The rights of the child - here we go again!

Even tho it wasn't ratified by the Senate, a U.N. treaty, signed by Madaleine Albright in 1995, is to be reviewed by President Obama. God help us all if this treaty is okayed by Congress.

According to the Parental Rights website, the substance of the Convention on the Rights of the Child dictates the following:

• Parents would no longer be able to administer reasonable spankings to their children.
  
• A murderer aged 17 years, 11 months and 29 days at the time of his crime could no longer be sentenced to life in prison.
  
• Children would have the ability to choose their own religion while parents would only have the authority to give their children advice about religion.
  
• 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.
  
• A child's "right to be heard" would allow him (or her) to seek governmental review of every parental decision with which the child disagreed.
  
• According to existing interpretation, it would be illegal for a nation to spend more on national defense than it does on children's welfare.
  
• Children would acquire a legally enforceable right to leisure.
  
• Teaching children about Christianity in schools has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.
  
• Allowing parents to opt their children out of sex education has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.
  
• Children would have the right to reproductive health information and services, including abortions, without parental knowledge or consent.
  

Additionally, the CRC could remove the ability of parents to choose the method of their child's education - effectively making home education illegal.

While we believe that children should have some rights, parents are the best determinators of what is "in the child's best interest". NOT the government!

The homeschool community will be watching this closely. It is believed, tho, that even if the treaty is reviewed, it will not be ratified due to the opposition of American parents.