To support and promote the values inherent in the concept of family, the Prince William-Manassas Family Alliance focuses on issues related to these five topics:

• LIFE
• MARRIAGE
• RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
• PARENTAL AUTHORITY
• CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

How is the concept of the family under assault with respect to these issues?

Life

How do we define human life? When is a human being entitled to the protection of the government? Consider this February 2019 post, DOES THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING GOV. RALPH NORTHAM MAKE SENSE TO YOU? Consider what Governor Ralph Northam said.

The procedures, Northam said in the WTOP interview, are “done in cases where there may be severe deformities. There may be a fetus that’s not viable. So in this particular example, if a mother’s in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered, the infant would be kept comfortable, the infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired. And then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.” (from here)

Northam plainly indicated he has no issues with infanticide. When in Governor Northam’s mind does the right of a child to live supercede the rights of woman to control her own body? Well, the fact that child has been born apparently does not have anything to do with it.

Marriage

Consider what the Constitution of Virginia says about marriage.

Article I. Bill of Rights
Section 15-A. Marriage
That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions. This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage.

(The amendment ratified November 7, 2006, and effective January 1, 2007—Added a new section (15-A).)

Virginia’s marriage amendment is no longer law. The Supreme Court of the United States overturned our state’s definition of marriage by judicial fiat (see Same-Sex Marriage (christianitytoday.com)). What does this mean in practice? Government force will be increasingly used to pressure those who believe in Biblical marriage to support same-sex sex and same-sex “marriage”.

Religious Freedom

Consider this article, YOUR RIGHT TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (aclu.org). Effectively, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wants to exclude religious belief from public life. The Constitution does not require that.

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (from here)

The Constitution restricts the government, not us. When the Supreme Court cited Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists (loc.gov) and outlawed school prayer (50 Years Without Official School Prayer (christianpost.com) and School Prayer (allabouthistory.org)) they went too far. Jefferson obviously wanted the Danbury Baptists to understand he would not abuse his power to force his beliefs on them.

Groups like the ACLU want to use government power secularized our society. Just because they pretend that their secularism does not reflect a religious belief does not mean they are not interfering with the free exercise of religious belief.

Parental Authority

Everett Piper’s column in The Washington Times today, What today’s educational ruling class gets wrong (washingtontimes.com), begins with this quote.

“I believe that raising a child is the responsibility of the community and that parents should not have the final say. Let’s be honest; some of you don’t know what is best for your kids. Parents believe they should be able to storm the school in the name of political and religious beliefs if something happens in the school that they are morally opposed to.

“They forget that we make a promise to prepare their children to live in a diverse world. We are not required to protect the misguided, bigoted views of their parents. If you want your children educated with your values, find a private school that will do it. The public education system is not here to serve your archaic beliefs.”
— Anthony Lane, English Teacher, Willis High School, Will Texas. Oct. 18, 2019 (from here (washingtontimes.com))

Who is Anthony Lane? Well, this article, Report: Teacher Defends Drag Queen at School, Condemns ‘Bigoted’ Parents (breitbart.com) and this article Parents ‘Don’t Know What’s Best’ for Their Children: Texas Teacher Defends Drag Queen Event (faithwire.com), provide some context. If you read Piper’s column and then the Breitbart and Faithwire articles, if you are a parent you will probably be fairly angry. At least, you should be.

Constitutional Government

What does a constitution do? Do you know? If the answer is no, why not?

What does a constitution do? It restrains the powers of the government. A constitution describes critical processes that government officials must follow. In addition, a constitution describes specific things the government and government officials cannot do, and it specifically states what the government must do and can do. For example, most of The United States Constitution describes processes that the Federal Government is supposed to follow. Article I is devoted to Congress, but just one section of Article I,  Section 8, is devoted to listing the powers of Congress.

Do you know if Congress has assumed more powers than Section 8 gives it? Do you think the politicians who run our schools are interested in teaching you or your children?

Why does a constitution work? Why does a constitution restrain government officials?Strange question? No. Until the last couple of centuries, constitutional republics have been quite rare. Most of history is a history of monarchies and tyrannies. These types of government are based primarily on the proposition that might makes right. Kings and tyrants rule because it is death to oppose them.

Without such terror, how do constitutional republics manage to command obedience? Constitutional republics still command military and police force, but the primary reason citizens obey their government is that the citizens of a constitutional republic honor the words of their constitution. That is, the citizens of a constitutional republic insist their leaders obey their constitution because they understand their constitution protects the rights of their family, friends and neighbors.

Have you and your children learned the importance of honoring your constitution?

Are our government officials obeying The United States Constitution? How would you know for certain? The Federalist Papers (gutenberg.org) should be assigned reading in high school, but few Americans have read them. When the 13 colonies debated the ratification of the The United States Constitution, John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton wrote articles advocating its ratification. Later generations compiled these articles into The Federalist Papers. Thus, we know how the writers of the Constitution expected it to work.

Have you and your children studied The Federalist Papers?

What Comes Next?

Note again that section above on Constitutional Government. Do you have a good civics education? Are your children learning about reading, writing, mathematics, and constitutional government, or are they learning how to put a condom on a banana and how to apply makeup like a drag queen? To help you become a good citizen and an advocate for your children, we will focus here on the operation of Prince William County Schools (PWCS), Family Life Education (FLE) in particular.