TEACHING STUDENTS AN ETHIC OF LIFE
1. A
purpose of a consistent ethic of life philosophy (see here, here and here)
is to defend human dignity. The violations of
humanity there addressed include first the direct
attacks against human life found in abortion and
euthanasia. Also addressed are persistent poverty,
unjust war, capital punishment, the use of nuclear arms,
violence, racism and exploitation. As a school board
member, will you do all within your power and authority
to promote curricula that teach students a consistent
ethic of life?
--- The key here is “within…power and authority” and yes
I will promote this within my boundaries.
SEX EDUCATION
2. The Washington State
Legislature passed ESSB
5297 in
2007 requiring school districts to teach scientifically
accurate comprehensive sex education, if they teach sex
ed at all. A 2012
Congressional report promoting
the Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) model states that
"[Comprehensive Sex Education] has failed to lower rates
of teenage pregnancy because it assumes that preteens
and teens are fully capable of making decisions without
adequate guidance. By contrast, a clear understanding of
teenage behavior is why public health campaigns against
teenage drinking, smoking, and reckless driving have
been relatively successful. They are not value neutral
when it comes to teenage choices, especially those with
public health ramifications. These programs set
realistic and age appropriate expectations for the teens
and then show them how to avoid the risky behaviors." As
a school board member, will you do all within your power
and authority to promote life respecting sex education
curricula?
--- The primary teaching for sex education should be
done by the parents in the home. Now if all the children
in the world had this need met we would not have to
teach sex education in the schools.
Because there are many children who don't have
this need met, I feel that there
is a need to teach life respecting sex education
curricula in our schools.
SCHOOL CLINICS
3. Should school board policy allow
the on-site dispensing of birth control drugs or
devices, give abortion counseling, or provide referrals
to off-site abortion clinics? See
the 2010
incident that
received widespread news coverage involving a Seattle
area in-school clinic that set up an abortion for a
15-year-old high school student with neither her
parents’ knowledge nor consent.
---The school board should not be involved in any of the
activities listed above.
ABORTION
4. Even dedicated
proponents of abortion acknowledge
that life begins at conception. What do you
believe? Does a
unique human life begins at conception?
---YES
|
If not, when? ___ 3 mths ___
6 mths ___ 9 mths ___ 1 yr
___ 18 yrs?
|
|
5. The
14th Amendment states "nor shall any state deprive any
person of life, liberty or property without due process
of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction
the equal protection of the laws." The Supreme Court in Roe
v. Wade,
1973, stated that "if this suggestion of personhood is
established, the appellant's case, of course, collapses,
for the fetus' right to life would then be guaranteed
specifically by the [14th] Amendment." The Court
regrettably concluded though that "we need not resolve
the difficult question of when life begins. When those
trained in the respective disciplines of medicine,
philosophy, and theology are unable to arrive at any
consensus, the judiciary, at this point in the
development of man's knowledge, is not in a position to
speculate as to the answer." Do you believe that the
right to life of the unborn child is guaranteed by the
14th Amendment?
---Yes
6. Is taking the life of a pre-born child through
abortion ever permissible? Check all that apply:
|
_____ No, it's never permissible
_X__
Yes, to save mother's life
_____ Yes, in cases of rape or incest
_____ Yes, for economic hardship
_____ Yes, for physical deformity
|
_____ Yes, for genetic predispositions
_____ Yes, for gender
_____ Yes, for race
_____ Yes, to punish spouse
_____ Yes, it's always permissible
|
7. Do you support parental notification and/or
consent before a minor (under 18 years of age) could
have an abortion? A judicial bypass of parents
would be allowed when necessary.
Notification?
---Yes
Consent?
PLANNED PARENTHOOD
8. Should your district partner in any way with
the nation's biggest abortion provider, Planned
Parenthood, that in
the 2011-2012 fiscal year received
a record $542.4 million in
government funding and aborted a record 333,964 babies?
Planned Parenthood is active in Oregon school districts,
where their representatives have been allowed to
regularly address students in both Portland and Salem. Opposition
has been firm and articulate (segment
begins at 12:44). Should Planned Parenthood be
allowed to make presentations to students or provide
literature, birth control chemicals or devises, or
abortion services?
---A very plain and simple No.
SCHOOL CHOICE
9. The
Supreme Court in Zelman
v. Simmons-Harris (2002),
held that Ohio's school voucher law did not violate the
First Amendment's establishment clause. It states
"the Ohio program is entirely neutral with respect to
religion. It provides benefits directly to a wide
spectrum of individuals, defined only by financial need
and residence in a particular school district. It
permits such individuals to exercise genuine choice
among options public and private, secular and religious.
The program is therefore a program of true private
choice" and "the program does not offend the
Establishment Clause." In addition, State Rep. Liz
Pike of the 18th District has introduced HB
2063 this
year to allow scholarship
tax credits.
HB 2063 would allow lower income families to send their
children to an approved private school of their choice.
Twelve other states currently have similar laws
enacted. What is your position regarding the use of
school vouchers, tax credits or other methods of
increasing school choice in Washington State?
--- I think school vouchers, tax credits etc should be
available so parents can use them to choose a school
that best fits their child’s needs and education.
QUALIFICATIONS
10. Please state your professional experience, community
involvement, education and other qualifications for a
school board position.
