NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #1/NN_1993_1.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/9780

Text File | 1993-01-05 | 34.9 KB | 733 lines

Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
Path: sparky!uunet!wupost!mont!pencil.cs.missouri.edu!daemon
From: [e-mail] (Ed Arnold)
Subject: Colorado Springs Extremists (part 1 of 2)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
Nntp-Posting-Host: pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Distribution: usa
Resent-From: "Rich Winkel" <[e-mail]>
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 22:03:17 GMT
Approved: [e-mail]
Lines: 716

*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
| The following is the first of two parts of the ASCII version of      |
| the Citizens Project Newsletter for Dec. 92.                         |
|                                                                      |
| The Citizens Project is a Colorado Springs, CO - based group of      |
| volunteers who seek to prevent extremists from eliminating our       |
| fundamental freedoms.  Amendment 2 is the extremists' most obvious   |
| success to date.                                                     |
|                                                                      |
| Slight reorganization of the articles was necessary in order to      |
| convert this text from a newsletter multi-font format to an          |
| electronic 80-column one. No alteration of wording was done.  The    |
| bumper sticker 'Celebrate Diversity' was omitted.                    |
|                                                                      |
|                         Please contact me if you have any comments   |
|                         or want any information,                     |
|                                                                      |
|                         Ken Farmer                                   |
|                         Internet: [e-mail]                |
|                         Voice:    719-685-9899                       |
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*



                      F R E E D O M    W A T C H

=======================================================================
                    The Citizens Project Newsletter
=======================================================================
Vol. 1, No. 3    Dec-Jan. 1993



WHO WE ARE
=======================================================================

     In the Pikes Peak area, we are seeing a push toward prayer in
the schools, pressure to modify school curriculum to reflect
religious views, the rise of stealth candidates in elections,
increased anti-gay activity, and growing religious intolerance.
Citizens Project was formed to challenge these trends.

     We represent citizens from a broad spectrum of political
parties and religious beliefs who are concerned about these threats
to our constitutional freedoms by local sectarian and political
extremists.  We are dedicated to maintaining the traditional
American values of separation of church and state, freedom of
religion and speech, pluralism, individuality, and tolerance and
compassion for others.

     Citizens Project will monitor attempts to challenge these
time-honored American values in our local community and will
disseminate information on these challenges to our supporters.
With your help we will provide a countervoice to extremist views in
the Pikes Peak region and right the balance against those who would
threaten our basic freedoms.

     We invite you to participate in this process with us.



IN THIS ISSUE
=======================================================================

*   CFV and Amendment 2
*   News Briefs of Interest
*   Community Impact Seminar
*   Ground Zero Information
*   Religious Right Organizations
*   Library Controversy
*   Boards and Commissions
*   How to Make a Difference
*   Notable Quotes Centerfold
*   CP General Meeting












A COLORADO SPRINGS LEGACY
=======================================================================

       Although Freedom Watch is designed primarily to provide
information, in certain circumstances we must also state our
opinion.  The campaign for and subsequent passage of Amendment 2
provides issues so clear, evidence of chicanery by Colorado for
Family Values so strong, and potential for harm to the community so
great, that Citizens Project Board member Richard Skorman wrote the
following on behalf of Citizens Project:

     The election was over a month ago, and many of us at Citizens
Project are still stunned by the passage of Amendment 2.  The Pikes
Peak Region has a new legacy: Colorado Springs originated the
Colorado For Family Values (CFV) group and Amendment 2; we were the
home of one of the most vicious campaigns of misinformation in
recent American politics; and  El Paso County voted nearly two to
one (105,000 to 54,000) in favor of Amendment 2--a margin decisive
to its statewide victory.
     This is the first major success of the religious right in our
community, and one with serious implications across the country.
Soon after the election, CFV moved from temporary to permanent
offices.  Phone calls and money have been pouring in from across
the nation.  Will Perkins was quoted on television the day after
the election as saying, "We have learned a great deal from this
election, and we think we can help many others with similar
campaigns across the country."  A California-based group,
Traditional Values Coalition (led by Rev. Lou Sheldon), has already
announced its intention to push a similar ballot initiative in
California and other states.

CFV'S CAMPAIGN

     What did CFV learn in their successful campaign?  They learned
to hire constitutional lawyers to write the amendment using
confusing language and voter-negative buzzwords such as "quotas,
protected class, minority status".
     They learned to convince the media to call this a "special
rights" amendment, and reporters obligingly spoke and wrote about
Amendment 2 during the entire campaign as the "special rights"
amendment.  (Ironically, the words "special rights" do not appear
in the amendment.)
     CFV learned how to cleverly write and market this amendment so
that voters in Colorado didn't have a clear choice.  Amendment 2
contains two types of language: language prohibiting "quotas,
protected class, and minority status", and language permitting
discrimination.  Voters were not allowed to choose between these
two, but were sold Amendment 2 "as a package".
     Throughout their campaign, CFV steadfastly maintained that
Amendment 2 didn't discriminate against anyone.  Yet,
discrimination was clearly written in the last clause of Amendment
2.  (Amendment 2 is reprinted on page 4, and the discrimination
argument is analyzed on page 16.)
     And finally, CFV learned that two weeks before the election
was the best time to flood Colorado with vicious, grossly
inaccurate and fear-producing misinformation about gay and lesbian
behavior, because countering this mass of misinformation in the
short time remaining would be very difficult.
     Fears, stereotypes and misinformation about gays and lesbians
are already ingrained in our culture.  CFV added new fuel to those
fires in order to mobilize voters against gays and lesbians.

     Legally, Amendment 2 makes Colorado gays and lesbians a pariah
class--the only group in the United States specifically barred from
receiving protection from discrimination.
     The message that voters have given, whether real or perceived,
is that the vast majority of the El Paso County electorate doesn't
care if gays or lesbians are denied employment, housing or public
accommodations, or actually wants to deny them those rights.

WHAT ABOUT HOMOPHOBIA?

     Three issues surrounding Amendment 2 and homophobia are
especially disturbing.
      First, why weren't Coloradans outraged about this amendment
from the first?  If any other of the groups now receiving legal
protection from discrimination (such as Jews, African-Americans,
veterans, women, parents, handicapped or Christians) had been
substituted for gays and lesbians in this amendment, the public
outcry would have been tremendous.
     Second, why was this the only statewide election or amendment
campaign where the polls were so inaccurate (at least 10 percentage
points different than the final result) going into election eve.
Could it be that many voters intentionally misled pollsters even as
they planned to vote for discrimination?
     And finally, since Amendment 2 passed, many of our local
public officials, clergy, civic, and business leaders have been
afraid to publicly address the issue of discrimination and the
level of fear and hatred that now divide our community as a result
of Amendment 2.
     Amendment 2 is one of the most significant discrimination
issues we've faced in our community for many years, and one with
serious economic and social impacts for the future.  Why don't our
community leaders grapple with this issue?

WHAT CAN WE DO?

     We can all help the enormous legal challenge (which may go to
the U.S. Supreme Court) to declare Amendment 2 unconstitutional by
making contributions to: Colorado Legal Initiatives Project, Box
44447, Denver, CO 80201 (voice phone [phone]).  This will
likely be a long and expensive battle.
     We can also place an amendment to repeal Amendment 2 on the
ballot next November.  Our new Amendment 1 now allows for state
referendums in every November election.   A ballot approach, if
pursued, would require the collection of 49,271 valid signatures to
be filed with the Secretary of State at least three months prior to
the election.
     However, waiting for a successful court outcome before
pursuing a new ballot campaign may be an appropriate approach,
because a decision declaring
Amendment 2 to be unconstitutional may effectively block similar
amendments elsewhere in the country.  If Amendment 2 is repealed in
a new election, pending court actions about this amendment may be
terminated without a decision.

BOYCOTT?

     We can also support the boycott.  A national boycott of
Colorado by various groups is underway, and a local group, Ground
Zero, recently restated the need for a boycott (see page 4).  This
national boycott has both pros and cons, but it has been almost
singlehandedly responsible for keeping Amendment 2 and its
aftermath alive in the press.
     At this stage in Colorado's very fragile economic recovery, a
threatened boycott might help to educate voters in our state and
elsewhere about the discriminatory aspects of Amendment 2.
     One of the arguments made against a boycott is that "the
people have spoken" and that should be the end of it.  However,
economic boycotts for moral reasons have a long and honored history
in America.
     Three of the more recent examples are: 1) the boycott of
Arizona that persisted until that state established a Martin Luther
King, Jr. holiday, 2) Focus on the Family's 1990 article calling
for a boycott of American Express to protest their financial
support of certain disapproved groups (which resulted in
cardholders canceling their accounts), and 3) the ongoing American
Family Association's boycott of certain businesses in
response to their social policies.
     To quote American Family Association on the morality of
boycotts: "AFA ..believes economic boycotts are an effective way to
bring about change and voice Christian principles and stewardship
in the marketplace."  American Family Association's Journal
(Nov./Dec. 1992, p. 15).
     The question remains whether visitors and businesses will view
Colorado discrimination against gays and lesbians as equal to
Arizona's refusal to recognize the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
Is it all right to boycott a state that sent a message of racism,
but not all right to boycott a state sending an anti-gay message?
     Who will suffer the most from a statewide economic boycott?
Boulder, Denver, and mountain resort towns--all communities who
solidly voted no on Amendment 2.
Colorado Springs, paradoxically, may fare better in a boycott than
most of the rest of the state.

WHAT MUST WE DO?

     We at Citizens Project believe that all of us, particularly
the heterosexual community, must let gay and lesbian citizens know
that we will not be complacent if others in our community attempt
to isolate or vilify them.  We must let them know that we will not
tolerate anyone being denied employment, housing, public
accommodations or simply being harassed because of their sexual
orientation.
     We must let our gay and lesbian neighbors know that they are
wholeheartedly welcome in our lives.

     Citizens Project is in the process of formulating a
broad-based, city-wide coalition and educational campaign to
support these goals.  We would like individuals, civic leaders,
clergy and business leaders to actively share our commitment to
diversity and tolerance in our community.
     If homophobia, fear and intolerance are as widespread as some
have suggested since the election, then our commitment to education
must be a long one.

OUR ANSWER TO THE MESSAGE

     We have heard a number of interpretations about why Amendment
2 passed, ranging from hatred to misunderstanding.  We do not know
where the balance lies.
     We do know that, whether intentional or not, the voters of El
Paso County sent a message of discrimination on November 3rd: a
message to many in our community who already live with the constant
fear of having their sexual identity discovered; a message to many
who have courageously come out of the closet hoping to be accepted
and welcomed by a city that now seems to hate them; a message to
many  who have gone through a lifetime of discrimination,
humiliation and mental anguish for loving someone of their choice;
a message to many in our community who have lost the people about
whom they care most to the long, painful disease of AIDS and who
live daily with the fear of becoming sick themselves.

     We at Citizens Project can't live with that message.  All of
us need to get involved.







NEWS BRIEFS OF INTEREST
=======================================================================

     MYTHOLOGY LAWSUIT THROWN OUT; MAY BE APPEALED.  The Woodland
Park "mythology" lawsuit to promote the Bible in schools, discussed
in our last newsletter, was dismissed October 14, 1992 by the
Teller County District Court.  The five plaintiffs (including the
Reverend David Skipworth, leader of  "Cowboys For Christ") were
also ordered to pay the defendant's attorney fees and costs because
the lawsuit was "frivolous and without any foundation in law".  The
Plaintiffs have vowed to appeal to the next higher court, the
Colorado Court of Appeals.  More information in our next
newsletter.

     CFV CARRIES ON.  Colorado's Amendment 2 proponent, Colorado
For Family Values, is soliciting funds for future activities in
Colorado and nationwide.  CFV has connections to other "family
values" groups, including California's Traditional Values Coalition
(TVC) through the director of Colorado's chapter of TVC, Barbara
Sheldon, who sits on CFV's executive board, and Focus on the
Family, which provided $8,183 in in-kind contributions to CFV's
recent Amendment 2 campaign here in Colorado.

     TEACHERS UPHELD.  Arbitration over the cancellation of gay and
pagan panelists in School District 11's "Diversity Symposium" last
April took place November 9.  This arbitration was between the
teachers and the school administration on the issue of cancellation
of the panel members.  The result: the rights of teachers to bring
controversial panelists into the school was reaffirmed, consistent
with the school district's written guidelines.  The affected
teachers have not decided whether to host another "Diversity
Symposium".  You can anticipate further controversy, however, if
school staff should again attempt to "expose" any local students to
any politically/biblically incorrect elements of our diverse
society, such as the aforementioned gays or pagans.

     GETTING THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE ACROSS.  The November issue of
Focus On The Family's teacher magazine Teachers in Focus has an
article on how teachers can make use of Thanksgiving to present to
students the American values of biblical beliefs, the Ten
Commandments, prayer, and hymns.  The article is titled "A Journey
To American Values: Mapping a Course For Thanksgiving".   "Use the
spiritual values of the Pilgrims"  the article says, to teach kids
"in need of a life preserver."  To avoid church-state problems, the
article advocates using direct quotes: "By citing original sources,
you are less likely to receive criticism."

     DISNEY SLAMMED.  Just when you thought it was safe to let your
kids watch "G" rated Walt Disney movies...   The Family Research
Council, allied with Focus on the Family, is complaining that the
recent Disney children's film "The Little Mermaid" constitutes a
media attack on fathers.  "The film is a lot of fun, but it makes
a mockery of fatherly authority."

    WORRIED ABOUT YOUR AFTERLIFE?  Father Louis Marx of Riverside,
California told his parishioners that a vote for Bill Clinton was
a "mortal sin".  Similarly, a member of the audience at the recent
Focus on the Family Community Impact Seminar asked the presenter
how anyone who voted for Clinton could possibly claim to be
Christian.  Is the road to Hell paved with Democrats?

     FOCUS BECOMES NONPOLITICAL?  Paul Hetrick, representing Focus
on the Family in a November panel discussion in Colorado Springs,
stated: "We do not take political stands on issues."  As pointed
out by the Gazette-Telegraph, that declaration surprised some in
the audience, as "Focus has publicly opposed abortion, pornography
and women and gays in the military".

    DIVERSITY IN RADIO.  Colorado Springs is the 110th largest
radio market in the country, with six Christian radio stations.
Denver, the 24th largest radio market, has two Christian radio
stations.

     COMPUTER MESSAGE SPURIOUS.  In October, a note came through
the Internet computer network, purportedly from the Oregon Citizens
Alliance.  This note stated that OCA was planning a new ballot
proposition to make Christianity the only acceptable religion in
Oregon.  However, Citizens Project checked, and this computer note
was a "plant" by unknown persons, and does not reflect anything
planned for Oregon.

     CITIZENS PROJECT GROWS.  Citizens Project now has over 3,000
participants.  As a result of the November Associated Press and
Denver Post articles on the religious right with extensive coverage
of Citizens Project, we also mail Freedom Watch to interested
people in the Denver, Boulder, and Ft. Collins areas.



FOCUS ON OUR COMMUNITY
=======================================================================

     On November 9, Focus on the Family and Rocky Mountain Family
Council presented an all-day Community Impact Seminar at Pulpit
Rock Church on Austin Bluffs Boulevard.  This was the second
Community Impact Seminar this year in Colorado (the first took
place at Cherry Hills Community Church in Denver) and Focus' 25th
Community Impact Seminar nationwide.  Some 600 people participated
in the Colorado Springs seminar, including three Citizens Project
members.  After participants heard why the Bible mandates community
involvement by good Christians, the discussion moved on to the loss
of morality in contemporary American government and culture, the
"myth" of the separation of church and state, and opportunities for
community and political involvement in Colorado Springs.

                     A Leadership Failure

     Seminar leaders stated that today's crisis in American
cultural and political institutions is a direct result of a variety
of "gatekeepers"--educators, politicians, journalists and moderate
Christians leaders--who have lost touch with bedrock principles
contained in the Bible.  This crisis is a "top-down" problem, where
the leaders of our society have "abandoned their responsibility to
preserve our heritage."  Community Impact Curriculum: A Biblical
Case For Social Involvement, p. 16 (Focus on the Family, undated).


     This Christian heritage, first carried over to America by the
Pilgrims and other colonists, has increasingly been ignored or
misinterpreted by these societal leaders.  Because the absolute
biblical truths no longer control these leaders, our society has
sunk into subjectivism and even further into "tolerance".
According to the seminar, what is necessary to save our communities
is a return by our leadership to the strict morality of the Bible.

                   Most Everyone's To Blame

     The seminar leaders made clear, however, that most Americans
do not believe that this more restrictive biblical morality should
control society.  "The fact is, despite all the Christian activism
in the last 25 years, America has continued to grow increasingly
secular; and there seems no end in sight."  (p. 23)  However, the
seminar continued, don't pay attention to the "politics of sheer
majoritarianism".  Rather, act to pressure and persuade our leaders
to
"do the right thing", or try to replace them with leaders who will.


     Because the number of sympathetic voters is not there, the
seminar acknowledged that a new "Moral Majority" campaign is not
possible.  How then should sincere Christians act to effectively
change their communities?


               The Politics of "Principled Persuasion"

     The way to proceed, according to the seminar, is four-fold.
First, live a good Christian life.  Second, organize through your
church.
     Third, and most important, act upon the Bible by persuading
your leaders and neighbors of the reasonableness and morality of
your biblical position by using "principled persuasion".
     Principled persuasion means getting your facts together,
consulting with experts on how to be effective, and then going
public with reasoned arguments and evidence to convince others
about your truth.  Principled persuasion works because "God invites
men to reason, to use their minds in the search of truth".  And
these truths are the moral absolutes of the Bible.
     The last step is to work to replace the leadership of our
society, if necessary.
     Of course, America's present civil war of values can use help.
The seminar leaders recommended a plan of action involving soldiers
(people), intelligence (information), and leadership to impact
today's wayward leaders.
     Specifically, here is what the seminar recommended for the
Pikes Peak area.

                  Organize Through Your Church

     The primary way to have the necessary impact, the speakers
said, is to organize through your church and become part of
Colorado's Community Impact Network.  This Network, to be organized
under the leadership of the Rocky Mountain Family Council in
Denver, will "disseminate the information provided by the Rocky
Mountain Family Council" and use RMFC's expert advice to
effectively impact communities.
     The organization and role of  these local Community Impact
Committees was clearly laid out in Focus on the Family's Community
Impact Handbook.  Always, these Community Impact Committees must be
under the authority of a pastor, preferably from a church "that
most exemplifies a respect for moral authority", but the committees
must also expect to lead and persuade their sometimes lethargic
churches into action.

                       Stealth Activists?

     When the seminar proceeded to Christians becoming involved in
their community, the speakers strongly encouraged participants to
work from the ground up to replace the present leadership.
     However, the advice was blunt: If you want to get appointed or
elected, don't  identify yourself as a Christian.  Don't quote the
Bible, because the majority is not sympathetic.  Instead, use your
platform of "principled persuasion" to reason with people and
convince them of the benefits of your truth.
      Don't ever represent yourself as part of a church group--500
independently concerned citizens acting on the same issue are much
more effective than a single church with 500 outraged congregants.
     However, the seminar leaders also stressed that the doctrine
of "principled persuasion" mandates that good Christians meet with
and greet their opponents in a friendly and reasonable manner.
Effective public persuasion requires more than just having moral
arguments and facts; it requires a personable and sincere approach.

     And indeed, Focus on the Family was most gracious and open in
specifically inviting members from Citizens Project to attend this
Community Impact Seminar.

                          What It Means

     This seminar was called a "community impact" seminar for good
reason.  Here's what it means for our local community:

     You can expect an increased push by the religious right in
the Pikes Peak area to impact our community decision-making
bodies--from elected positions to appointed boards to volunteer
committees.
     You can expect that the religious right will have its ducks
in a row when it comes to effective (although not necessarily
correct) arguments and evidence, as illustrated by Colorado For
Family Values' well-orchestrated and successful Amendment 2
campaign.
     You can expect members of the religious right to run for
election as stealth candidates, organizing and campaigning in
churches and with parachurch groups, but reluctant to identify
their "hidden biblical agenda" if and when they campaign in public.

     You can also expect them, acting as good and friendly citizens,
to press for policies not friendly to traditional American values
of diversity and tolerance.  And, you can expect a greater impact
on the lives of ordinary citizens if the religious right gains more
control over our community.
     You should understand that opposing these groups is not easy
and will require increasing effort by everyone.  When their
arguments and evidence are effectively prepared in advance,
unorganized opposition is likely to fail.  Their "principled
persuasion" campaigns must be countered with organization, study,
preparation, commitment, and action.

     As Focus on the Family's Community Impact Seminar
acknowledged, a majority of Americans do not agree with a return to
strict biblical morality.  The duty of that majority now becomes to
effectively formulate and promote truly representative social and
public policy alternatives to these new pressures from the
religious right.

     To Learn More:  One of our Citizen Project members has
prepared a multi-page analysis of the philosophical and historical
arguments presented at the November Community Impact Seminar.  You
can receive one free by calling Citizens Project at 719-685-9899, and
leaving your name and address.




"GROUND ZERO" GROUP FORMED
=======================================================================

     A new group, Ground Zero, has formed in Colorado Springs to
"Undo 2" and to counter gay, lesbian and bisexual "ethnic
cleansing".  According to their mission statement, "Ground Zero is
a grassroots lesbian, gay, bisexual and gay supportive movement
dedicated to securing and maintaining basic civil rights for
lesbian, gay and bisexual citizens and to unifying and promoting
full participation of lesbian, gay and bisexual citizens in the
community at large."

     Ground Zero actively supports the boycott, will increase the
visibility of the local gay and lesbian community to combat
stereotypes promoted by Colorado for Family Values, and is planning
a national march in Colorado Springs next spring.  For more
information or to volunteer money, time or support, contact Ground
Zero at P.O. Box 1982, Colorado Springs, 80901; phone [phone].

AMENDMENT 2  (AMENDING THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION)
   "Neither the State of Colorado, through any of its branches or
departments, nor any of its agencies, political subdivisions,
municipalities or school districts, shall enact, adopt or enforce
any statute, regulation, ordinance or policy whereby homosexual,
lesbian, or bisexual orientation, conduct, practices or
relationships shall constitute or otherwise be the basis of or
entitle any person or class of persons to have or claim any
minority status, quota preferences, protected status, or claim of
discrimination."



WHO'S WHO AND WHAT'S WHAT
=======================================================================

       Many people have asked for a primer of politically active
fundamentalist and religious right organizations and a summary of
their political positions.  Here is a brief overview of some local
organizations and their issue areas and political stands.

      Focus on the Family--An international traditional-values
organization using radio, books, magazines, films, video and public
policy efforts for family ministry.  Annual income: $77 million.
Colorado Springs employees total nearly a thousand, and that number
is predicted to increase dramatically when Focus moves to its new
46-acre campus at the north end of Colorado Springs.  Focus is very
active, very visible, and very professional.  Focus founder Dr.
Dobson is said to have the second most listened to radio show, on
3,000 radio stations worldwide.  Press reports state that Focus
receives 8,000 letters and 2,000 phone calls per day.  To keep up
with Focus, call them at 719-531-5181 for a complimentary subscription
to Focus on the Family magazine, or spend $20 for a subscription to
Citizen, their monthly political magazine.

     Rocky Mountain Family Council--A Colorado political and legal
arm set up with the assistance of Focus on the Family to provide
"advocacy for traditional families".  Location: Denver; estimated
annual budget: $96,000.  Recent achievements: produced and
distributed 150,000 voter's guides in Colorado; assisted Colorado
For Family Values in its work for Amendment 2; involved in Denver
and Colorado Springs church-state court cases. To keep up with
their latest activities, you can call their Family Hotline at (303)
292-1800.

     Colorado Family Coalition--A Colorado Springs-based group
founded by Amber Jorgensen, state coordinator of Citizens For
Excellence In Education.   Chief activity of this group to date
appears to be countering Outcome Based Education in public schools.
CFC literature on Outcome Based Education states: "[O]ne of the
primary goals [of outcome-based education] is to take the teachers
out of the teaching process and, instead, make them 'facilitators,'
'coaches,' and 'fellow learners' of all the new progressive,
affective, new age materials.  Children are taught to accept
'alternative life-styles', such as homosexuality. This is called,
'learning to accept our diversities.'  New age globalism is to
transcend all national patriotism....That would be the end of
America!  Why isn't that spelled out..?"

     Citizens For Excellence in Education (CEE)--A nationwide
activist group founded by Bob Simonds, with over 500 local
chapters.  Very vocal against sex education other than total
abstinence, psychological testing, exposure to religions other than
Christianity, and a host of other issues.  Colorado Springs' local
CEE chapter has monthly meetings; its head (and also state-wide CEE
coordinator) is the same Amber Jorgensen, Colorado Springs
resident.

     Concerned Women For America.  Concerned Women For America
(CWA), the national group headed by Beverly LaHaye, pursues an
educational and lobbying role covering the scope of the religious
right political agenda (see below).  As part of CWA's educational
function, LaHaye has a nationally broadcast daily half-hour radio
show, carried in Colorado Springs at 2PM on KGFT (100.7 FM).  CWA
has a local chapter, headed by Paula Stern.

     Colorado For Family Values (CFV)--Our own home-grown group of
far right conservatives.  Their present objective: Focus on the
Homosexuals.  Watch for them to broaden out geographically and
philosophically as a result of the victory of Amendment 2.


COMMON AGENDA

     The above groups share all or a portion of the following
agenda.  This agenda was concisely stated in the "HELPFAMILY 1992"
platform, designed to "...help candidates develop a platform for
their campaigns [and] to help California citizens determine
pro-family candidates."  The platform was published by the Capitol
Resource Institute, California's counterpart to our Rocky Mountain
Family Council.  Following are excerpts:

1. God and government:  "[T]he powers of the government are limited
first by God given and natural laws and second by the consent of
the governed. Government shall not endorse a religion, but
government may acknowledge the Creator God and government shall
provide the highest constitutional protections to religious faith
and practice."

2. Marriage and Family:  "The family is the primary social unit of
civilization and is established and blessed by God Almighty...  The
natural family, consisting of the union between a man and a woman
in marriage and the bond between parent and child, represents the
living foundation sustaining American culture, civilization and
government. Marriage shall be preserved as available only to
members of the opposite sex.  Marriage, parenthood and the family
deserve constitutional recognition as sacred human rights and shall
be accorded honor and respect when taught in the public schools.
Government is most helpful to families financially when policies
and tax codes reward stable family life and increase deductions for
child-raising while deterring the dissolution of marriages,
especially those with dependent children."

3. Education:  "Families have a rightful expectation that schools
will 1) offer a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes basic core
subjects, 2) not force doctrines of moral relativism on children,
3) teach children about traditional concepts of right and wrong..."

4. Life Issues:  "The abortion of almost a third of our children,
the medical neglect of disabled newborns which results in
infanticide, and the acceptance of euthanasia for others with
disabilities and for our elderly, demand that we work to restore
laws which will protect these innocent human beings.  The right to
life is the foundation upon which all other issues of human rights
and justice depend..."

5. Public safety:  "Law enforcement and corrections should be
fiscal priorities... The right of a person to bear arms against any
entity that would threaten life or property must not be abridged.
Finally, exceptions for first degree murder which allows the use of
the death penalty should be defended and implemented."

6. Taxation:  "Families and businesses are most helped when
government is limited in their taxing and regulatory authority and
when regulatory agencies are directly accountable to the voters
they tax..."

7. Land use and environment: "Present regulations often violate
property rights, retard development and inhibit economic growth.
A reformation must occur that accomplishes the following:
 1) economic impact of all proposed regulations must be determined
so that benefits outweigh the costs,
 2) private property rights must be protected,
 3) command-and-control regulations should be replaced by market-based
policies that are founded on property rights and economic
incentives..."

     If you would like to receive a copy of the two-page
"HELPFAMILY Platform", please call the Citizens Project office at
719-685-9899.

--------
Ed Arnold * NCAR * POB 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 * 303-497-1253(voice)
303-497-{1298,1137}(fax) * internet: [e-mail] * bitnet: era@ncario
compuserve: internet:[e-mail]