UPDATE! - June 30, 2007

Dear Friend of the Values Advocacy Council,

Thank you for standing for family, faith and freedom in our community. With your help and the help of other families like yours and mine, we can make a difference in our schools and at city hall.

These are challenging times…times when we see the values that we hold dear, values upon which our country was founded, under attack as never before. Thank you for standing shoulder to shoulder with us!

2007 has been a busy year for the Values Advocacy Council. The following is an update on our activities and our plans for the remainder of this year.

Activities
Our bimonthly luncheon speakers have been outstanding!

• January Luncheon: Stephen Williams of “Prepare the Way”, an organization formed to uphold a Biblical worldview in public schools and society through knowledge of our Christian heritage.

• March Luncheon: Brad Dacus, President of the Pacific Justice Institute, a non-profit legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties.

• May Luncheon: Lance Izumi, Ph. D., Senior Fellow at the Pacific Research Institute, California’s premier free-market pubic policy think tank based in San Francisco on what’s broken in CA schools and how to fix them.

If you wish an invitation to our bimonthly luncheons and are not currently receiving one, please click here.

During the first half of 2007, the VAC sponsored a number of Pastor Briefings for our pastoral community:

• January Pastor Briefing: Chuck Reed, newly elected Mayor of San Jose talked with Pastors about the city/church partnership.

• February Pastor Briefing: “Overcoming New Legal Threats to Churches and Religious Non-Profits”. Presented in conjunction with California Family Council, Alliance Defense Fund, and Advocates for Faith and Freedom. What Churches can do and not do and protect their 501(c)(3) status.

• May National Day of Prayer Pastor Prayer Breakfast: Over 100 pastors met in the San Jose City Hall Rotunda for a time of prayer for our leaders, marriage and family, schools, young people, churches, economy, unity, and those in harms way in our world.

Community Leader Distinguished Speaker: In April, Rabbi Daniel Lapin was our event keynote speaker. Rabbi Lapin heads “Toward Tradition”, a non-profit organization formed to further Judeo-Christian values in the country. Rabbi Lapin is a respected national religious leader and talk show host on KSFO radio.

Activities for the remainder of 2007

• Continue our bi-monthly luncheon meetings featuring speakers on topics of interest to Values Families in Silicon Valley

• Host additional pastor briefings with elected officials and others of interest to the pastoral community

• Publish our Values Voter Guide for the November 2007 off year city council and school board elections

• Continue to grow the VAC data base, “Operation: Values Matter”

• Continue to create and strengthen relationships in city halls and school districts

• Continue our work to bring together the many congregations in the one church of Silicon Valley

Protection of Marriage

We are committed to preserving marriage between one man and one woman in California. It appears that there will be an effort to place the wording of Proposition 22 on the ballot as a Constitutional initiative. If that effort is launched, the VAC will be the lead volunteer signature gathering organization in Santa Clara County.

Internet Pornography Filters in Public Libraries

Most public libraries in Santa Clara County do not have internet filters installed to block pornography on public library computers. As a result, pornography can be viewed by anyone with a library card on any computer in the library. I am appalled that my tax dollars are funding this practice!

To have internet filters installed, each city council must pass an internet usage policy specifically placing filters on public library computers. The VAC is working with the Alliance Defense Fund to create a “model policy” and to compile the legal arguments in favor of the placement of the appropriate filtering software on public library computers.

Opponents to internet filters, such as the ACLU, argue that there is a First Amendment right to “freedom of speech”. In recent years, courts across the land have ruled that the First Amendment protections do not cover access to pornography in public libraries.

We anticipate an intense battle to protect our children and grandchildren from internet pornography in our public libraries. Our opponents are well organized and well funded.

This is a battle that we cannot win without your help and your involvement! As the battle intensifies, we will keep you informed as to just how you can help rid our public libraries of pornography.

Please feel free to contact me at any time. I rely on you as the eyes and ears in our community to keep your Values Advocacy Council abreast of Values Issues in our valley. Please call me at 408-267-0800 or contact me by email at larrypegram@vac.org.

Working to return Values to our valley,

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