A pro-life organization is urging parents and others to target local teachers' conventions as well as a national event in Washington July 2 with protests and pickets to try to convince leaders to abandon their pro-abortion agenda.
"It is vital that individual pro-lifers reading or hearing this report commit themselves to personally attending these demonstrations. Your presence is needed and appreciated. Please recruit and mobilize other pro-life parents, students, teachers, clergy and others," said Bob Pawson, a leader for Pro-Life Educators and Students.
"Help rebuke the NEA leadership's pro-abortion activism," he said.
The National Education Association long has had a reputation as holding fast to an agenda of supporting abortion, including those decisions that make it easier for juveniles to obtain abortions, and supporting those who advocate even late-term abortions.
NEA President Reg Weaver, for example, today pledged to ask thousands of delegates to the organization's representative assembly to vote to recommend support for Barack Obama for president. Obama's reputation for supporting abortion for almost any reason and under almost any conditions has been cited by pro-abortion industry agents as one worthy of aspiration.
Pawson said one of the biggest goals of the planned protest is to alert members and others of the fact the NEA uses membership dues to fund programs that some of its members may find objectionable.
"It's unacceptable for union representatives to condone or promote killing babies, future students, in their mothers' wombs," Pawson said. He said if teachers love children, they should not condone abortion.
"There have been reports of young girls being referred for abortions by teachers without their parents' consent … if parents don't [stand up for children], who will?" asked Day Gardner, the president of the National Black Pro-Life Union.
"Teachers cannot teach and uphold the rights and dignity of the human person, while sanctioning the killing of the most vulnerable among us," said Daniel J. Cassidy, of the Clergy and Community Coalition for Children-South Carolina.
"A picket on July 2 at the NEA Convention is needed," said Rev. Johnny Hunter, president of the Life Education And Resource Network. "This is what PLEAS is planning. They need assistance from other pro-life and pro-family groups to get the message out and participate."
Phil Eddy, director of Rock for Life, a division of the American Life League, said the NEA right now "is solidly in the pocket of Big Abortion, endorsing pro-abortion politicians, supporting abortion in their policies and even hosting a recent conference for the abortion-supporting Feminist Majority Foundation at their national headquarters."
"[This is] an opportunity to make a stand against pro-abortion bias," Eddy said.
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Christina Miller is an intern for WND.