Welcome

The information contained on these pages is intended to awaken you to the reality we face as parents today. Our nation is steadily marching towards the loss of freedom for parents to direct the education and upbringing of their own children. Please read carefully and share broadly so that as more and more parents realize the present danger, our voices can combine to put a stop to this insanity.
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

No Oversight for Judicial Bypass that Allows Adolescent Abortions

Lifenews reported recently on an attempt by Texas Right to Life to close the judicial bypass loophole for pregnant adolescents to easily obtain an abortion. House bill 2555 by Representative Fred Brown (R-College Station) was intended to strengthen parental involvement in adolescent pregnancies through removal of the judicial bypass procedure and strengthening parental notification law. The 82nd Legistlative Session adjourned without acting as key members of the legislature "are not convinced that the state paying for counsel to help minors undergo secret abortions is a problem.

In reading this article, something else jumped out at me besides the failure to pass this legislation. This judicial bypass procedure for adolescent girls to obtain an abortion is "the only court proceeding not reported or tracked by the state's Office of Court Administration (OCA)." Without such tracking, we do not know how many bypasses are sought, denied, nor how are these decisions made? It all happens in a proverbial dark alley with no way to review or study the process and its outcomes. We don't even know the cost which taxpayers are paying for attorneys, fees, etc. Are these bypasses always granted is another question that remains unanswered?

Ultimately, children are moved through a process that impacts their long term emotional, physical, and spiritual well being, yet we have no way of knowing any statistics that would allow us to measure such impact. Somehow, I amsure they they want us to buy the line that this is all done in the "best interest of the child". Sorry, I just don't believe it!

Read the entire story HERE.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Smartphones may be "too Smart"

While I usually restrict these newsletters to policy and cultural issues regarding children, I believe that the following issue is important for parents with smartphones to know about. Did you know that if you snap your children's picture with your smartphone and then post it to social websites, someone can track the location of where that picture was taken. With several such pictures, someone could learn alot about your children that they could use to hurt your children. Do you want just anyone to know where you live, which playground your children visit, where they go to school, and more?

How does this happen? This YOUTUBE link plays a segment from an NBC news report that will shock you. This is real, not a hoax, not someone's conspiracy theory. Take it seriously.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Part 13: The Emerging Worldview that Threatens Our Children, Section 3

Does this view of the world agree with your own beliefs about parenting? Have you fallen for their deception that you are incompetent and should just trust them all the time? The second aspect of this warped worldview is that many groups and leaders also have a different view of legal rights than the majority of America holds. This view synergizes with this philosophy towards government knowing best.

Americans have long viewed rights as boundaries that government was assigned to protect so that freedoms could be practiced by individual citizens. Within those boundaries, citizens are free to practice or to not practice those rights. For example, gun rights or freedom of speech. You can carry a gun if you don’t break the law, but you are not required to do so. What gun rights would we have without the Bill of Rights? On the contrary, International theory of rights understands rights as something that the government is obligated to provide as a service or to meet a physical need or to equalize two groups. Citizens can demand that right and expect the government to provide it. That may be health care, education, social programs. It often includes taking from one and giving to another.

When these two philosophies or worldviews are combined and applied to children’s rights, the following results: Government knows what is best and is legally bound to provide that to the child regardless of parent’s wishes. Children can demand that the government provide this right over the protest of parents. Parents must carry out the government’s plan for what is best for the child, not their own belief in what is best. Under these circumstances, children are not really emancipated from their parents, but instead they are enslaved to a faceless, unemotional government bureaucracy rather being protected by loving parents.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Part 11: The Emerging Worldview that Threatens our Future Generations, Section 1

There are three different aspects of this worldview which synergize to threaten our children. First, much of the international community and many inside our own country promote the philosophy that the government is the one who will make the best choices for children, NOT PARENTS. Second, they believe that government and its authorities know what is “best for the child” even more so than parents. Therefore, they should intervene to guarantee this “best”. Finally, this fits with the idea of a Nanny Sate that always knows best and attempts to construct an externally controlled utopia. It is externally controlled in that it uses laws and punishment versus internal control of will and desire in a morally directed society.

Who believes in this philosophy? Surprisingly, many state leaders, US congressmen, and state department leaders hold to this philosophy. Some have even spoke this aloud in our halls of government One of Tennessee’s own state Senators stated publicly that he did not for the life of him see what was wrong with the UN CRC, which is the most explicit expression of this philosophy in the world (HANG ON, I will soon explain the details). Several in the Tennessee House and Tennessee Senate voted AGAINST a state resolution opposing the UN CRC last year although it eventually passed both houses. Some have even written books about a village raising a child.

Having children myself, I agree that parents need a community around them. However, the parents should choose who influences the child, not a government or its agencies. I liked what someone else said in that it takes a tribe, not a village. Parents choose the tribe, or community that surrounds their children, not the government.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Part 8: The Role of the State in Raising Children

The Bible only permits the state to have the role of punishing wrong doers in Romans 13. The state does have a duty to protect children from criminal actions, but it does not have the jurisdiction to dictate how children are raised in a non-criminal family environment. This idea of jurisdiction is similar to the theology of Abraham Kuyper, a great Dutch theologian and politician from around 1900. He separated the spheres of authority between the family and the state, as well as other spheres of authority based on his study of the Bible. While he saw God as ruling over all of life, different spheres had their own jurisdictions and hierarchies of earthly authorities. Church, family, the state, labor, and other areas of life were mostly interdependent but separate spheres. The family sphere, thanks to our lackadaisical attitude, has allowed intrusion inch by inch over many decades. The state should not intrude into another sphere no more than the church should run the state nor the family run the church. This is even more true in our own contemporary culture as the state becomes more secular.

Raising children is a religious enterprise which if entrusted to a secular government will fail to produce religion except worship of the state. Not only will the secular state not teach any form of religion, it will teach against religion. There is not neutrality in regards to what is taught in school. Either all things are taught as relating to God as creator and father. Or they are taught to either replace God or to ignore God. An education neutral to all religion is thus atheistic by definition and practical implication. Furthermore, one of the mantras of our culture is tolerance. Feigned neutrality and tolerance go hand in hand. Teaching all religion is seen as good, all except one, Christianity. Christianity is viewed as intolerant and therefore its true form cannot be taught as children must be free to choose for themselves. Since, in their view, there is no private sphere of the family, all is public and open to their regulation. They are compelled not by neutrality, but by anti-Christian intent.

In summary, from a Biblical and Christian perspective, it should be abundantly clear that parents are Biblically commanded to raise and educate children, not the secular civil government or state. With this Biblical foundation in the forefront, I want to further clarify our parental freedoms from a legal standpoint.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Part 7: Biblical Basis For Parenting, Section Three

With all this in mind, what is the purpose of this command? The purpose is simply the glorification of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost through the salvation and sanctification of our children by the means of parents. We are the means to this end even as we work our own salvation with fear and trembling. Therefore it is Biblical that parents educate, train, and discipline their children I order to obey God and to glorify Him.

Now, consider a tangential question to stimulate though along the lines of why I writing this piece. “What if the civil authority interferes with the ability to carry out this command?” I say that we must defend the family sphere and say no to Caesar. Peter and Paul both exercised civil disobedience when told to stop preaching the gospel. We are likely reaching the point where the government will soon tell us to stop preaching the gospel to our children. Many are already advocating to prohibit parent’s religious education. What will we do then? Some will say that tomorrow has enough worries of its own, “what about now?” Should we try to stop this before it comes to requiring outright civil disobedience? Do you tell your kids to toe the line of sin or to stay three steps back. Why would we want to allow the legal situation to reach that point.

My actions are my attempt to fulfill this command of training my children. I am not claiming that my specific methods of defending my parental freedoms are explicitly Biblically commanded. However, I believe an answer from parents is demanded regarding how they raise their children. We will answer to God for our parenting. Later, I will elaborate on how we can prevent the educational climate from going too far.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Message from my newsletter....

COPIED from my newsletter, (no time to edit)

Good morning,
I just sent out a newsletter in the last few days, but I am writing this because today is election day. I could endorse specific candidates, but instead I want to focus only on principles in this newsletter. Candidates will come and go, but principles, which guide our lives and which should guide our votes, should remain steadfast and based on truth. Therefore, this election is no different than any other election. Each opportunity that God affords us to cast our vote, is an opportunity to influence not only our future, but the future of generations to come. Each election is an opportunity, or maybe better yet, a DUTY to vote on the principles which guide our lives all other days of the year. Here is my advice for you today:
First, consider your principles and the basis for them. For my family, the basis is the Word of God. Therefore, one of the principles that will guide my vote is how the result of the election will affect my freedom to follow Ephesians 6:4. Will the elected official protect my freedom to raise my children by Biblical truth or will the official restrict it?
Second, study the candidates by not only what they say, but what they have done. Their character is just as important as what they say, if not more so. Without a trustworthy character, their words ring a hollow tone of false hopes, if not outright deception. Ask yourself if you will continue to have freedom of directing your children's upbringing under their authority. Your vote has consequences.
Finally, only after you consider this, should you leave your home in order to vote. Don't misunderstand me. I am not saying that this is the only rule by which to measure a candidate. I am just stating my firm conviction that in the long run, this standard is one of the most important criteria to consider.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The LGBT Agenda for Your Children

"Pro-gay books are being read in elementary school classrooms, teachers are being mandated to use gender neutral language, gay activists have been welcomed in the White House, and young evangelicals see no problem with same-sex marriage."

While not focusing on parental rights, this article from The Christian Post touches on one front in the fight for parental freedom, the LGBT agenda. The education establishment is forcing this re-sexualization on our nation's children is insidious, yet destructive ways. Transgender students are allowed to choose their bathroom. Teachers are told to address the class as "friends" rather than "boys and girls". Sexuality surveys are being passed out to children asking about gender and sexual activity.


PS: Be thankful if your children have not been exposed to this yet, but don't wait until your own children, your nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and neighbor's children are assaulted with this attempted indoctrination. Do something to stand up for your parental rights. Then talk to other parents and open their eyes to this agenda before the damage is too far gone.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Part 5 Biblical Basis for Parenting Part 1

Any argument needs a sturdy foundation, something we can all agree on wholeheartedly. Before I can convince you to gather into an army, I must convince you that it is your responsibility. Hopefully, the majority of you can be convinced (if you are not already) with sound Biblical exegesis and without too much debate. While there are many scripture texts that illustrate the principle that parents are responsible for their children’s upbringing, I will focus on three that are the most direct in the commands. These three are Ephesians 6:4, Deuteronomy 6:6-9, and I Timothy 3:5.

Ephesians 6:4 reads “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (ESV). While fathers are named directly, both parents will likely be held accountable for their contribution to children’s upbringing. In this verse, parents are told to “bring them up” or ektrephete auta in Greek, in the “discipline” paideia of the Lord and the “instruction”, or nouthesia of the Lord. The Greek word ektrephete auta translated as “bring them up” means to be nurturing. What does it mean to nurture? I believe it is safe to say that feeding, clothing, protecting are included in the concept of nurturing among many other such tasks. Then the Greek word paideia is translated as “training”. Earlier in 2 Timothy, teaching in mentioned, so this word for discipline probably is intended to say more than just teaching. It appears to indicate a more active, involved, and interactive training process for children by their parents. Finally, the Greek word nouthesia, translated as instruction, is a word with more of an admonishment connotation than just the concept of teaching. With this connotation, we are commanded to warn our children of morally wrong behavior, sinful choices, and other potentially self damaging behavior. Nurturing, training, and admonishment are therefore central tasks assigned to parents by God, even commanded.

Even the bare conscience of man knows that parents have a duty to carry out these tasks as well as protect their children. We instinctively abhor the parent who neglects their child to the point of that child being harmed. However, this function of conscience is not sufficient as it can be seared and shrugged off, or justified as simple cultural differences in child rearing. Therefore, the Bible speaks loudly and clearly in these verses. It really leaves no doubt on the matter. Considering God’s clarity and boldness, neither our sloth, nor our ignorance, nor any early power’s stand against our duty is a sufficient excuse for us to not obey this command. I will return to this though of earthly powers standing in our way a little later.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Part 4 of Many: Nothing New Under the Sun

A little research will quickly reveal how this trend has been growing for decades, even centuries. However, after years of incrementally slow changes, political forces are now moving faster and attempting to solidify a legal foundation for their philosophy of parenting. This is done in the name of “we’re from the government and we are here to help”. They claim to be championing the cause of abused and oppressed children across the globe. Many are even brazen enough to champion protection from parents by claiming exaggerated statistics about child abuse.
In order to combat this intrusion and thus defend our children, you must understand each of the following aspects of this issue. First, you must understand the Biblical basis of your parental calling and duty. This is not simply a “be a parent because it benefits you” situation. You have a command from God to bear direct responsibility for your children throughout their formative years. Next, you must understand your constitutional rights and the legal history of our country’s family law. This provides confidence in your legal standing and weapons for the battle at hand. From there, a necessary ingredient is a clear vision of the worldview behind this push to remove parental influence. You must know your adversary, their motives, their methods, their logic, their fears, and their weaknesses. Along with this understanding, you must read and know the details of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This treaty, in all its proclaimed good will, is the tangible manifestation of the worldview above. It is one of their most dangerous weapons. With all this information in your head, you must then press a little further into the issue to understand the political situation which makes this worldview potentially implementable. Finally, with such wisdom of the adversary, you must do more than respond with a reflexive cry of frustration or anger. Parental Rights.Org has formulated a response that requires mass participation by parents through both a concerted voice of opposition and individual behaviors that will synergize to stop this attack on our children in its tracks. You must understand the logic of the response and your necessary involvement. Then you must fulfill your calling as a parent with these weapons of knowledge and wisdom in an epic battle for the hearts, souls, and minds of your children

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Part 2 of Many, A Little Parental Rights Quiz

PART 2
We often need a significant jolt of fear, a rather sour taste of anxiety to recognize danger which has stealthily approached us in our blind spots. Parents across America are now sporadically receiving such jolts and developing such anxiety as they are personally faced with governmental attempts to intrude into family decisions. Our national office has pieced together a little quiz for those needing their own jolt of reality.

1. True or False: A mother in Minnesota was told that she could not access the medical records of any of her children 11 years old or older, or discuss her child's health with the physician, without obtaining her child's permission.

2. True or False: A mother in Illinois was twice refused her request to opt her daughter out of sexual education lectures that she found objectionable.

3. True or False: A mother was refused her 13-year-old daughter's grades when she enrolled her in an algebra class.

4. True or False: In most states, you will be denied access to library information about your children, including the titles of books which are accumulating late fees.
For the answers to this quiz and even more questions that will rattle your false sense of security, go HERE.

(Return soon for part 3....)

Monday, October 4, 2010

Part 1 of Many, Transcript of Recent Lecture on Parental Rights

On August 7th I delivered an hour’s worth of education on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to a group of homeschoolers here in Tennessee. I want to share that talk with you in bite sized portions over the coming weeks in order to deepen your understanding of this crucial issue, to challenge you to join our effort, and to equip you in many ways for this battle. Below is part 1 of that talk.

For those of you unfamiliar with me or my involvement in this issue, permit me to introduce myself and to provide some credibility for what follows. I am a physician in Tennessee who trained in both adult and pediatric medicine. After practicing both areas of medicine for 5 years, I moved into adult medicine alone for the sake of being a father to 2 wonderful children whom we are homeschooling. It is through homeschooling connections that I learned of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in February of 2009. A fateful e-mail alert, which I will never forget, led me down a trail of research that even today continues to startle me. In this process, I have strategically researched the issue from multiple angles and debated others from the variety of perspectives weighing in on this issue. As a final ingredient, I have begun studying the Biblical responsibility of parents to direct the care and upbringing of their children.

I offer the accumulation of the past year and a half of study to you with the sincere hope that you will arouse as parents from your slumber with a clear call to gather into an army for the sake of your children and mine.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Botswana Homeschoolers Threatened

The Future of Homeschooling?

A few Botswanna Homeschooling families are in legal limbo as they await a judge's response after their refusal to send their children to public schools. These families from Seventh Day Adventist churches in Botswanna were ordered to surrender their home school materials and enroll their children in public schools or face an undefined penalty. Police later raided the homes and confiscated their school materials. All of this has happened despite the children expressing a desire to continue home schooling and no evidence of any harm to the children.

The reasoning for this legal action is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Are we seeing the future for our country? Please read more at HSDLA's site.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Senator Alexander Agrees with President Obama's Education Plan

I want to mention a recent blog posting in the Tennessean online that quotes Senator Alexander as praising President Obama's educational plan as well as Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's "big heart" and his working in a bipartisan way. I am appalled at our Senator's support of government control of schooling. Please study the Obama / Duncan plan to see how they plan to take freedom from parents and give power over our children to beaurocrats.

Please call him this week to express your frustration with his delay in co-sponsoring SR 519 and his unbelievable praise for President Obama's planned government takeover of education.

Sen. Alexander 202-224-4944
CLICK here for local offices

Friday, September 17, 2010

Parents, The First Educators

While this article does not directly address the UNCRC, it serves as great pragmatic evidence for parent's role in children's upbringing. The main theme of the article is:

"Married, biological parents are the gold standard for raising children successfully."

Should you run across someone who argues for greater governmental control of parenting, consider this article as a little morsel of truth that they can either digest or choke on. If they are seeking truth, it will be nourishing to them. If they are unwilling to listen, they will cough, sputter, and gag trying to ignore the clear evidence. Either way, feed it to them gently, but don't hide it from them.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Hot, Sexy, and Safer for your High Schoolers ?

Forgive the racy title, but you must read this court case (synopsis -- full court decision) in which a "Massachusetts public high school hosted a mandatory, school-wide assembly conducted by Hot, Sexy, and Safer Productions. This assembly was characterized as an AIDS awareness and sexual education program." Parents sued as there was no notification nor any opt-out opportunity, but the parents LOST the suit.

Some of the quotes from the decision are below:

"...the Supreme Court has yet to decide whether the right to direct the upbringing and education of one's children is among those fundamental rights whose infringement merits heightened scrutiny."

"We do not think, however, that this freedom encompasses a fundamental constitutional right to dictate the curriculum at the public school to which they have chosen to send their children."

"We ... find that the rights of parents as described by Meyer and Pierce do not encompass a broad-based right to restrict the flow of information in the public schools."

Those of us who homeschool currently feel a little safer from such legal insanity as this, but we must remember two things. First, this insanity will find its way into our homes one day if we don't stop it dead in its tracks now. Second, our friends next door, next to us on the church pew, and our relatives with school age children need to know about this. Only if we all band together will our voices have any chance of being heard. You must begin raising your voice now by forwarding this e-mail, by inviting one of us to speak to your groups, by sharing your concerns with everyone you. Please, don't wait any longer.

Some Thoughts from my Heart

The opening of my latest e-newsletter which I wish to share with you also...

Good Evening,
I am working late tonight, but wanted to send out an update on Parental Rights Issues facing American Parents. First, a few thoughts weighing on my heart.
God's providence has kept my mind and my hands busy with many tasks over the past month, mostly unrelated to parental rights, but necessary to the well being of my own family. I have left many activism ideas simmering, undone, or even opportunities lost in the midst of flood repairs and life's recent challenges. I apologize if I have dropped the ball with any of you. I have been forced to trust God with circumstances beyond my control, to trust that He is working to preserve His people through parents passing a Christian heritage on to their children despite the increasing pressure opposing that inheritance. I have had to pray for co-laborers in this fight and have had some prayers answered.
Today, I again renew my prayers for each recipient of this e-mail to pause long enough to consider how you can participate in this watershed moment of history. Will Christian parents continue to possess the freedom of passing a Christian heritage to their next generation? Or will loving parents sit back, idly watching government strip away layer after layer of freedom until nothing is left but baby-sitting? God will determine the outcome, but we as the parents are the means of victory in this battle. If we forsake this God ordained duty, our children and our society will suffer irreparable harm.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Senator Lamar Alexander needs to hear from you

SR 519 -- Alexander


While I do not have the details, Senator Corker seems to be on our side of this issue (see footnote below), but is unwilling to become a sponsor of SR519 (CLICK HERE if you do not know about SR519). While I hope to press Senator Corker a little further into a more solid commitment, for now we need to focus on Senator Alexander. Please call and ask him to become a cosponsor of SR519, a resolution before the US Senate that says he will NOT vote in favor of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. To be clear, we don't expect that this resolution will pass the entire house, but if we can obtain 34 cosponsors, we effectively prevent treaty supporters from obtaining their 67 "yea" votes for ratification. This is crucial to place a major obstacle in the path of the UN CRC and to allow time for the Parental Rights Amendment to continue its course.

Please call him this week to express your frustration with his delay in co-sponsoring SR 519.

Sen. Alexander 202-224-4944
CLICK here for local offices

Footnote:
While Senator Corker has stated to our office that he opposes the UN CRC, his direct letters to constituents has been less encouraging. After you call Senator Alexander's office, please call Senator Corker and ask for a clarification of his position on SR 519 and the UN CRC.
Main: 202-224-3344
Fax: 202-228-0566
CLICK HERE FOR LOCAL OFFICES

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Action Item to Protect Parental Rights

Good Morning,

If you are new to this blog, you may not be aware of the threat posed to the American family by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC). While our website at ParentalRights.Org or postings further down in this blog can provide the full story, I will simply say here that this treaty will place the federal government in the legal position of dictating how each of you raise your children. Forget the takeover of healthcare and banking. This is worse, telling parents what they can teach their child, where they can send them to school, how they are permitted to discipline them, and much more. All of this will be monitored by the United Nations. They even want to allow children to petition directly to the UN when they disagree with parental decisions. Absurd!

There are many ways our organization is fighting this threat. The most urgent method is Senate Resolution 519 (SR519). SR519 simply states resolute opposition to the UN CRC. This resolution, if it can gain 34 cosponsors, would effectively close the door on any chance of the UN CRC being ratified (treaties require 67 "yes" votes for ratification). 34 "no"'s is the major number to guarantee its defeat.

Amazingly, Senators Alexander and Corker HAVE NOT committed their suppor of this resolution?!? Therefore I am asking each of you to call our Senators and ask why they will not become cosponsors while urging them to listen to your objections to the treaty. (If you live outside of Tennessee, go to THIS LINK to learn whether or not your Senator is cosponsoring SR 519).

While I could provide a list of our Senator's previously expressed excuses, it is simply a matter of either procrastination, disregard for the traditional family, or secret support of the treaty on their part. We must challenge them to choose sides in this battle and reveal their true colors. There is too much at stake for a position of neutrality (actually, no neutrality truly exists on this matter).
Thank you for your time and effort spent protecting our precious sons and daughters as well as for all the work you do in protecting our freedoms. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.



Our Senator's contact information is below:

Senator Lamar Alexander
DC office:
Phone: (202) 224-4944
Fax: (202) 228-3398

Link to local offices:
http://alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=OfficeLocations


Senator Corker
DC office:
Main: 202-224-3344
Fax: 202-228-0566

Link to Local offices:
http://corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=OfficeLocations




Protecting children by empowering parents,

Eric Potter MD

Tennessee Director for Parental Rights.Org

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Silent, but Urgent Threat to Parental Rights

Very few recognize the slow, yet continual erosion of parent’s rights by many forces in our government at local, state, and federal levels. The erosion has occurred without fanfare and, what little media attention it garners, usually casts the parents in a negative light or takes only the most egregious examples of bad parents to make the point against all parents. Even when parental rights were restored in some cases, the media often still accused the parents of wrongdoing. Often the media would lament that the child protective workers just couldn’t get enough evidence to prove the parent’s guilt. The media never assumes that maybe the “protective” workers were not so innocent and the accused parents were not so “guilty”. Besides such individual cases and the overgeneralizations, dangerous court precedents are being set one case at a time, usually disregarded by the media as unimportant. If that is not enough, bills are working their way into laws which erode parental control over education, healthcare, religion, and other important areas. Slowly the heat is being turned up on parents wading in the waters of our nation’s culture. Those simmering parents must realize the urgency of the next few degrees of heat that will bring the legal waters to a boiling point and will mean the end of parenting in America as we know it.


Why do the supporters of government-controlled parenting enjoy the silence and stealth? In the quiet, they can slowly turn up the heat one degree at a time without anyone taking much notice. American parents just learn to accept the warmer water as being natural since they trust the government to do what is best. The supporters set up law after law, one court precedent after another, until, with a simple tweak of one more degree, everything boils and American parents are stunned to find themselves in boiling water, unable to escape. If parents saw the final goal held by these forces or read the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) with open eyes of understanding, they would protest with outrage. The UN CRC aids our understanding because it is the most tangible manifestation of the philosophy that government knows what is best for children and should overrule parents in their decisions for their own children. As it is now, if no parent reads the recipe in that treaty, we will all suffer a common demise of our parental rights in this legal environment.


Why is it urgent? The US State Department is processing this treaty as fast as Senator Barbara Boxer can push them. She wanted to present it to the US Senate for a 2/3’s ratification vote in April of this year. The State Department thankfully wanted time to process it properly. Senator Boxer and others such as our Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, believe that their long awaited dream of ratifying this treaty by 67 Senate “yes” votes is ripe for the picking. Furthermore, our president and many in his chosen administration believe that it is a disgrace that America has not yet signed this treaty. Even though this treaty hands over state and national sovereignty unconstitutionally, they will do so and act “as if” it is constitutionally allowed. Meanwhile, outside Washington D.C., many groups are building momentum to help push this through the Senate. They have held conferences, raised funding, and started grassroots campaigns. No punches are being pulled in this battle for who controls the future of our children.


In summary, supporters enjoy the relative silence compared to the roar surrounding other government issues facing Americans and their fading liberties right now. They benefit from American parent’s deafness and ignorance towards this crucial issue. Yet the situation is growing more and more urgent as each day passes without American parents awakening to this threat, a threat that is ready to boil over at any minute.

(Return soon for part 3 of the series which discusses the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child itself.)