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
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Part 3 of Many: Introduction to the issues facing American Parents
The simple, cold, hard truth is that the traditional view of parenting is under frontal assault. What is this traditional view in danger of passing away with the hula hoop? The American tradition of parenting has long viewed parents as free, within the bounds of the law, to raise their own children according to their values and beliefs. Only clearly proven criminal behavior, proven by due process, terminated a parent’s right to direct their children’s education and upbringing. This traditional view clearly finds its roots in the Bible and is evident across even other cultures and throughout history.
Contrasting this view, which most of you probably hold, is the view held by many in positions of governmental power or by so called child experts. As the quiz in Part 2 of this series and even an hour of research into this issue proves, these leaders and experts believe that they have a right and a duty to intrude into your family’s parenting practices. Many want to dictate increasingly intrusive regulations for how parents raise their children and what parents teach their children. In the realm of education, the National Education Association and the US Dept. of Education currently decide what children must learn in public schools. Through their overpowering financial influence on textbook publishers, they also indirectly guide the curriculum of many private schools. These decisions involve not only subjects like math or reading, but morals like tolerance and sexual values. Together with doctors, bureaucrats, and vaccine producers, schools press parents into vaccine administration through campaigns of fear. (Disclaimer: some vaccines are good, some I question. Do the research yourself. I am not advocating for or against any vaccine and will not answer any specific questions on vaccines). Child Protective Services and Department of Health and Human Services want to tell you how you discipline your children or at least fear their actions. Certain leaders proclaim that a village is needed to raise your child. Against this notion, consider the idea of children being raised by a “tribe”? A tribe would simply be a group of individuals which the parents choose to relate with their children, rather than a bureaucrat or group only related by proximity instead of shared values? Finally, the United Nations refuses to be left out of this big government intrusion. They want to force our federal government to teach the values of tolerance of immoral behaviors through their Convention on the Rights of the Child and their UNESCO Sex Education guide.
Contrasting this view, which most of you probably hold, is the view held by many in positions of governmental power or by so called child experts. As the quiz in Part 2 of this series and even an hour of research into this issue proves, these leaders and experts believe that they have a right and a duty to intrude into your family’s parenting practices. Many want to dictate increasingly intrusive regulations for how parents raise their children and what parents teach their children. In the realm of education, the National Education Association and the US Dept. of Education currently decide what children must learn in public schools. Through their overpowering financial influence on textbook publishers, they also indirectly guide the curriculum of many private schools. These decisions involve not only subjects like math or reading, but morals like tolerance and sexual values. Together with doctors, bureaucrats, and vaccine producers, schools press parents into vaccine administration through campaigns of fear. (Disclaimer: some vaccines are good, some I question. Do the research yourself. I am not advocating for or against any vaccine and will not answer any specific questions on vaccines). Child Protective Services and Department of Health and Human Services want to tell you how you discipline your children or at least fear their actions. Certain leaders proclaim that a village is needed to raise your child. Against this notion, consider the idea of children being raised by a “tribe”? A tribe would simply be a group of individuals which the parents choose to relate with their children, rather than a bureaucrat or group only related by proximity instead of shared values? Finally, the United Nations refuses to be left out of this big government intrusion. They want to force our federal government to teach the values of tolerance of immoral behaviors through their Convention on the Rights of the Child and their UNESCO Sex Education guide.
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....)
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.
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.
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
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.
"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 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.
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
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
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