About 20 years ago, the Clinton Administration attempted to ratify the UN Treaty on Children's Rights. This met with sufficient opposition that Clinton submitted it to Congress to get it ratified or not.
This Treaty is now coming back to the table.
Reading the treaty sounds all good yet in practice, this Treaty would become international law and usurp the powers of the Constitution and of course any parental rights.The Treaty is all based on the premise that governments are to operate for the “best interests of the child”.
So what’s wrong with that?
Well, as an example, all it would take is a Social Worker, Law Enforcement Officer or Judicial Officer to deem that raising your child in the religion of your choice, etc, etc.) is not in the best interest of the child. Don’t think I am being silly, either!
Whereas parents have always had the determination of the best interests of the child, this would be taken over by the United Nations as international law.
Currently, the United Nations has an 18-member expert panel called the Committee on the Rights of the Child. These “experts” are to establish policies, rules and other arbitrary decisions on how children should be raised, educated and disciplined. These people are reported to be “persons of high moral character”.
Oh yeah?
So, googling away, I found that aside from assorted Lawyers, Sociologists, and Teachers, it includes a Researcher for Germany’s Max Planck Institute on Human Development and Education, a Child Psychologist and a Child Psychiatrist. There goes “expert” and “high moral character”.
Per recent news accounts, Senator Barbara Boxer ( D- Calif.) is urging the US to ratify the Treaty. Already 193 countries have ratified it with the USA and Somalia the only two holdouts. (Apparently Somalia doesn’t have a government right now.)
One report indicates that President Obama would be reviewing the Treaty yet another reports that Obama is not likely to approve such a Treaty if it gets to him. But that’s just conjecture.
To combat this, as of May 19th there are currently 92 members of the House of Representatives supporting a Parental Rights Amendment to our Constitution which would provide shelter to the parent–child relationship and ensure the parents have the right to direct the upbringing and education of their children.
The Parental Rights Amendment is as follows:
SECTION 1
The liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children is a fundamental right.
SECTION 2
Neither the United States nor any State shall infringe upon this right without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served.
SECTION 3
No treaty may be adopted nor shall any source of international law be employed to supersede, modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this article.