The Dues and Don’ts of NEA Activism

Was it a meeting of the National Education Association or the Democratic National Committee? At times it was difficult to tell. The annual gathering of America’s largest teachers union featured everything from a lesbian proposal at the podium to openly celebrating the Supreme Court’s marriage ruling, the NEA’s academic facade continues to crumble.

A long-time political arm of the Left, the NEA has crossed into new territory now, after years of openly cheering abortion politics and radical sex ed. Over the Fourth of July meeting at its yearly convention, the organization supposedly committed to “advancing the cause of public education,” advanced another cause: the destruction of religious liberty. In a move that should raise the eyebrows of members and parents everywhere, the NEA announced — and passed — a new resolution committing the group to a full-out assault on the states’ Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRAs). Like most of the NEA’s priorities, this has nothing to do with education and everything to do with expelling God from society.

“The NEA will develop educational materials for its state affiliates and members about the potential dangers of so-called ‘Religious Freedom Restoration Acts” (RFRAs), which may license individuals and corporations to discriminate on the theory that their religious beliefs require such actions,” the language states. “The materials will describe the current legal landscape at the federal and state level, provide model state legislative amendments to modify existing laws to prevent such discriminatory applications, provide talking points for advocacy, and link to existing resources for members and state affiliates to use in efforts to prevent the use of such laws as a license to discriminate.” By voice vote, the measure passed, officially making RFRAs the target of the wealthiest teachers’ group in the nation.

How does this possibly concern teachers, you wonder? It doesn’t. And while some educators are “compelled” to join the NEA, they aren’t compelled to sit by silently while the union uses their own dues to attack them. It’s time for members to stand up and be counted in an organization of bullies that perpetually attacks its own body’s beliefs. In the meantime, let this be a warning to parents. If the NEA is active in your state, religious freedom isn’t the only thing under assault — so is life, morality, and Bible-based sexuality. Do your part! Start a movement to remove the NEA and its affiliates from your state!

Tony Perkins heads the Family Research Council. This article is excerpted from the Washington Update that he compiles for the FRC.

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