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By RoseMarie Briggs Executive Director Family Leader Network

Exactly two years ago Family Leader Foundation (FLF) and Family Leader Network (FLN) began our mission to speak up for family issues in the public square. We sent out our first emails and had our first recruiting meetings in October, 2005.

Thanks to the dedication of key professionals and thousands of people from all 50 states we are making a significant difference. We would like to pause for just one day and look at how far we've come in just two years.

For those of you who are already active members of FLN here are some of our accomplishments to show you Family Leader's impact on public issues. For those of you who have not yet joined, now is the time. Click here to register to receive our free email updates. Check out our website at www.familyleader.net to stay abreast of all the important issues affecting families, morality and religious freedom.

You need the information we can give you to help roll back the rising tide of evil that is swamping our land
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Lobbying Nearly 2,000 Elected Officials:

FLN's members have sent nearly 100,000 constituent messages to elected officials in the form of emails and petitions. If we include phone messages to elected officials we are well over 100,000 messages.

Our members have contacted nearly 2,000 elected officials including Pres. Bush, 536 members of Congress and hundreds of state and local elected officials. Thanks to the outstanding efforts of Family Leader California's state leaders and members, California Governor Schwarzenegger received the most email messages for a state elected official.

On the national and state level FLN is working in coalitions with other like-minded organizations to maximize our efforts. We are happy to report that we have state leaders in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, Virginia and Washington who are doing everything from working with key lawmakers to introduce model legislation into their state legislatures to gathering thousands of signatures to stop the implementation of harmful legislation. Family Leader members in several states have either testified before legislative committees or made in person visits to state elected officials.

Helping Pass Marriage Amendments in Seven States:

In August of 2006 FLN launched a 12-week marriage amendment campaign in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. This campaign included email updates, fliers, door hangers, newspaper inserts and DVDs to urge citizens to vote yes on the marriage amendment. In Colorado, Idaho and Virginia FLN representatives played a key leadership role in helping pass marriage amendments in those state.

Protecting School Children from Political Agendas Across the Country:

FLN has a national team of over 100 volunteers to advise school boards and school officials on the benefits of abstinence based sex education as defined by the federal government and to monitor how sexual orientation is introduced in curriculum.

FLN works with the National Abstinence Education Association and the Abstinence Clearinghouse to continue federal and state funding for abstinence based sex education.

Where necessary FLN takes its concerns about curriculum to court. Currently, the highly respected Thomas More Law Center has filed an appeal on behalf of FLN and two other organizations regarding a recent decision by the Maryland Board of Education to allow a factually incorrect and medically risky sex education curriculum to be taught to 8th and 10th graders.

Filing Friend of the Court Briefs to Protect Decency and Marriage:

FLF Chairman of the Board, Gene Schaerr, filed a friend of the court brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of FLF in USA v. Michael Williams. This case is about restoring a provision in the 2003 PROTECT Act passed by Congress regarding child pornography. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned this provision and now the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case.

Marriage Law Foundation has filed friend of the court briefs on behalf of FLF in the following cases that seek to create legal recognition for same-sex marriage:

California Court of Appeals (In re Marriage Cases)

New Jersey Supreme Court (Lewis v. Harris)

Maryland Court of Appeals (Conaway v. Deane)

California Supreme Court (In re Marriage Cases)

Rhode Island Supreme Court (Chambers v. Ormiston)

The first three cases have been decided in our favor.

So jump on board and the next year will bring even more forward strides. If your state does not have a grassroots organization, step up and volunteer. If you have a special skill to share such as technical abilities, media relations or organizational acumen, climb on board by emailing RoseMarie Briggs at rkbriggs@verizon.net.