- (CNSNews.com) - A pro-family group founder and talk show
host is urging parents not to send their kids to public schools in California
for fear they could be corrupted by a pro-homosexual agenda.
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- "In the state of California ... if I had a child
there, I wouldn't put that youngster in a public school," Focus on
the Family founder James C. Dobson told his radio audience on March 28.
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- "I've been very careful not to be negative to the
public schools, because there are many Christian teachers that are struggling
mightily to do what's right," he said. "But given the fact that
in every classroom in the state, for 13 public school years, they're being
taught homosexual propaganda and these other politically correct, post-modern
views.
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- "I'm going to get hit for [saying] that," Dobson
acknowledged.
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- His recommendation drew praise from the Alliance for
the Separation of School and State.
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- "With today's courageous and insightful statement,
Dr. Dobson joins the millions of Americans who have already discovered
that the public schools have become government indoctrination centers which
are no place to train new generations of freedom-loving Americans,"
said Marshall Fritz, president of the Alliance.
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- "Dobson is so significant," said Fritz, noting
that Dobson's broadcast is heard by 200 million people daily in over 100
countries. "This could open up debate much wider."
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- Dobson's organization has been critical of the California
legislature and governor for passing legislation that will "devastate
children in the state's public schools and harm family life in the state."
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- Focus on the Family last year singled out ten "radical
bills" that would "require teachers to tell children that homosexuality
is normal and that anybody who objects is hateful.
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- "If these bills are passed, homosexual activists
will likely use California's schools to destroy the Christian ideas about
sexuality that parents teach at home," warned the group in June 2001.
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- Regarding schools, Focus on the Family criticized state-passed
bills that extend "hate crime" policies to public and some private
schools; use school-based health clinics to allegedly refer children as
young as 12 for birth control, abortions, drug and alcohol and mental health
counseling "all without parental notification or permission;"
and define harassment to mean talking about moral objections to homosexual
behavior.
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- Tom Adams, administrator for California's department
of education "curriculum frameworks," said he was unaware of
any pro-homosexual curriculum being taught in the state's public schools.
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- But, said Adams, parents do have recourse for changing
curriculum they don't like, other than taking their kids out of public
schools.
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- "When it comes to the adoption of instructional
materials, a person can apply to be a reviewer, because we not only have
teachers and scholars ... but we do have members of the public," he
said. The state board chooses reviewers, based on an applicant's professional
qualifications and commitment to the review process.
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- Members of the public can submit public comments to the
state board and attend public hearings on school curriculum. "The
curriculum commission also has to have two public hearings on instructional
materials, so anybody can come in there" and speak their mind, said
Adams.
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- The state board of education has all say on final curriculum
guidelines and adopting instructional materials, he said. But "we
make sure that when we develop curriculum ... that it's all done in a public
process; there's plenty of time for public comment," said Adams.
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- "We do what we can to make sure that no one is not
heard," he said.
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- Former presidential candidate and talk show host Patrick
Buchanan was the guest on Dobson's Thursday radio show. He agreed with
the host that parents should take their kids out of California public schools.
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- "Anyone who teaches a child that homosexuality is
a moral, natural and healthy lifestyle is lying to that child," said
Buchanan. "You're exactly right. You should not let your children
be lied to by people in authority [in] the classroom."
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