First of all, I'd just like to apologize for not posting in such a long time. Sometimes I just get so disillusioned with writing (I'm my own worst critic) that I just don't have the energy or chutzpa to write. Plus I feel like I work so much of the time, I hardly have time to breathe (or shower) much less post to my blog. Having said that, this post is going to be a little different than my other ones. Something's come to my attention recently that is so frightening and so monumental as to render the mind unable to comprehend it. Let me preface this writing by saying that I do not consider myself to be overly involved in politics or government policy. I'm a dedicated voter and I try to pay attention on what's going on in the political world, but as a rule my thoughts on that are that the administration is nothing but a slimy bureaucracy of even slimier politicians who use U.S. policy as a means to fatten the wallets and the egos of the wealthy government "officials" who stand to profit from the demise of the American working class. Call me uninformed, call me whatever you like. I won't get into my stand on some current political issues because I'm not in the mood for inflammatory political debate. However, I feel absolutely, fervently obligated to post here and now my total and all-encompassing objection to a piece of legislation that was, for all practical purposes, virtually tiptoed into the Senate by the Clinton administration behind the backs of the American people. This little piece of sunshine is known as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Because this issue has unfortunately just come to my awareness, I'm going to use some quotes from various websites to help me expound on this subject a little better, along with paraphrasing some of the concepts as well.
For those of you who are not aware, the UNCRC is basically a collection of concepts and directives designed to ensure "positive means of holding countries accountable to protect children". While I understand and appreciate the need for children to be protected and nurtured, the UNCRC is very much more than that. Basically the UNCRC takes upon itself the right to define the relationship between the child and the state, and the right of the government to determine "the best interests of the child". On the website parentalrights.org you can find the following: "Article 3 of the UNCRC states that 'in all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.' In other words, policies affecting children at all levels of society and government should have the child’s best interest as the primary concern. The trouble occurs when this principle appears as a guiding principle for parents in article 18(1), which states that 'Parents or, as the case may be, legal guardians, have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child. The best interests of the child will be their basic concern.'"
In the last thirty years or so there's been the emergence of "nouveau parenting", which is based on the garbage that’s continually spouted by psychology professionals and "child-rearing experts" advocating, in short, the "democratic family". Child advocacy groups and educational institutions have seized on this psychobabble and made it their soapbox. Almost every old-fashioned tenet of discipline and parental authority has been undermined by this new child-rearing movement. Basically the idea is that anything that might be construed as "damaging" to the child's self-esteem be officially recognized as such and thus made taboo, with definitions of "damaging" being formulated by institutions outside of the family. If you're interested in more of this subject, I highly recommend the book A Family of Value by John Rosemond. There are some pretty amazing and in-depth discussions of the psychological, political, and educational ramifications of this type of "nouveau parenting".
These same child advocacy groups and psychology circles are pushing hard for the ratification of the UNCRC. To date, every member country of the United Nations has signed and ratified this treaty except for the United States and Somalia. Senators in the U.S, of which Jesse Helms was at the forefront, have stated that "this treaty marked a significant departure from the originally constituted relationship between state and child. They found, in fact, that it was literally incompatible with the rights of parents to raise their children as well as a wholesale giveaway of U.S. sovereignty". American family law has always held that parents typically act in the best interest of their child and so the government has no place in defining those best interests. "Except in cases where a parent has been proven to be “unfit,” American law presumes that the parent is acting in the best interests of the child, and defers to that parent’s decision."
I really don't want this post to be ridiculously long-winded and involved, but this issue is so important and so explosive that it demands the attention of the American people, parents in particular. In a nutshell, the UNCRC would enforce "government-supervised parenting", complete with new bureaucracies formed with taxpayer dollars to investigate, observe, define, and enforce the government's position on the "best interest of the child".
"Any parent who claims that other interests might just be more important than the state’s characterization of the “best interest” of the child could end up battling the state to protect their rights as a parent."
In effect this completely pulls the rug out from under parents and will allow children (key word here is "children") to dictate their own rights and make their own decisions regarding such things as freedom of expression, what does and does not constitute "abuse", i.e. spanking, restriction, loss of privileges, etc. This whole idea of damaging a child's self-esteem by using firm guidance and requiring the child to be accountable for his or her behavior, and allowing children equal decision-making rights within the family is preposterous. John Rosemond has a lot to say on this subject and he's so worth reading.
This piece of legislation, if ratified by the United States, would have absolutely devastating consequences to the traditional American family and would put the power to determine what's best for our children into the hands of the government and the children themselves. I for one will not stand by and passively let my children's needs and interests be determined by some dispassionate government entity determined to usurp my rights as a parent and as an American. Our kids have already been damaged enough by being forced to carry the responsibility of raising themselves and making decisions they are not equipped to make. If you love your kids, as I do, you know that guidance, discipline, and great love make happy, healthy kids who grow up equipped to be independent functioning members of society with respect for adults and peers and for themselves. If the UNCRC is ratified, the United States would then be required to report every few years to the U.N. and provide proof and explanations regarding how this treaty is being enforced and regulated, and children would be required to be registered at birth in order to be monitored and observed to conform to the directives of the treaty. Parents would essentially be baby-sitters for the state.
We need to fight this treaty tooth and nail. So far the Senate refuses to ratify the Convention, though President Clinton signed the treaty in 1995 (with one of the most fervent supports of the UNCRC being First Lady Hillary Clinton). There are some great informational sites where we can go and be fully educated and informed, one of them being parentalrights.org. On that website you can also sign a petition to oppose this Convention. The UNCRC is the most insidious attempt yet at the government worming its way into constitutionally protected family life, and to dictate what values should and should not be taught to our children whether we agree with them or not.
Please go and inform yourself on this issue because if this treaty is ratified, the effects would be catastrophic. I apologize if I've misquoted any information, but that's why I'm sending you to other websites and books to inform yourselves.
Okay, I'm done now.
