MassResistance has a little gripe with Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI). They have been lifting our work on the "Day of Silence" without crediting us. Thanks to this blog, parents all over the state confronted their schools on this homosexual propaganda event. And we got our info to the talk radio hosts, and they went with it on several shows!
Come to think of it, MFI has had a pattern of such behavior over the last ten years or so. Let the activists (such as Parents' Rights Coalition) do the heavy lifting, the dirty work, have the direct interventions and confrontations. Then the MFI writes it up as if they did it all.
MFI holds fancy banquets with the big donors, raising money on others' efforts. They give awards to unsuspecting activists -- who appeared out of nowhere, motivated to do the right thing on their own -- then MFI acts like they were behind the activists' accomplishments!
Seems to me, the Parents' Rights Bill was conceived and written by someone else. But MFI goes to testify at the hearing, and acts like it's their bill. Lots of money raised for MFI on that one!
Well, it happened again Tuesday. MFI showed up at the Judiciary Committee hearing to testify in favor of the three bills filed by Article 8 Alliance (calling for removal of the judges and laws defining marriage). But where was MFI for the past year? (Crafting an ill-conceived Constitutional amendment, and caving in to "civil unions"?) They certainly were not standing with--or even communicating with--Article 8. (It looked to us like they wouldn't even say hello to the Article 8 people at the hearing!)
I'm sure Article 8 is pleased to get support for their bills. But they'd be even more pleased if credit is given where credit is due. MFI might acknowledge in their emails that it's the hard-working, underfunded, understaffed folks at Article 8 who had the foresight to file these bills.
It's a sad state of affairs. My Evangelical friends would say it's the devil's work, stirring up such jealousies and dissension. Well, MFI, how about it? I think there are preacher men on your staff. Time to make peace? Why not reach out to Article 8 and join their cause, instead of criticizing them for being "too confrontational".
It's time for MFI to do the right thing: SUPPORT ARTICLE 8 ALLIANCE all the way -- not just at a hearing.
