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News
E-Alert 4.14.10
Wednesday April 14, 2010 - 06:20 AM
Inside this issue: Gambling bill to be acted on this week in House; "Day of Silence" indoctrination day this Friday; Gov. Patrick, Legislature close underage "sexting" loophole; Maine commission under fire for "genderless" bathrooms; Upcoming MFI Events: Truth Project, National Day of Prayer; Charges dropped against pro-marriage school counselor in Maine; Nebraska takes on Roe v. Wade with new law; CA homosexuals fail to put Prop 8 repeal on ballot. Be sure to click on eForce to receive our MFI eForce E-Alert in your Inbox every Wednesday.
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Gambling bill to be acted on this week in House
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Representatives in the Massachusetts House yesterday debated and rejected the hundreds of amendments proposed to Speaker Robert DeLeo’s expanded predatory gambling bill yesterday. According to the State House News Service, legislators “were in no mood to alter” the bill authorizing two casinos and slot machines at the state’s four racetracks. One rejected proposal would have scraped the bill in favor of a study, while others would have imposed further regulations on the gambling industry. The House is expected to take a final vote either today or tomorrow.
One casino opponent, Rep. Ruth Balser (D-Newton), predicted the bill would result in deaths and suicides tied to gambling, and an increase in homelessness. After a late evening 63-92 vote to reject guarantee health care coverage for “pathological gambling,” Balser grew incensed, noting that the House had passed a similar provision during a mental health debate last session. “Shame on you,” she shouted.
The House also rejected, by a vote of 32-11, an amendment that would have required casinos to display clocks in prominent areas and publicly disclose additives to air flow, including oxygen, while banning the addition of pheromones to the air in gambling facilities. Both tactics are used by the gambling industry to keep gamblers gambling.
If you have not done so, please CLICK HERE to send an email to your state representative and state senator opposing expanded predatory gambling. While support does appear strong in the House, the Senate could become a battleground.
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"Day of Silence" indoctrination day this Friday
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The annual homosexual propaganda event called the “Day of Silence” is this Friday, April 16. This day-long event is sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)—the most active group in pushing homosexuality in schools—and features students being silent throughout the entire school to signal their unity with the radical homosexual movement.
The ultimate goal of this exercise is to promote homosexual behavior as natural and push an unhealthy and immoral agenda on the impressionable minds of students, many who have been raised with the traditional values of their parents. In recent years, the “transgender” aspect has been pushed more and more, and it will especially be the case here in Massachusetts as activists attempt to pass the “bathroom bill.” There are posters, t-shirts and handouts that all push this agenda in the classroom. All students are encouraged to participate, even by teachers and administrators, with the school’s “gay-straight alliance” club usually taking the lead. Beyond the blatant indoctrination, the “Day of Silence” disrupts the learning process and robs children of a school day.
It is up to you as parents to decide what the best way is for you and your child or children to deal with this day. Many parents decide to "boycott" the Day of Silence by having their students stay home from school that day. If you decide to keep your children home, let the school know why you are keeping them home, as this will send a strong message, especially if other like-minded parents are also doing it.
As a word of caution, we encourage parents to find out if there are any academic or sports-related penalties that may be assessed on a student who misses school on April 16. The “Day of Silence” falls on the day before Massachusetts school vacation week this year, posing some potential problems for parents and students who wish to stay home that day. Some policies require a student be present at sports practice after school or face a suspension from the team. Only students who attend classes that day are allowed at practice with the team. There may be other policies that specific school districts have adopted pertaining to the days immediately preceding or following school vacation that could result in penalties, so we encourage you to check with both your child and the school before keeping your student home from school.
The official “Day of Silence” website is http://www.dayofsilence.org/.
Be sure to visit MFI”s special “Back-2-School” page for more information the “Day of Silence,” and how to combat the homosexual agenda in your child’s school. The “Day of Silence” section is here: www.mafamily.org/corporate.php?item=backtoschool#dayofsilence
"Gay-straight alliances" in your child's school should be encouraged to invite ex-gay speakers to their club meetings. Here is a PDF from the Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays for DOWNLOAD. This flyer should also be available wherever GSA materials are available for students.
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Gov. Patrick, Legislature close underage "sexting" loophole
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Gov. Deval Patrick has signed a law approved by the Legislature outlawing the sending of sexually graphic instant messages to minors. This law closes a loophole that led the state’s highest court earlier this year to overturn the convention of a man accused of sending explicit instant message to a 13-year-old girl.
The court had ruled that electronic messages could not be included in any of the existing categories of the state’s obscenity law because they are neither handwritten nor printed. The law now includes instant and text messages, e-mail and other electronic communications. Penalties include up to five years in prison or a fine of as much as $10,000.
Source: Boston Herald
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Maine commission under fire for "genderless" bathrooms
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According to FOXNews.com, “The little girls’ room won’t be just for little girls anymore, if the Maine Human Rights Commission has its way.” We have reported on this situation in the past, but FOXNews.com picked up on it last week. The commission is taking heat over its proposal to ban schools from enforcing gender divisions in sports teams, school organizations, bathrooms and locker rooms, saying that forcing a student into a particular room or group because of his or her biological gender amounts to discrimination.
FOXNews.com says that Maine would become the first state to implement guidelines for schools as young as preschool and nursery, and even some private schools. Some school districts and organizations are criticizing the commission for coming up with the guidelines without enough input and behind closed-doors.
Ken Trump, President of National School Safety and Security Services, says the guidelines set out in the commission's draft brochure pose some serious safety issues as well.
"If my kid walks into a girls' bathroom and sees a man in there, the child is going to instinctively feel that something’s wrong. If you create an entirely new climate where anything goes, you’re going to create increased confusion, and those with ill intentions could take advantage of that confusion and decreased ability to make a distinction," Trump told FoxNews.com.
"The reality is, every day we’re seeing more and more cases of exploitation of children and others, and this would be creating an environment where the risk is increased for that exploitation."
Karen Kemble, the Director of Equal Opportunity for the University of Maine, says the university has not taken a position for or against the proposed guidelines, but she shared concerns over some of them, including schools' inability to ask for "proof" of sexual orientation.
"This would leave the institution without any way to determine the bona fide nature of the gender identity or expression," Kemble said in a letter to the commission.
"It is routine practice to seek documentation of non-obvious disabilities in the event of an accommodation request. Even in the case of religious accommodations, an employer may sometimes seek additional information regarding either the religious nature of the request or the sincerity of a particular belief," she added.
The state of Maine currently has a law that is nearly identical to the “bathroom bill” currently before the Judiciary Committee in the Massachusetts State House. The Committee must decide the fate of the bill by May 7 and we must continue to make sure that the Committee understands the dangers of the bathroom bill. MFI is in regular contact with members of that Committee and we will keep you up-to-date.
Source: FOXNews.com
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Upcoming MFI Events: Truth Project, National Day of Prayer
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Here is a reminder about two events coming to Massachusetts in May. First, MFI is partnering with Focus on the Family and the First Assembly of God Church of Worcester to host a training event for The Truth Project, the 12-week small group Biblical world-view curriculum regarding 21st century issues. This event will take place on Saturday, May 1, from 8:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. You can find more information and register on our website.
On Thursday, May 6, people around the nation will be celebrating the 59th annual National Day of Prayer. The purpose of the NDP is personal repentance and prayer, and serves to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership in the seven centers of power: Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family. We encourage you to host an event in your own community, or attend a nearby event. There will be an event at the State House in Boston from Noon to 1:00 pm. Find out more at www.nationaldayofprayer.org, or contact Dr. Paul Taylor to help coordinate one in Massachusetts (ptaylor@flameoffire.net or 781.775.9283).
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Charges dropped against pro-marriage school counselor in Maine
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Maine school counselor Don Mendell has been cleared of complaints that he violated his professional ethics by appearing in a political ad in favor of one-man, one-woman marriage, reports citizenlink.com. The state’s licensing board voted 2-1 on Friday to clear Mendell. Jordan Lorence, senior counsel with Alliance Defense Fund, said two other school counselors brought the complaint. “It was somebody who said that it’s discrimination,” he said,” for a social worker to make a public statement in favor of marriage defined as one man, one women.” A colleague at the same Maine high school has spoken out publicly in favor of same-sex “marriage,” but no complaints have been filed against that person.
Source: CitizenLink.com
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Nebraska takes on Roe v. Wade with new law
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Nebraska lawmakers on Tuesday passed a groundbreaking bill banning abortions at the 20-week point based on research that shows that preborn babies feel pain at that point in a woman’s pregnancy. Abortion proponents will challenge the law in the courts, but if upheld, the bill would change the foundation of abortion law nationwide. Current laws governing abortion around the country are based on viability, usually considered between 22 and 24 weeks. Nebraska is home to one of the nation’s most notorious late-term abortion providers, a clinic run by Dr. LeRoy Carhart.
Source: Associated Press
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CA homosexuals fail to put Prop 8 repeal on ballot
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A measure to repeal Proposition 8, the ballot initiative upholding traditional marriage in California, has failed to qualify for the November ballot. California voters approved Prop 8 in 2008, a significant victory for supporters of traditional marriage. According to the LA Times, John Henning, who heads the group that sponsored the repeal effort, declined to say how many signatures had been gathered, though 694,000 valid signatures were required by Monday. Homosexual activists will now join with other groups to push for a ballot measure in 2012.
Source: LA Times
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