Friday, February 26, 2010

NCAA Pulls the Plug on Focus Ad After Protest

NCAA Pulls the Plug on Focus Ad After Protest

Organization caters to homosexual activists over benign ad.

The NCAA took a Focus on the Family ad off of its Web site after homosexual activists complained.

The print ad shows a father holding his young son. It's titled:

Celebrate Family. Celebrate Life.

And the picture is captioned:

All I want for my son is for him to grow up knowing how to do the right thing.

The activists claimed Focus was too controversial for being pro-life, and in favor of one-man, one-woman marriage. They said that runs counter to the NCAA's policies.

Gary Schneeberger, vice president of ministry communications at Focus on the Family, said he was "befuddled" by the NCAA's decision.

"Have we really become a society where it's considered distasteful and controversial for a dad to hope the best for his son?" he said. "If so, we have a lot of soul-searching to do as a nation."

Steve Maegdlin, CEO of the CSK Strategic Marketing Group which produced the print ad, said there's no reason for it to be pulled.

"There's no hidden message or hidden agenda in here," he said.

Calls to the NCAA were not returned.

The ad was part of a CBS Super Bowl package. The network ran the much-talked about TV commercial by Focus on the Family featuring Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and his mother.

"We said during the weeks of controversy before our Super Bowl commercial with the Tebows aired that – despite the charges of critics who hadn't even seen it – the spot was not political or divisive or hateful," Schneeberger added. "And, it wasn't. The print ad now being protested is even more non-threatening – if that's possible. It simply says, 'Focus on the Family is here to help you raise your kids, thrive in your marriages and tackle the challenge life throws your way.'"

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Call the NCAA to express your disappointment over the ad's removal.

NCAA Comment Line 317-917-6762.

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Health Care Debate

As we anticipate the proposed healthcare debate with the president and members of congress, we call on our ND congressional delegation to pursue a path of common sense reflective of the families in North Dakota.


As we have been advocating for months, the healthcare reform debate needs to address the real issues: the issues of portability, affordability, tax deductibility for individuals just as business, tort reform measures, allowing insurance plans to be sold across state lines, a health savings account program, and address waste in Medicaid and Medicare. While our primary concern with the current bill is: the publically funding of abortion, right of conscience protections, end of life counseling provisions, and rationing of care to our older citizens; we continue to have grave concerns with other parts of the bill which are contrary to the best interests of the family, and believe the real issues of healthcare reform must be addressed. And continue to call for the slate to be cleared, and start over.

NDFA welcomes any good-faith effort to start over on health care reform, but it appears the most recent version continues to be a government run mandate and has the effect of increasing taxes today, and for years to come for our children. It seems it contains many of the provisions of the senate bill passed on Christmas Eve. Instead of limiting the perks to Nebraska, Louisiana, and Florida—it provides them for all states, increasing the cost to a trillion dollars with the delayed implementation. If you factor out the delayed implementation, the true cost for the next decade is a at 2 Trillion dollars.

The proposed plan provides for the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v Wade, with the greatest rewards going to Planned Parenthood. Instead of adopting the Stupak Amendment, the proposal prevents states from opting out of the publically funded abortion. It asks for $11 billion for ‘community health centers’ which may easily be directed toward Planned Parenthood facilities. By defining abortion as ‘preventative health services’, private insurers would be forced to cover them.

The February 23rd headlines at LifeNews validate how little has changed over the last few months:

LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Current Headlines

• Obama Unveils Health Care Plan, Violates Pledge by Keeping Abortion Funding
• Analysis: Obama Plan Increases Abortion Funding Via Community Health Centers
• White House Joins Pelosi, Reid in Supporting Reconciliation on Health Care Bill
• Pro-Life Groups Blast Obama for Funding Abortions in His Health Care Plan
• Health Care Rationing for Seniors is Another Problem in New Obama Plan


As we have shared over the past months, there is a life cycle of all legislation. Under optimum circumstances, a healthy debate will result in compromise producing legislation reflecting the true intent and purpose of the original need. Unfortunately this legislation has strayed away from the original purpose. It is at this juncture, the slate needs to be cleared, hence a fresh start.

Some believe a flawed piece of legislation can be compromised into acceptable law. That belief is flawed. Venturing down this path will produce flawed legislation. Some would say when you have reached a point that all ‘hate the legislation’, a proper compromise has been reached. “Bunk”. Some would say ‘when nobody got what they want’; a proper level of compromise has been reached. “Bunk”. That is precisely the time to wipe the slate clean, start over addressing the real issues.

We continue to ask these questions:


Will the current bill being debated enable public, tax payer funder abortion?

Will the number of abortions increase with the passage of this bill?

Will this current bill being debated cut or lower healthcare costs for the family?

Will this bill cut Medicare benefits?
.
Will the passage of this bill increase the tax burden on the family, both present and future generations?

Can we be assured the current bill guarantee on the issues of right of conscience, end of life counseling, and potential rationing?

Will the provision for over 100 new bureaucratic government agencies streamline the delivery of quality care for your family?

Will this current bill provide for better healthcare for the family?


Let us hope the ND congressional delegation will see the merit of responding to the best interests of the family.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010

A Plan to Save America

As we view the world around us and have deep concerns about the culture and the country we leave for our children and grandchildren, many are seeking a plan to address the important issues impacting the family. It is impossible to impact the issues without involving those who make the public policy, those in elective offices.


So we share a list of 10 statements, known as ‘A Plan to Save America’. Select from the list those which are of most importance to you, and present those in the form of a question to those currently in elective office, as well as those candidates aspiring to office.


Use this exchange of your questions and the responses to hold existing office holders accountable, and as a means of determining who is deserving of your vote on election day.



A Plan to Save America



The Declaration of Independence was both a political and a spiritual document. To the principles enunciated in that Declaration, the leaders pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor as they called upon the Almighty to assist them in their quest to break the bonds of tyranny and give birth to a new nation of freedom, justice and hope. America is in need of such purpose and commitment once again.


Therefore we call on our leaders to:


1. Acknowledge the centrality of faith in America

We call for the right to publicly acknowledge God and the protection of our religious freedom.
2. Protect human life

We call for the protection of human life from conception to natural death.
3. Save Traditional Marriage
We call for protection of marriage to remain the union of a man and a woman..

4. Curtail judicial activism

We call for judges to be constrained by the Constitution and laws of the land.
5. Protect the right of Parents to direct the education of their children.

6. Limit the size of government

We call for honesty in our government, limited to constitutional functions.
7. Protect our economic freedom

We call for a free-market economy, because it rewards hard work, creates jobs and maximizes human potential.

8. Practice fiscal responsibility, lower taxes and reduce spending

We call for lower taxes and eliminating the deficit by reducing spending..
9. Focus on national security

We call for a foreign and military policy that protects Americans, maintains our national sovereignty and secures our borders.
10. Secure energy independence

We call for exploration, development, production and use of all energy resources.

If you have comments, please contact us at admin@ndfa.org

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Good News! Religious Liberty, Unity, and Family Friendly TV

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. Does that sound familiar? Well it should—First Amendment, Bill of Rights, US Constitution. The early Americans believed strongly in the importance of protecting our religious freedoms, and reflected their beliefs in placing these protections in the 1st Amendment. Likewise in 1889, the framers of the ND Constitution included strong protections for our religious liberties.

Today these expressions of religious liberties are under attack daily, with most of the attacks coming as litigation through the courts. While the language in North Dakota’s constitution may have been adequate in 1889, there may be need to ascertain if additional constitutional language is necessary to reflect and restore the original intent. The Good News---those in Missouri are acting on the issue of protecting our religious liberties (below).

In the Declaration of Independence, we find “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable right, that among these is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. For these truths to be accomplished there is a need for unity. For in unity there is strength, and with strength there is success. This is Good News. (read below about the Mount Vernon Statement and Unity)

And then lastly read a story about two corporations understanding the need for ‘family friendly TV’. One of the most common complaints we hear is “there isn’t anything decent on television for us or our kids to watch”. It appears P&G & Wal-Mart are trying to address the issue. As reported in the FOTF article only 23% of parents are satisfied with present programming, and are asking for more appropriate options. In reality, why should we allow the media and its programming to influence our children and the culture, should not we influence the media? And the only way to do that is to restrict what we tune into on our television sets, or if necessary—just turning it off. The Good News—someone is responding to providing appropriate programming. (see the story below)



Missouri Lawmakers Back Religious Liberty Legislation
by Nima Reza, managing editor

Committee unanimously approves legislative measure.

A Missouri Senate committee has endorsed legislation that protects religious freedoms.

The Committee on General Laws approved the resolution 5-0 last week. It was sponsored by Sen. Delbert Scott.

Joe Ortwerth, executive director of the Missouri Family Policy Council, said his group promoted Senate Joint Resolution 31, because groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, for example, are trying to convince public school officials that freedom of religious expression cannot be permitted in public settings.

"Our goal here in Missouri," he said, "is to clarify – in our constitution – the extent of the religious liberties that are enjoyed by our citizens and guaranteed by our bill of rights."

If the proposal passes this session, it would go on the August or November ballot.

Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst with Focus on the Family Action, said local school boards rarely have a complete understanding of the First Amendment.

"If they can read it in their own state constitution," he said, "it gives students and citizens of that state that much more chance of being protected."



Mount Vernon Statement: Unifying for the Challenges Ahead

This Wednesday, I will join more than 100 conservative leaders at a ceremony in Alexandria, Virginia to celebrate the release of the Mount Vernon Statement -- a document in which the conservative movement will reaffirm its commitment to Constitutional Conservatism and the principles of the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This will be a significant moment as social, fiscal, and national security conservatives come together to declare the importance of working together to defend our nation's founding principles.

The three-legged conservative coalition must remain unified behind these core beliefs to prepare for the challenges ahead and successfully confront a hostile Congress and Obama Administration. Signers include a broad number of prominent conservatives including former Attorney General Ed Meese, Heritage Foundation President Edwin Feulner, Media Research Center President Brent Bozell, Federalist Society co-founder David McIntosh, and Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist among others. Watch your inboxes for an email action alert on Wednesday to read a copy of the Mount Vernon Statement and add your name as a signatory.



Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart Sponsor Family-Friendly TV
by Nima Reza, managing editor

Two advertising heavyweights respond to research showing desire for wholesome programming.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Wal-Mart are collaborating to produce TV shows for the whole family.

The initial production is Secrets of the Mountain, a two-hour TV movie airing on NBC April 16. It’s about the struggles of a single mother and her three children who embark on an adventure.

Jeannie Tharrington, spokeswoman with Procter and Gamble Productions, called the program uplifting.

“At the end of the movie,” she said, “I think you take away this lesson that when times get tough, families run toward each other -- and not away from each other.”

She added that only 23 percent of parents P&G surveyed were satisfied with the amount of family-friendly options on TV.

“We saw that as a huge opportunity to go out and just be leaders in this space and create it ourselves,” she said.

Tom Minnery, senior vice president of Public Policy at Focus on the Family, said there’s a dire need for such programming.

“If people have not watched primetime network programming lately, they no idea have low it has sunk,” he said, “and how welcome this news is from Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart.”

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