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“Many of our schools are failing and our dropout rate is too high, but the VEA finds time to advocate for illegal same sex marriage,” said Victoria Cobb, President of The Family Foundation, in a statement highlighted in a news release from the social-conservative organization based in Richmond. 

OK, I’ll bite. They’re saying the Virginia Education Association is advocating for same-sex marriage. Which would actually raise the stature of the VEA in my book, even as I have my doubts that the teachers group would go that far.

My instincts were right, and what confirmed it for me was the copy of the resolution adopted by the National Education Association included at the bottom of the misleading Family Foundation presser.

“NEA will support its affiliates seeking to enact state legislation that guarantees to same-sex couples the right to enter into a legally recognized relationship pursuant to which they have the same rights and benefits as similarly-situated heterosexual couples, including, without limitation, rights and benefits with regard to medical decisions, taxes, inheritance, adoption, and immigration,” read the key section of the business item adopted at the recent NEA convention.

Note the missing word there – “marriage.” The word pops up twice in the verbiage of the NEA business item.

– “NEA does not believe that a single term must be used to designate this legally recognized ‘equal treatment’ relationship, and recommends that each state decide for itself whether ‘marriage,’ ‘civil union,’ ‘domestic partnership,’ or some other term is most appropriate based upon the cultural, social, and religious values of its citizenry.”

– “NEA recognizes that the term ‘marriage’ has religious connotations and that same-sex marriages may not be compatible with the beliefs, values, and/or practices of certain religions. Because of its support for the separation of church and state and the right to religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, NEA supports the right of religious institutions to refuse to perform or recognize same-sex marriages.”

“Legally recognized relationship(s)” are the focal point here. Not same-sex marriage. VEA president Kitty Boitnott addressed criticisms from the whackjobs at the Family Foundation on the Family Foundation blog on a thread associated with the post “Told You So: VEA-NEA Say ‘I Do’ To Same-Sex Marriage.”

“The language states unequivocally that the NEA recognizes that the term ‘marriage’ has religious connotations and that same-sex marriages may not be compatible with the beliefs, values, and/or practices of certain religions. Because of its support for the separation of church and state and the right to religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, NEA supports the right of religious institutions to refuse to perform or recognize same-sex marriages,” Boitnott wrote.

“We at the VEA-NEA believe that same-sex couples should have the same legal rights and benefits as similarly-situated heterosexual couples. For us, this is an issue about equal treatment under the law for our NEA colleagues as well as our students who may find themselves in the position of needing such protections,” Boitnott wrote.

The response from Cobb: “I find it interesting that nowhere on its website that I can find does the VEA inform their members of their support for illegal same-sex marriage,” added Cobb. “If they are so proud of their position why are they not letting the dues paying teachers know about their support for the resolution? What are they afraid of?”

Which seems nonsensical, until you go back and read the blog post. What the Family Foundation is doing has nothing to do with facts or anything close to what the NEA actually did in its resolution. It’s about playing the scare-tactics game, something that the hate set on the far, far right thinks it’s quite good at, one, and two, it’s about money.

(Isn’t it always about money with the self-righteous?)

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Pro-family teachers in Virginia have an alternative professional organization that provides similar resources as the VEA — some even better — without the embarrassing political baggage: Virginia Professional Educators offers better insurance policies and other benefits without supporting liberal causes and candidates. In fact, it doesn’t support causes or candidates,” the blog post read.

“So, if you are a teacher who feels forced, coerced or peer-pressured to join or remain a member of the VEA, we urge you to look into VPE.

“The only way to ensure the VEA is unsuccessful is to defund it. In several states, alternative teacher organizations affiliated with VPE have more members than those states’ NEA branches.”

So the haters want fellow haters to spend their money wisely to support their hatemongering aims. Interesting.

They might be onto something here, don’t you think?

Spend your money wisely, indeed.

 

– Story by Chris Graham

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