamed resolution purports to ensure that women are equal in the U.S. Constitution. But in reality, the amendment could have a reverse effect on women’s progress. During a 2019 House Judiciary Committee hearing, for instance, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) exposed that—as written—the ERA can be used to enshrine subjective gender identity classifications and abortion protections into the U.S. Constitution.

 

The ERA also suffers procedural defects. When the ERA passed Congress in 1972, it included a seven-year deadline for ratification. With the deadline fast approaching, CWA’s founder, Beverly LaHaye, held the first CWA meeting in 1978 to share with women in her community the dangers of the ERA and the anti-God, anti-family rhetoric of the ERA’s supporters. Mrs. LaHaye’s goal was to make sure her friends knew how important it was that the ERA stay out of the Constitution. Thanks to her actions and the leadership of others like Phyllis Schlafly, the ERA was three states short of ratification by its 1978 deadline. Congress voted to extend the deadline to 1982. But even by that time, no new states ratified the ERA. 

 

The ERA is dead. There are measures to retroactively “remove” the 1978 ratification deadline on the ERA, like H.J. Res. 17/S.J. Res. 1. But even according to the Washington Post, a news outlet sympathetic to leftist causes, “every time the issue has been litigated in federal court, most recently in 2021, the pro-ERA side has lost, no matter whether the judge was appointed by a Democrat or Republican.” Under the Trump Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice issued an opinion stating “that Congress had the constitutional authority to impose a deadline on the ratification of the ERA and, because that deadline has expired, the ERA Resolution is no longer pending before the States.” A federal trial court with a judge appointed by President Barack Obama upheld the deadline contained in the 1972 resolution and said that Illinois, Nevada, and Virginia’s ratifications—which came after both the original and extended deadlines that Congress attached to the ERA—are not binding for the purposes of the recognizing the ERA.

 

The Archivist has a unique role in stewarding the rule of law. In addition to preserving the U.S. Constitution and other Founding documents, the Archivist certifies constitutional amendments that states have ratified. The ERA’s procedural defects doom efforts to amend the Constitution using the 1972 resolution. Pro-ERA activists have urged current Archivist David Ferriero to unlawfully certify ratification of the ERA. In response, the Archivist pointed to his “ministerial role” and said that he “defers to [the Justice Department] on this issue and will abide by the [Justice Department] opinion, unless otherwise directed by a final court order.” During her hearing, Dr. Shogan essentially took the same position.

 

So what is the problem? The approach to defer to the Justice Department is unstable. Principled constitutional lawyers at the U.S. Department of Justice under the previous administration recognized that there was no constitutional basis to ratify the ERA. The Archivist abided by this counsel from the Justice Department, and ERA ratification was put on hold. Unfortunately, with the Biden Justice Department, we are facing a situation where the leftist fox is guarding the constitutional-hen house. This very Justice Department is comfortable recognizing the ability of the Veterans Affairs to provide abortions and abortion counseling to veterans even though federal law explicitly writes out abortion from healthcare benefits for veterans. The ERA analysis from the previous administration’s Justice Department is vulnerable to an activist “reinterpretation” by the attorneys in power under the radical Biden Administration.

 

Fortunately, there are Members in Congress who are willing to press the matter. Sen. Lankford has already urged Archivist Ferriero to withstand “ridiculous calls to ignore clear guidance from both the court and the Department of Justice and to unilaterally certify the ERA.” Similarly, Sens. Portman, Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) have pressed Archivist Ferriero to stand by the rule of law.

 

Any pro-ERA attorneys at the Justice Department should heed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s counsel that ERA supporters should start over. Even she did not think that the ERA could be ratified under its 1972 mandate. If the Justice Department were to unlawfully “reinterpret” its understanding of the Constitution in this regard, the Archivist must stand for the rule of law. That is why we must stay engaged on this nomination.

Oct 05 2022
0

Breakthrough—Marriage Act Ceasefire, Retreat Gives Time to Build Case for God’s Design

By | Defense of Family, Legislative Updates, News and Events | No Comments

Sometimes, it seems like very few legislators in the U.S. Congress listen to what the American people have to say. This is especially true for legislation related to family values. It sometimes seems like in Washington, D.C., the media and the consulting class are able to drown out the voices outside the beltway. But more often than we sometimes appreciate, voters’ voices break through.

 

It is in this vein that I want to encourage you with our partial victory over the “Disrespect of Marriage Act” in the U.S. Senate. Thanks to your engagement, the U.S. Senate punted a vote to further undermine the institution of marriage and religious liberty until after the elections.  Don’t get me wrong, there is still much work to be done. The word on the Hill is that Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) is pushing for the Senate to take up the Act during the week of November 14, 2022.

 

But Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) understands that it is your voice that truly matters. When we asked you to share your unique stories with your Senator, you stepped up. In a show of force and might, thousands of you reached out to defend traditional marriage and the people and groups that believe in it. Your engagement made it possible for wins like the delayed vote in the Senate and comments by senators like Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) walking back initial signals that they would support the bill.

 

Those with the opportunity also fostered greater understanding among those who disagree. Young Women for America’s Andrea Silvera from Charlotte, North Carolina, met with the office of Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) about the Act. Sen. Tillis publicly supports the Disrespect of Marriage Act. Andrea was able to share why a pro-life Catholic pregnancy center licensed by the state health department would no longer be welcome to partner with the government. Andrea shared how the true losers would be the mothers, babies, and young children in need who receive clothing, houseware, and hope that there are people and a God willing to help them even at their most vulnerable. These types of meetings take up time but contribute to the deeper work of changing hearts and minds.

 

We are in a period of ceasefire, so what now? As it says in Scripture, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV). Our culture and our government pressure us to reject God’s design for marriage. Our task is to defend it.

 

The consequences of attacks on the family like the Disrespect of Marriage Act flow downstream to the most vulnerable in our society—children. Every child deserves a mother and a father, and both are instrumental to a child’s healthy development. We know it is not always possible, but government should do whatever possible to encourage the most beneficial policies for children, which includes first and foremost, strong families. Children who grow up without a father, for example, are vulnerable to becoming adults with behavioral problems, mental and physical health problems, and challenges forming healthy relationships. Single motherhood and paternal abandonment continue to rise. It is estimated that 13.2 million children, or 1 in 5 children in the U.S., receive child support. Over 400,000 children are in foster care today, the number one reason being neglect and abuse in the home. No child deserves the pain of an absent parent. The Disrespect of Marriage Act not only further decouples marriage from children’s rights, but it totally displaces the conversation about how children today are suffering from parental separation in favor of a conversation about the government validating feelings between “consenting adults.”

 

Beneath any discussion of marriage is a deeper conversation about the meaning of family. It is overwhelming to imagine making a thorough defense of marriage in what may be a brief interaction. Not to mention the additional responsibility to do so “with gentleness and respect.”1 Peter 3:15 (NIV).

 

Be assured that “the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say,” Luke 12:12 (NIV), meaning that He will give us the words to say at the moment when we need them. Whether it is a phone call with a Senate office, forwarding an article to a friend, or a Bible study with a Prayer/Action Chapter, our voice can be used to advance God’s will for marriage.

Sep 14 2022
0

Who Will Stand for American Families?

By | Defense of Family, LBB, News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Weak leadership in Washington is unnecessarily wreaking havoc on American families. At the same time President Joe Biden held a tone-deaf, high-class celebration of the passage of the crookedly titled “Inflation Reduction Act,” a dismal inflation report came out saying the consumer price index, a measurement of the price of everyday items such as groceries, rent and gasoline, rose more than expected, once again, to 8.3%. According to a recent analysis, Americans have to pay an extra $717 monthly due to “Bideinflation.”

 

And it is not just our pocketbooks that are hurting. The stress on parents and the entire household unit is almost unbearable. Our current situation is taking a toll on Americans’ mental health, especially for minorities. A recent LifeWorks Mental Health Index report revealed that “20 percent of Americans are unable to meet basic needs due to inflation.” It also found that those under such pressure “have a mental health score more than 16 points below the national average.”

 

But Washington is not focused on that; instead, the so-called Inflation Reduction Act will only further aggravate inflation by doling out billions for “green energy” special interest groups. Again, helping families is not the priority.

 

In the middle of all this, Senate Democrats took time to try to pass radical pro-abortion legislation to force the gruesome procedure on the nation up to the point of birth — something most Americans oppose. The latest Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll tracking the issue shows 71% of Americans support legal limits on abortion, with a whopping 81% believing laws can protect both the mother and her unborn child.

 

Americans want laws that support hard-working families—fathers, mothers, and children. Many in Washington seem insistent on destroying the American household.

 

It is not just Democrats going along with this cruel, unfocused legislative agenda. Some House Republicans let themselves be used recently to pass what should be called the (Dis)Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404) on a 267-157 vote. This anti-family legislation has become a top priority for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), even though it is entirely unnecessary. The pernicious act seeks to further erode the American family unit by destroying its very definition.  This radical law would force the acceptance of any definition of “marriage” sought by any state. Plural marriages, open marriages, marriages involving minors or relatives, literally any definition adopted anywhere in one state. Considering the extent of the radical gender ideology permeating our culture today, there is no limiting principle here.

 

The impact on federal and state law would be seismic. All laws relating to husbands and wives, children and parents would suddenly be up for reinterpretation. The law will open the door for radical activist groups to sue religious individuals, organizations and businesses that the Left knows will seek to abide by the original meaning of marriage as established by God. Religious families and organizations, which are such a stabilizing force in our nation, and desperately needed in such times as these, are continually being held out for special contempt and primed for special interest attacks under legislation such as this one. Who will stand up for these families?

 

Sen. Schumer says he will force a vote “in coming weeks.” Word on Capitol Hill is that he may try to move on it as early as next week. All senators should stand against it and instead demand the sort of family-supporting legislation that can alleviate the current burdens on American families.

 

Of course, the upcoming election is the backdrop to all this shameful political gamesmanship. The goal is to manipulate the American people into voting against their own interests by scaring them with lies about Christian, conservative principles. I remember this summer standing outside the Supreme Court in defense of the Texas heartbeat law and fielding the arguments that “Women will die” if the law goes into effect. All lies meant to manipulate the unsuspecting public. Yet, a year later, estimates are that more than fifty thousand babies have been saved from abortion, and no woman has died as a result.

 

Expect the same political manipulations related to the “Respect for Marriage Act” in the coming weeks. And demand that your senator vote not by the lies and intimidations of the Left but in support of the American families that desperately need it.

Jul 29 2022
0

Act Now: Tell Your Senator to Vote NO on Disrespect of Marriage Act

By | Defense of Family, News and Events | No Comments

The Senate is poised to vote on S.4556, the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” (more like the “Disrespect of Marriage Act”). Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), the nation’s largest public policy organization for women, stands for the undisputed foundation of family as the union of a man and woman in marriage who together raise children, and the importance of mothers and fathers. This Act is an attack on millions of Americans, many whom are people of faith, who affirm Biblical morality when it comes to marriage and sexuality.

 

The Disrespect of Marriage Act would require federal recognition of any one state’s definition of marriage without any parameters whatsoever, even beyond anything that is recognized right now—plural marriages, open marriages, or even marriages involving minors and adults. Anything goes. And the Act purposely ignores any sort of religious liberty protections.

 

Take action TODAY and email, call, or tweet your senators through our Action Center HERE and urge them to Vote NO on the Disrespect of Marriage Act. 

 

Here is the truth: the Disrespect of Marriage Act is a political tool for the Left and its mainstream media enablers to challenge the historic overturning of Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. They know that Americans reject their abortion-on-demand agenda, so they are making the Dobbs decision about anything and everything, except about the fundamental, intrinsic value of every human life.

All Senators should treat this legislation with the contempt it deserves. Marriage, the union between one man and one woman for life, strengthens social norms and best promotes children’s welfare.

The Left continues to ignore the facts to the detriment of the American people. They won’t  even say what a woman is anymore, so we are not surprised they are taking this ridiculous step right now. Senators should stand strongly against their continued denigration of women, mothers and fathers, and the institution of marriage.

 

Take action TODAY and email, call, or tweet your senators through our Action Center HERE and urge them to Vote NO on the Disrespect of Marriage Act. 

Jul 26 2022
0

Pro-Family Groups to Mitch McConnell: Disrespect for Marriage Act Is A Trap

By | Defense of Family, News and Events | No Comments

Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) unapologetically proclaims the foundation of family as the union of a man and woman in marriage who together raise children. That is why we joined pro-family groups in strongly opposing S.4556, the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” (more like the “Disrespect of Marriage Act”). We sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), stating in part:

 

The truth is, while H.R. 8404 does nothing to change the status of, or benefits afforded to, same-sex marriage in light of Obergefell, it does much to endanger people of faith. Justice Alito was right when he predicted the Obergefell decision would “be used to vilify Americans who are unwilling to assent to the new orthodoxy.” We are seeing this play out more and more against those who decline to openly embrace extreme views regarding marriage and human sexuality. This legislation will only hasten and intensify hostility against them. As such, anyone who supports this measure is crossing a line into aiding and abetting the persecution of people of faith.

 

See the full letter here.

 

There should be no question in Senators’ minds on why they should oppose the bill. For starters, The Disrespect of Marriage Act would require federal recognition of any one state’s definition of marriage without any parameters whatsoever, even beyond anything that is recognized right now—plural marriages, open marriages, or even marriages involving minors and adults. Anything goes. And the Act purposely ignores any sort of religious liberty protections.

 

CWALAC is also hard at work making the case for policy that honors marriage while also encouraging Senators to use this conversation about marriage as an opportunity to address a crippling disease in our society: absent fathers. Children who grow up without a father in particular are vulnerable to becoming adults with behavioral problems, mental and physical health problems, and challenges forming healthy relationships.

 

That is why in addition to opposing the Disrespect for Marriage Act, we are calling on Senators to support the Unborn Child Support Act and the Standing with Moms Act. The Unborn Child Support Act incentivizes states to have a child support program that provides for costs of parenting that many know begin well before the baby’s first birthday. The Standing With Moms Act, which CWALAC worked closely with legislative staff to create, would create a website called life.gov that would list local resources available for expectant moms and families at all levels of government and the private sector.

 

But here is the bigger picture: the Disrespect of Marriage Act is a political tool for the Left and its mainstream media enablers to challenge the historic overturning of Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. They know that Americans reject their abortion-on-demand agenda, so they are making the Dobbs decision about anything and everything, except about the fundamental, intrinsic value of every human life.

 

All Senators should treat the Disrespect for Marriage Act with the contempt it deserves. The Left continues to ignore the facts to the detriment of the American people. We look forward to continuing to work with you all in advancing pro-family policy at the federal and state level.

Jun 17 2022
0

Here’s Why Fathers Matter on this Father’s Day

By | Defense of Family, News and Events, YWA | No Comments

By Mattie Harris, University of Arkansas PhD student in Education Policy
Young Women for America Ambassador

 

“What did the plumber say to the singer? … He said, ‘You have nice pipes, ma’am.’” This joke falls into the classification of dad jokes, and I’m sure that we’ve all heard our fair share of them. As one father, Joshua Seaman, put it to me, “There’s a certain kind of humor that develops when a man becomes a father.” That is, entering fatherhood may shift one’s perspective in life, and with that, bring an appreciation for a distinct type of humor. As Jason Jacques added, “We call them dad jokes, because dads usually find the joke funny when no one else does.”

 

Fathers contribute much more to society than corny jokes. In fact, when fathers don’t participate in the lives of their children, their absence is sorely felt. Societal shifts in America have created a pandemic of fatherlessness, and research suggests that for children to wholly thrive academically, physically, and emotionally, involved fathers are paramount.

 

Let’s not forget that traditional family values of having a mother and father in the home dovetail with faith values, specifically Judeo-Christian values, which are the values on which our nation was founded. The US historically ranked high in religiosity among other western nations until recent years. Now, the number of faith-based individuals is steadily declining. As religious movements become less important to the public, secular movements gain ground. For instance, Black Lives Matter (BLM), arguably one of the most popular social movements of our time, is recorded as using its platform (prior to 2020) to advocate for the breakdown of the nuclear family. The BLM website stated:

 

“We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another, especially [our] children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.”

 

There are numerous negative outcomes associated with children growing up without a father in the home. Father absence (more than poverty, race, and social class) positively correlates to a slew of negative outcomes for children—behavioral problems, truancy, poor academic performance[1], teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, exploitation and abuse, physical health problems, mental health disorders, health of future relationships, and mortality among others.

 

Research indicates two important facts regarding fathers. First, absentee fathers are harmful to the academic, economic, and socio-emotional outcomes of their children. Second, an involved father positively impacts his children in numerous ways. Wherefore children with involved fathers are more likely to have higher high school and college graduation rates, lower incarceration rates, fewer occurrences of teenage pregnancies[2], better academic outcomes, and healthier self-confidence as compared to children who grow up without a father in their home.

 

We must view and treat father absence in America as a public health crisis, because on average, one in four children grow up without a father in America. This percentage is far greater for the African American community. That is, nearly one in two black children are fatherless. Why do we have such a shortage of fathers in our country? Tragedies relating to incarceration and death contribute some to this phenomenon, although cultural changes and secularism may provide the strongest explanation surrounding father absenteeism. When culture says that fathers aren’t necessary for children to thrive, then it should be no surprise when children in the mass grow up without fathers.

 

As secular ideologies crowd out religious and traditional faith values, children suffer the consequences. We may not be able to cure father absence overnight, but we can improve this plague by celebrating the successes of good fathering and promoting fatherhood as an honorable status in society. Until secular society is willing to acknowledge and promote the traditional faith values in America, which include the necessity of fatherhood, then we will always suffer from an epidemic of fatherlessness.

 

So, let’s begin today, and never stop, celebrating our fathers!!!

 

Happy Father’s Day, American fathers.

 

[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336288140_Fathers’_contributions_to_children’s_social_development

[2] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336288140_Fathers’_contributions_to_children’s_social_development

May 05 2022
0

DeSantis-Disney Debate Has Raised Needed Awareness about Gender Radicalism

By | Defense of Family, News and Events | No Comments

Florida has become ground zero in the cultural battle over gender radicalism. Gov. Ron DeSantis does not disappoint. Staking ground on principle while taking principled policy action is the strongest mark of courageous leaders. America needs more of them. 

 

To defeat destructive gender ideology, governors of courage like DeSantis must be willing to lead the fight, not sit on the sidelines. They must work to unmask its dangers and act to protect women, children, and the rights of parents over institutions bent on indoctrination. That is exactly why Gov. DeSantis and Florida officials get high marks. What sets DeSantis apart is an ability to communicate clearly about fundamental principles backed by clear policy actions that address the problem. Here are some: 

First principle in Science: Physical differences between women and men are enduring. 

Policy action: Enact Florida’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act

 

First principle in Medicine: Do No Harm. 

Policy action:  Issue Florida Department of Health guidance protecting children from deceptive and harmful gender medicine.  

 

First principle in Education:  Teach academics, not ideology.   

Policy action: Enact Florida law preventing sexualized curriculum for young students.

 Reject basic subject textbooks that seek to indoctrinate students.      

 

First principle in Parenting: Protect your child from dangerous influences. 

Policy action:  Fight Disney’s destructive influence on kids by forcing Disney to fight for itself.  

 

Ladies and gentlemen, Mickey and Minnie Mouse know who the boys and girls are. And so did Walt Disney. Walt Disney’s brilliant version of wholesome family-style entertainment that sparked childhood imagination, made good triumph over evil, and offered endless days of make-believe fun is something on which we all grew up. But we knew it wasn’t real.    

 

21st Century Disney is bent on turning childhood imagination into realized, sexualized fantasy. Disney’s President attests to being “the mother of two queer children” identifying as pansexual and transgender. How did they get that way? 

 

Disney executives are feeding young minds with gender radicalism as a normal and necessary experience for all children. Telling boys they can be girls is totally okay – in fact should be promoted. In woke Disney World, focusing messages on gender fantasy and sexual attractions is what every impressionable four-year-old needs to hear. 

 

Let’s be real. Poisoning the innocent minds of children, whether with pornography or trans- and sexual pathologies, should come at a high price. If this is the Disney agenda, it’s time for Disney to stand on its own and face the consequences. Gov. DeSantis and Florida elected officials are revoking Disney’s special self-governing status over its 40-square-mile district and face the real accountability of state regulators.  

 

Levers like this might force Disney to return to its Small World roots, but in the meantime, parents must also say no to the Disney vacation and opt for Florida’s beautiful beaches instead. And please turn off the Disney channel and PBS children’s programming which routinely pushes gender ideology including the idea of being “nonbinary” and depicting characters with trans flags and mastectomy scars.   

 

Real Florida is working to take back childhood innocence from the all-to-real evil of gender radicalism. What’s happening in your state?    

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