Life Issues / Family Ethics Political Action Committee of Southwest Washington

2015 School Board Survey

Candidates: Copy and paste the survey questions below into your word processor, type your answers and send to vote4life@lifepac.org.  If you prefer, you can freely compose your own statement for posting using some of the survey's themes.  Responses will be authenticated before use.

AN ETHIC OF LIFE IN PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION
1.  The purpose of teaching a consistent ethic of life (see here, here and here) in public school education is to defend human dignity.  Violations of this dignity include before all else the direct attacks against human life found in abortion, fetal plundering and euthanasia.  Beyond these are the threats of persistent poverty, unjust war, capital punishment, the use of nuclear arms, violence, racism and exploitation.  As a school board member, will you do all within your power and authority to promote student policy and class curricula that teach students a consistent ethic of life?


SEX EDUCATION
2. The Washington State Legislature passed ESSB 5297 in 2007 requiring school districts to teach scientifically accurate comprehensive sex education, if they teach sex ed at all.  A 2012 Congressional report promoting the Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) model states that "[Comprehensive Sex Education] has failed to lower rates of teenage pregnancy because it assumes that preteens and teens are fully capable of making decisions without adequate guidance. By contrast, a clear understanding of teenage behavior is why public health campaigns against teenage drinking, smoking, and reckless driving have been relatively successful. They are not value neutral when it comes to teenage choices, especially those with public health ramifications. These programs set realistic and age appropriate expectations for the teens and then show them how to avoid the risky behaviors." As a school board member, will you do all within your power and authority to promote life-respecting sex education curricula?



SCHOOL CLINICS
3. Should school board policy allow the on-site dispensing of birth control drugs or devices, give abortion counseling, or provide referrals to off-site abortion clinics?  See the 2010 incident that received widespread news coverage involving a Seattle area in-school clinic that set up an abortion for a 15-year-old high school student with neither her parents’ knowledge nor consent. 


SCHOOL CHOICE

4. The Supreme Court in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002), held that Ohio's school voucher law did not violate the First Amendment's establishment clause.  It states "the Ohio program is entirely neutral with respect to religion. It provides benefits directly to a wide spectrum of individuals, defined only by financial need and residence in a particular school district. It permits such individuals to exercise genuine choice among options public and private, secular and religious. The program is therefore a program of true private choice" and "the program does not offend the Establishment Clause."   In addition, State Rep. Liz Pike of the 18th District has introduced HB 2063 this year to allow scholarship tax credits.   HB 2063 would allow lower income families to send their children to an approved private school of their choice.  Twelve other states currently have similar laws enacted.  Regarding Washington State's Blaine Amendment prohibiting state funds from going to religious institutions, see here, here, and here.  What is your position regarding the use of school vouchers, tax credits or other methods of increasing school choice in Washington State?
 


ABORTION
5. Even dedicated proponents of abortion acknowledge that life begins at conception.  What do you believe?  Does a unique human life begins at conception? 

     If not, when?  ___  3 mths  ___  6 mths  ___ 9 mths  ___  1 yr  ___ 18 yrs?

   


6. The 14th Amendment states "nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, 1973, stated that "if this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant's case, of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment."  The Court regrettably concluded though that "we need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins. When those trained in the respective disciplines of medicine, philosophy, and theology are unable to arrive at any consensus, the judiciary, at this point in the development of man's knowledge, is not in a position to speculate as to the answer."  Do you believe that the right to life of the unborn child is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment?


7.
Is taking the life of a pre-born child through abortion ever permissible?  Check all that apply:

_____ No, it's never permissible

_____ Yes, to save mother's life

_____ Yes, in cases of rape or incest 

_____   Yes, for economic hardship

_____ Yes, for physical deformity

_____  Yes, for genetic predispositions

_____  Yes, for gender

_____  Yes, for race

_____  Yes, to punish spouse

_____  Yes, it's always permissible


8. Do you support parental notification and/or consent before a minor (under 18 years of age) could have an abortion?  A judicial bypass of parents would be allowed when necessary.  A 2013 poll commissioned by Human Life WA, found Washington State voters are widely supportive of laws requiring "parental involvement" in abortion decisions for girls under the age of 18 (62-29% with just under 10% undecided).  Read a summary of the results here.  Do you support:

Notification?

Consent?
 

PLANNED PARENTHOOD
9. The nation's biggest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, in the 2013-2014 fiscal year received $528 million in government funding and aborted 327,653 babies.  Planned Parenthood is active in Oregon school districts, where their representatives have been allowed to regularly address students in both Portland and Salem Opposition has been firm and articulate (segment begins at 12:44). 
Should Planned Parenthood be allowed to make presentations to students or provide literature, birth control chemicals or devises, or abortion services?


QUALIFICATIONS

10. Please state your professional experience, community involvement, education and other qualifications for a school board position.

 

 

POLICY POSITIONS
11. You may state here any policy positions you have in relation to the office you are seeking:

 


12. May Life PAC post your returned survey on our website?  Your response is only posted with your permission. 

 

Please give your campaign web address if you have one: