Convention on the Rights of a Child...

I usually like to keep my posts fairly upbeat, but when I heard this on the radio this morning, I thought it would be worth talking about. I am talking about the "Convention on the Rights of a Child" also known as the CRC. This was set forth by the United Nations in 1989, afterwhich every other nation has signed on to it except Samolia and the United States. My understanding is that our government is now saying that they certainly don't want to stand on an issue with Samolia, so they are considering signing on also. This prompted me do to a little research to find out what this would mean to me. While there are "some" good ideas (especially in other countries where children have no rights to begin with), this would extremely limit you/my rights as parents in raising our children. These are the issues I am mainly concerned with if we agree to this...

20 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Ten things you need to know about the structure of the CRC.

1. It is a treaty which creates binding rules of law. It is no mere statement of altruism.
2. Its effect would be binding on American families, courts, and policy-makers.
3. Children of other nations would not be impacted in any direct way by our ratification.
4. The CRC would automatically override almost all American laws on children and families because of our Supremacy Clause.
5. The CRC has some elements that are self-executing, while others would require implementing legislation. Federal courts would have the power to determine which provisions were self-executing.
6. The Courts would have the power to directly enforce the provisions that are self-executing.
7. Congress would have the power to directly legislate on all subjects necessary to comply with the treaty. This would constitute the most massive shift of power from the states to the federal government in American history.
8. A committee of 18 experts from other nations, sitting in Geneva, has the authority to issue official interpretations of the treaty which are entitled to binding weight in American courts and legislatures. This effectively transfers ultimate authority for all policies in this area to this foreign committee.
9. Under international law, the treaty overrides even our Constitution.
10. Reservations, declarations, or understandings intended to modify our duty to comply with this treaty will be void if they are determined to be inconsistent with the object and purpose of the treaty.



Ten things you need to know about the substance of the CRC.

1. Parents would no longer be able to administer reasonable spankings to their children.
2. A murderer aged 17 years, 11 months and 29 days at the time of his crime could no longer be sentenced to life in prison.
3. Children would have the ability to choose their own religion while parents would only have the authority to give their children advice about religion.
4. The best interest of the child principle would give the government the ability to override every decision made by every parent if a government worker disagreed with the parent’s decision.
5. A child’s “right to be heard” would allow him (or her) to seek governmental review of every parental decision with which the child disagreed.
6. According to existing interpretation, it would be illegal for a nation to spend more on national defense than it does on children’s welfare.
7. Children would acquire a legally enforceable right to leisure.
8. Teaching children about Christianity in schools has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.
9. Allowing parents to opt their children out of sex education has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.
10. Children would have the right to reproductive health information and services, including abortions, without parental knowledge or consent.

While you say "how can the UN enforce this in the United States?", I am telling you this is one more way that the government is taking our rights away from raising our families that way that we feel they should be.

Really? I can't give my kids a little swat on the bum if they do something naughty? I have never been an advocate of hitting or slapping your kids in the face or pretty much anywhere else on their body, but a quick swat (especially on a diapered bottom) is a quick way to reinforce a "serious" issue. I have alos heard that you would not be allowed to give timeouts if your child needs one. How are you expected to teach your kids any self control?

I can't choose my child's religion? A few years ago my oldest son told me the he finally gets why going to church is important. For years he would go because he knew it was expected and that is just what we do as a family. Would he have chosen to do that for himself at 12, 14 or even 16? Maybe not. But at 18 he understood the importance of having religion in his life and how it built character and made you a better person. It also formed your views about what is important in life and serving those around you. I would lose the right as a parent to make my kids go to church with me until they reached any age where they were mature enough to make that decision.

I could go on and on but it would be a heck of a long post. Some of you may think... how can the U.N. enforce this? I will tell you that this will come back to haunt us. If you don't think that the mother who gives her child a little swat for standing up in the grocery for the 5th time at the store will feel the reprecussions, you are only fooling yourself. We let little laws slip by thinking they will not affect us, but soon you will hear about some parent being taken to court over one of these ridiculous issues and losing her kids. It is the law. It is really just a matter of whether it will be you they chose enforce it on or not. All it takes is for one person who doesn't agree with your views to report you, it goes to court and a judge must uphold the law. Who knows, that parent could even end up in jail. We have seen stranger things happen with laws just as crazy.

I just wanted to bring this to the surface so that you are aware of what is going on. I hope you will do a little research and try and let your voice be heard.