Is parental authority on the U.N. chopping block?
Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow - 1/14/2009 6:45:00 AM
The Convention on the Rights of the Child was established about 20 years ago. Although the U.S. has signed the treaty, it has not been ratified according to Constitutional mandate. Michael Farris, chancellor of Patrick Henry College, says if the treaty is ratified during the Obama administration, it would override all state laws regarding parental rights.
"The biggest problem with this treaty is that we replace American law [developed] by our elected officials with international law that is governed by a board of 18 child's rights experts in Geneva," he explains.
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According to Farris, the treaty is far-reaching. It treats all parents like criminals -- even before trial, he explains.
"The child's wishes have to be considered by the government, and the government gets to decide at the end of the day -- when there is any conflict between parent and child, or any conflict between the government and the…parent -- ...what it thinks is best for the child," he points out. "That's in religion, that's in education, that's in 'do you let your kids put their real names on their Facebook accounts?' On every parenting decision you can imagine, the government gets to make the final call."
Farris is also certain that ratification of the treaty will be considered. He notes it will be up to the secretary of state -- Hillary Clinton -- to submit the treaty to Congress for ratification, a treaty Bill Clinton's administration favored.
"And the chances that it is going to be attempted are 100 percent," Farris contends. "Barbara Boxer said so in a meeting just before Christmas...every indication is that there is going to be an attempt."
For more information on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, visit ParentalRights.org.
