I Prayed have prayed
Lord God, we pray for all the youth who are struggling as a result of the changes in our culture. We pray for a revival of truth, healing, help, and hope, especially for college-age Americans.
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Are taxpayers funding academic institutions to indoctrinate our kids? That disturbing and irresistible question plagued me during the long drive home last week from college orientation. I doubt I am alone in this wake-up call. 

Like many other women, I just sent my youngest child to college. I am so proud of him and his decision to join the Army ROTC and study engineering. He will be attending a revered Virginia institution known for its military Corps of Cadets program. . . .

Established in 1872, Virginia Tech has an honorable and proud tradition in my home state, and its graduates are some of the most accomplished and wonderful people I know. Hokies shine around our nation as leaders and as a great credit to their school. I know many to be people of faith, and many, many are conservative.

Because of this, I was shocked to experience what I can only describe as extreme and overtly leftist propaganda spewed at our children’s orientation. The opening “University Welcome” event for students and parents separated families immediately in the auditorium.

Nobody expected the event to begin with prayer or the Pledge of Allegiance — heavens, no! But one might expect to remember the names of fallen cadets on the pylons or the 32 dead and 17 injured in the 2007 shooting on Virginia Tech’s campus, the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. Nope. Instead, the administration made the stunning choice to open orientation by recognizing two Native American tribes on whose land the college was built (with the implication that it was stolen). 

What followed went from slightly bothersome to downright alarming. The college filled the next two hours with speaker after speaker who introduced themselves with not just their names and titles but also preferred pronouns — as in, “Hi my name is Penny Nance, and I identify as she and her.” At first, parents were slightly surprised; by the end, they were mad.

Every person on the stage looked exactly as you would expect them to identify. At that point, I noticed all the new students’ badges contained not just their names but also their preferred pronouns because the school had made it part of registration. The heavy-handed diversity lecture that followed seemed rather tame in comparison. Parents left the venue in shock. . . .

At one point, after dinner, they sent parents off to oblivious sleep while they lectured students on not making assumptions about each other’s gender or sexuality. Were they suggesting students ought to be fluidly “exploring” their gender and sexuality, as if it were some expected adventure? In the era of “Me Too,” that seems off message.

The school constantly defined and showcased identity group politics, but certainly not all identities. It’s apparently way cooler to be a minority trans woman with food allergies than simply to be an American college student. . . .

Why should a public institution be allowed to violate teachers’ First Amendment rights by bullying them into using the made-up terms they/them, zie/zim, ey/em (or about 60 more) instead of she/her or he/him? The reordering of centuries of grammar usage is an offensive overcorrection, and it bullies Christians, Muslims, and other students into violating their consciences to appease a small group of nonsensical identity politics warriors.

Bottom line, why should taxpayers foot the bill for liberal indoctrination? We shouldn’t, and if we all demand it, we won’t have to anymore. The Republican Party is still in control of the Virginia Assembly and Senate. One line in an appropriations bill would assure the rights of students and teachers in this madness. . . .

Parents, donors, and alumni, if you identify with this experience, it’s up to you. Our institutions have gotten this out of hand because most people are silent, too afraid of the social media harassment and bullying tactics of liberal activists and professors. Speak up. . . .

[S]end screen shots, video, or your story to Concerned Women for America at [email protected]. We won’t disclose your name without permission, but we will tell your story.

(Excerpt from the Federalist, column by Penny Nance, Concerned Women for America.)

Comments (2) Print

Comments

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Kathryn
September 4, 2019

Father,
It begins to feel like we have dropped down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland except it feels more sinister. I confess that there are so many such issues that it makes it hard to know how to pray. I pray that the parents who care about this issue would rise up as one voice on behalf of the students in classrooms across this nation. Help teachers who are being coerced to speak in such obnoxious ways stand together to say enough! Help media people who care about this issue be willing to take a stand. We have been bullied into silence but there is still time to effect change. Show us how to stand in truth in whatever place we serve in society. Father, please help us to begin to pray more fervently and more communally because we are in a battle of epic proportions for the soul of this nation. Help us to realize that this is happening because as a country we have forgotten you. We are suffering the consequences of having the children taught that we came from nothing and we go to nothing and that there is no true meaning in life. We need a revival of your Word and prayer in our land. Please have mercy.

Tom
September 3, 2019

Lord God impress us with this display of what happens when we take any decency or tradition for granted! Instead of taking the trouble to set up a system where we would be notified when such changes were being planned!

Partner with Us

Intercessors for America is the trusted resource for millions of people across the United States committed to praying for our nation. If you have benefited from IFA's resources and community, please consider joining us as a monthly support partner. As a 501(c)3 organization, it's through your support that all this possible.

Dave Kubal
IFA President
Become a Monthly Partner

Share

Click below to share this with others

Log in to Join the Conversation

Log in to your IFA account to start a discussion, comment, pray, and interact with our community.