Yesterday at the Arizona Home School Convention (http://afhe.org/index.html) I sat in on a seminar entitled "UN Convention of the Rights of the Child: The UN's Plan to Take Over Parenting".
The Speaker was Scott Woodruff - Scott Woodruff, a follower of Christ since his conversion in 1971, earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia in 1980. After working for John Ashcroft, and subsequently a major regional insurance company, Scott came to work for HSLDA in 1998. He is a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, and licensed in Virginia and Missouri. He has assisted thousands of home educating families in dealings with social workers, police officers, truant officers, principals, superintendents, and prosecuting attorneys. He has represented HSLDA members in court, and appeared before many state legislatures to fight against repressive homeschool legislation. Scott is a frequent speaker at homeschool conferences and on radio programs across the country. Scott currently handles legal issues for HSLDA members in Virginia, Maryland, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Idaho, Maine, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas. Scott and his wife, Jane, homeschooled all three of their children.www.hslda.org
The description of the lecture is:
Imagine a world in which literally every parental decision can be overturned by a judge. Imagine a world in which children can sue their parents for violating their privacy, not letting them go to church where they want, spanking them, not letting them hang out with whom they please, or not letting them read everything they want on the Internet. Imagine a world in which every baby at birth is assigned a government agent to make sure the parents rear the child according to government standards. That's the world of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Come hear how American parenting—and homeschooling as we know it—would vanish if the US Senate ratifies this treaty. Mr. Woodruff will present the actual text of many section of the treaty so you can decide for yourself. So far we have been winning this battle, but we can't rest!
What I learned:
1. The United States and 1 other tiny country are the only two Countries in the entire planet that have not already ratified this treaty.
2. The United States is the only Country in the World where a treaty becomes law. In Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution it states that any Treat takes supremacy over any Federal or State laws. It becomes the supreme law of the land. All other Countries in the World a Treaty is just a nice idea that they "try to follow". It is not backed by the power of law to force their citizens with law.
3. So the following details below will only affect the United States, no other Countries in the World would be forced by law like we would be in these things.
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 or helped in any direct way by our ratification.
4. The CRC would automatically override almost all American laws on children and families because of the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause in Article VI.
5. The CRC has some elements that are self-executing, 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 be 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 policy 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 and 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 them to seek governmental review of every parental decision with which the child disagreed.
6. This treaty has been interpreted to make it 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 without parental knowledge or consent.
Note: Bill Clinton already signed this treaty. Now the only thing that is needed is to have 67 Senators sign it so that it is ratified and it becomes U.S. law.
Applications in real life:
1. Your daughter wants a horse. You tell her no. She informs you with a wry smile, "Father... I believe a horse will help me with my emotional development, it is good for my physical development, I will ride with other horse owners so it is important to my social development, when I ride a horse I feel free and in touch with my inner self so it develops my spiritual development. If you do not get me a horse, I am going to call my social worker...... and.. she would have every expectation that the Government would then force her parents to purchase her a horse/barn/feed/saddle/gear/care for that horse. Need to take a 2nd or 3rd job? Too bad, it's in the best for your child and the government will force you to do it.
2. Your son is dating a pretty little young lady that lives across town. You are strict, you have family rules, you have your son do chores and you have expectations and responsibility being taught in your home. The parents of his girlfriend though go to the government. They inform on you that your son's household is too strict, it hampers his emotional development, he is not allowed proper leisure and recreation like we provide for our daughter. We believe that it will improve the social and emotional development of both our daughter and their son if you removed their son from their home and have him move in to live with our daughter...... and.. they would have every expectation that the Government would force this issue and take your son away from you so that he can live with his girlfriend.
The examples are endless. Who determines what is in the best interest of the child? The Government judges and social workers.
Does anyone see a problem with this?
67 Senators is all that has to happen to make this our new law.
Solution:
Convention of the States for the creation of a new Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to make specific declarations about the U.N. and treaties so that their power can not come in and steal our children away from us.
It was refreshing to have so many people start speaking up and asking questions and bringing up Mark Levin and the Convention of the States. People were asking questions and bringing up the problems with John McCain (who supports this U.N. treaty).
In the crowd at the lecture... a great many people had already heard about Mark Levin and have read his "Liberty Amendments" and know exactly what's going on and what needs to be done. http://www.marklevinshow.com/
