Hopefully, by this point, only one question remains in the minds of readers, “Is there anything I can do to stop the insanity behind the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child?” If that is not the question you are asking, then go back and re-read the prior 4 postings before reading this one. Without that question in the forefront of your mind, there is no need for reading this posting. From there the title says it all. “Our” means that a victory for families will require the combined voices of parents across the nation shouting “no” to this treachory. “Response” means that parents cannot sit back and hope for the best. They must take action. From there the script should go like this.
First, parents must educate themselves on this issue by reading these postings and other information on the Parental Rights.Org website as well as the UN treaty itself. Then, each “educated” parent must alert other parents by simply sharing with them what they themselves have learned about the issue. Patience is required at this step as many will no believe this news nor even want to consider the possibility that it is a reality. From there, pressure must be exerted on our Senators who are the final step in this treaty’s ratification. If they fall prey to the deception, this treaty becomes “as-if” Supreme Law of the Land according to Article 6 of our constitution (see future post for an explanation of “as-if”). American parents must present their stance politely yet firmly by phone, e-mail, fax, and even in face to face meetings with Senators and their staff.
The Senate’s defeat of this treaty, however, is not the end of the story, but only a temporary victory. This treaty can reawaken later for ratification if the only action is a “no” vote. The underlying philosophies will still continue to simmer and are even now eroding parental rights through developing legislation and deceptive practices by government agencies including the public education system. Unless something more is done, the only difference will be between an immediate victory for the treaty supporters and a delayed victory of slow but eventual complete erosion of these rights. The complete and final answer is a Parental Right Amendment that is currently before both houses of the US Congress. This amendment uses wording from past Supreme Court cases that upheld parental rights and combines it with a section that exempts parental rights from any international treaty’s effects. If ratified, it places clear and explicit protection in our constitution for parent’s right to direct the care and education of their own children. Currently, this right has only been implied from the 14th amendment and is on shaky ground thanks to the last Supreme Court case in 2000 regarding parental rights. Without going into the details, it basically left open the question of whether parental rights are constitutionally protected or not, to the lower courts where there is no guarantee of safety for these rights. The Parental Rights Amendment now proposed would recognize parent’s God-given rights and would finally close the door on such unconstitutional international treaties. It would provide a clear constitutional ground for protecting our rights. For the parent desiring to retain their parental rights, this means a call to both Senators and Representatives to urge support for this amendment.
So, our response, as parents with God given rights and responsibilities towards our children, should be 1) to educate ourselves and alert others to this threat, 2) to jointly urge our Senators to vote “NO” on the treaty, 3) to urge all our Congressmen to sponsor the Parental Rights Amendment. For those desiring to go further in defending their rights, www.parentalrights.org has more ways that you can contribute. If you live in Tennessee, please contact our Tennessee organization through www.tennesseeparentalrights.com.
Thank you for reading this series. I pray that together, with God’s help, we can retain the freedom to raise our children according to the values and beliefs which we hold dear.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Specific Rights in the UN CRC - part 4 of 5
The previously described philosophies (see part 3 of this series) are spelled out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child by way of “rights” codified in the treaty’s articles. Many of these so-called “rights” are benevolent, like outlawing child abuse, outlawing using children as soldiers, and outlawing child prostitution. However, most if not all Americans should recognize that we already have laws for protecting children in these circumstances and absolutely do not need a duplication of those laws. This is especially true if parents realize what other baggage comes packaged in this treaty.
At first reading, some of these other rights seem harmless at face value while others are obviously at least concerning. The reader of the treaty could be left wondering whether there is cause for fear or not until they look at how the treaty has been used in other countries and the United Nation’s actions through other human rights treaties. The right to privacy found in article 16 was used in Japan to prevent parents from accessing their children’s text messages, chat rooms, and e-mails. In Britain, this treaty is being used to legislate that home-schooled children can be subjected to an unannounced in-home examination without their parents present through its right to an education that government determines is best. In Belize, the committee overseeing the treaty recommended that the Belize government create formal avenues in which children could legally protest their parent’s violations of this treaty’s rights. The treaty also guarantees a right to health care including reproductive health care which seems noble. However, the intention of this right needs to be considered in light of another UN treaty called the Convention to End All Discrimination Against Women, or CEDAW. CEDAW has been used to force countries to legalize abortion and decriminalize prostitution (1,2,3). Given the treaty’s right to health care provision, children could be guaranteed the right to abortion even without parental consent as it is a reproductive health care right. One final issue should cause great concern for American gun-owners. Given the treaty’s stance that government should always seek the best interest of the child and the UN’s stance that guns are bad for children, this will naturally lead to gun control in our country in the guise of protecting children. Parents will be forced to part with their guns voluntarily or possibly lose their children to government officials like child protective services. Many more examples could be provided, but this alone should be enough to raise the alarm of American parents who believe that God has given them the responsibility and the right to raise their children according to their own values and beliefs, not those of the government.
As stated at the beginning, some of these “rights” sound vague, benign, or sometimes benevolent when first read. However, each is ultimately an open door to further control of our private family life by the federal government and the United Nations. As a whole and individually, they infringe or forsake our constitutional rights in multiple ways. In doing so, they spell the end of the American tradition of parenting. America’s future under this treaty can be forseen in the effects they are having in other countries (see www.parentalrights.org for more examples). Do we want our federal government to begin teaching our 4 years about sex like the Netherlands educational system does (based on same philosophy as the treaty? Especially when the United Nation’s idea of sex education at that age includes an explanation of masturbation? (4) Shouldn’t the parent decide upon the appropriate timing these discussions?
Stay tuned for the final part 5 in the series.
Footnotes
(1) Web posted letter from National Right to Life to US Congressmen: http://www.nrlc.org/Federal/ForeignAid/SenateCEDAWletter020107.html
(2) Catholic Exchange Article, CEDAW Committee Abortion Misinterpretations Infect Human Rights Committee, Sept. 11th, 2008, Samantha Singson. http://catholicexchange.com/2008/09/11/113696/
(3) United nations Report, Women and Health Mainstreaming the Gender Perspective into the Health Sector, Expert Group Meeting 28 Sept. to 2 October 1998. http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/healthr.htm
(4) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Guidelines on Sexuality Education:…, June 2009 http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/world/082509_unesco.pdf
At first reading, some of these other rights seem harmless at face value while others are obviously at least concerning. The reader of the treaty could be left wondering whether there is cause for fear or not until they look at how the treaty has been used in other countries and the United Nation’s actions through other human rights treaties. The right to privacy found in article 16 was used in Japan to prevent parents from accessing their children’s text messages, chat rooms, and e-mails. In Britain, this treaty is being used to legislate that home-schooled children can be subjected to an unannounced in-home examination without their parents present through its right to an education that government determines is best. In Belize, the committee overseeing the treaty recommended that the Belize government create formal avenues in which children could legally protest their parent’s violations of this treaty’s rights. The treaty also guarantees a right to health care including reproductive health care which seems noble. However, the intention of this right needs to be considered in light of another UN treaty called the Convention to End All Discrimination Against Women, or CEDAW. CEDAW has been used to force countries to legalize abortion and decriminalize prostitution (1,2,3). Given the treaty’s right to health care provision, children could be guaranteed the right to abortion even without parental consent as it is a reproductive health care right. One final issue should cause great concern for American gun-owners. Given the treaty’s stance that government should always seek the best interest of the child and the UN’s stance that guns are bad for children, this will naturally lead to gun control in our country in the guise of protecting children. Parents will be forced to part with their guns voluntarily or possibly lose their children to government officials like child protective services. Many more examples could be provided, but this alone should be enough to raise the alarm of American parents who believe that God has given them the responsibility and the right to raise their children according to their own values and beliefs, not those of the government.
As stated at the beginning, some of these “rights” sound vague, benign, or sometimes benevolent when first read. However, each is ultimately an open door to further control of our private family life by the federal government and the United Nations. As a whole and individually, they infringe or forsake our constitutional rights in multiple ways. In doing so, they spell the end of the American tradition of parenting. America’s future under this treaty can be forseen in the effects they are having in other countries (see www.parentalrights.org for more examples). Do we want our federal government to begin teaching our 4 years about sex like the Netherlands educational system does (based on same philosophy as the treaty? Especially when the United Nation’s idea of sex education at that age includes an explanation of masturbation? (4) Shouldn’t the parent decide upon the appropriate timing these discussions?
Stay tuned for the final part 5 in the series.
Footnotes
(1) Web posted letter from National Right to Life to US Congressmen: http://www.nrlc.org/Federal/ForeignAid/SenateCEDAWletter020107.html
(2) Catholic Exchange Article, CEDAW Committee Abortion Misinterpretations Infect Human Rights Committee, Sept. 11th, 2008, Samantha Singson. http://catholicexchange.com/2008/09/11/113696/
(3) United nations Report, Women and Health Mainstreaming the Gender Perspective into the Health Sector, Expert Group Meeting 28 Sept. to 2 October 1998. http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/healthr.htm
(4) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Guidelines on Sexuality Education:…, June 2009 http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/world/082509_unesco.pdf
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