Parental Rights- Action Needed Wednesday to Halt CRPD in Senate

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October 30, 2012 Action Needed Wednesday to Halt CRPD in Senate Ireland will soon be voting on whether or not to amend their constitution to include children’s rights, removing the centuries-old presumption that fit parents act in the best interest of their children. Decisions would fall to bureaucrats rather than to parents whenever children are involved and any question of “best interest” arises. Parental rights groups in New Zealand are fighting desperately to prevent a bill that would require any child receiving government aid to attend a government-licensed Early Childhood Education (ECE) program for at least 15 hours each week. Currently, aid is offered through a non-discriminatory, needs-based approach. The proposed law would make aid available only to those willing to let government bureaucrats shape the development and learning of their children from ages 3 to 5 years. And in Alberta, the right of parents to put their children in a private or parochial school – in fact, to educate their children by any means other than public schools – was very narrowly saved when a bill was recently amended to restore that right. The Canadian province was one vote away from forcing all children into state-run schools. Parents and lawmakers in all three of these countries are dealing with the same struggle: a clash of ideologies that would replace fit and loving parents with government bureaucrats as the best decision makers for children. In each instance lawmakers are responding to their country’s perceived obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a binding human rights treaty to which all three nations are a party. Could such an approach to children ever come here to the United States? It is already much closer than many realize. The Looming Threat of the CRPD This summer a powerful effort was made in the U.S. Senate to adopt the U.N.’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), a human rights treaty like the CRC. And like that instrument, the CRPD also provides that “the best interests of the child” should be a primary consideration in all cases concerning children. This is a “term of art” in international law which is used to defend and promote the idea that governments and not parents should make decisions for children. The CRPD passed out of Senate committee on July 26, and was brought to the floor for a general consensus vote on September 19. If Senator Lee of Utah had not been present to halt the maneuver, CRPD ratification may have passed then and there. Take Action to Halt This Dangerous Treaty! We have long believed that the lame duck session poses a big threat regarding this treaty, and we are even more convinced as it draws closer. That’s why right now is the time to act. We need to make sure that when the Senate reconvenes in two weeks they know we are still watching, and we still oppose this treaty. We need your help tomorrow, October 31, to get that message out through a concerted one-day social media campaign. Here’s all you need to do: 1. Post to your Facebook wall or Twitter feed (or both!) that you oppose this treaty as a violation of parental rights and American sovereignty that offers no additional protections for Americans with disabilities. Include the “hashtags” #CRPD or #UNCRPD in your posts so that others looking for comments on this topic will see what you have to say. If you don't have a Facebook or Twitter account, consider creating one just for this purpose - it is that important! 2. Using the same hashtags, find your senators’ Twitter feeds or Facebook fan pages and leave a comment there. They will not see your page, but they have staffers monitoring theirs who will see your comments and take note. 3. Pass it on to all of your friends. A lot of organizations have come out in support of this treaty because they simply do not understand the impact it will have on American and international law. We must make our voices heard before it is too late! Here is an example of how to use a hashtag in a Twitter feed comment (“tweet”): “Oppose the #UNCRPD – a violation of #parentalrights and U.S. self-government!” (The sample tweet also uses our own #parentalrights hashtag, but your comments do not have to.) Please post several comments or tweets in your own words throughout the day to keep this issue in front of policy makers and the general public. Then, be ready for a call blitz to the Senate – coming soon! Thank you for standing with us to keep these treaties from taking away our parental rights! Sincerely, Michael Ramey Director of Communications & Research

Parental Rights Amend. House Cosponsors 86 Includes HJRes110 lead sponsor, Rep. Trent Franks. Latest added Oct. 25, 2012.	Parental Rights Amendment Senate Cosponsors 13 Includes SJRes42 lead sponsor, Sen. Jim DeMint. Latest addition July 23, 2012.	Senators Opposing Treaty Ratification 36 Senators who indicate they will oppose ratification. Latest addition Sept. 21, 2012.
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