Parent's Rights Amendment

[jenneology]

There are bills in both the House and Senate for an amendment to be added to the Constitution that makes parent's decision making on the behalf of their children a protect right. For the entire wording behind the amendment, and the reasoning behind the phrases, see: http://www.parentalrights.org/index....C16B7CAA8A0%7D

Currently, efforts are being made to secure more cosponsors in both Houses of Congress. You have the opportunity to contact your legislators to ask that they too sponsor the bills. Raising awareness among parents and citizens is also something you can do.

I feel that an amendment like this protects those of us who thoughtfully decide to homebirth/UC, refuse vaccinations, or other medical interventions in our pregnancy/lives/children's lives, who homeschool/unschool, cosleep, extended breastfeed, etc. All of those things that we do believing it is good and right for our children, but we have to fear CPS being called on us for being unfit parents. I would think that this amendment would be of particular interest to the mothers here and the AP crowd.

[gardenmom]

Thanks for posting this. I will definitely check it out.

[fruitful womb]

I wonder if part of this can protect a "parents right to consent removal of a healthy functioning body part". off to read the Bill... in chunks at-a-time. I can only process this information in that fashion because my life with a small babe and well...Olat goin' on right now.

[Minarai]

Originally Posted by fruitful womb

I wonder if part of this can protect a "parents right to consent removal of a healthy functioning body part". off to read the Bill... in chunks at-a-time. I can only process this information in that fashion because my life with a small babe and well...Olat goin' on right now.

That's EXACTLY what I was thinking.
This amendment looks like a Pandora's box that if opened (passed) would allow parents to do unspeakable things to their children in the name of "parental rights." I can go on for hours about what outrageous cases have sprung up in which parents used the rights excuse in an attempt to get away with a crime.

[jenneology]

Not debating, but also encouraging others to read the UN Convention of the Rights of a Child because of the Pandora's box that could be opened from letting government decide for parents. In order to accept the meaningfulness of the Amendment, one must first believe that the majority of parents have their child's best interests in mind, and that the existing abuse/neglect laws in place will protect those children whose parents are not looking out for their best interests.

[fruitful womb]

Originally Posted by jenneology

Not debating, but also encouraging others to read the UN Convention of the Rights of a Child because of the Pandora's box that could be opened from letting government decide for parents. In order to accept the meaningfulness of the Amendment, one must first believe that the majority of parents have their child's best interests in mind, and that the existing abuse/neglect laws in place will protect those children whose parents are not looking out for their best interests.

Fair enough.

[Minarai]

Originally Posted by jenneology

Not debating, but also encouraging others to read the UN Convention of the Rights of a Child because of the Pandora's box that could be opened from letting government decide for parents. In order to accept the meaningfulness of the Amendment, one must first believe that the majority of parents have their child's best interests in mind, and that the existing abuse/neglect laws in place will protect those children whose parents are not looking out for their best interests.

I get what you're saying, but my biggest fear is that the existing abuse/neglect laws will be nullified or even reversed (e.g. it's abuse NOT to beat your children) by this amendment.