A global children’s rights treaty, ratified by every U.N. member except the United States and Somalia, has so alarmed its American critics that some are pushing to add a parental rights amendment to the Constitution as a buffer.
-- From "Children’s rights treaty stirs debate" by David Crary, Associated Press 5/2/09
. . . a long-running saga over the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. The nearly 20-year-old treaty has ardent supporters and opponents in the United States, and both sides agree that its chances of ratification — while still uncertain — are better under the Obama administration than at any point in the past.
Opponents of the treaty contend it would enable government officials and a Geneva-based U.N. committee of experts to interfere with parental authority. Its supporters view the treaty as a valuable guidepost for children’s basic rights — including education, health care and protection from abuse — and say its global goals are undermined by the refusal of the world’s lone superpower to ratify it.
[Treaty advocates] ranging from Amnesty International to the Girl Scouts of the USA [have] learned to be patient, and hope an all-out push for Senate ratification will be mounted by the third year of Barack Obama’s presidency.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who chairs a Foreign Relations subcommittee handling human rights issues, has declared her strong support for ratifying the children’s rights treaty. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, as first lady back in 1995, also advocated on behalf of the treaty, while Obama, during his election campaign, suggested that U.S. failure to ratify was “embarrassing” and promised to review the treaty.
The treaty’s opponents say they will be ready to fight back, and the proposed parental rights amendment is a key part of their strategy.
Introduced this spring by Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the amendment now has 80 of his fellow Republicans as co-sponsors in the House. The amendment also has been introduced in the Senate by Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who hasn’t yet announced co-sponsors.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Parents' Rights Amendment Reaches 80 Co-Sponsors" posted at American Chronicle 5/1/09
A Constitutional Amendment to protect the parent-child relationship introduced by U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland [MI], has reached 80 co-sponsors in the House.
"The grassroots movement behind the Parents´ Rights Amendment continues to generate support throughout the United States," Hoekstra said. "It is encouraging to see so many Americans concerned about preventing government and foreign interference into the parent-child relationship."
