UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

I have been reading a lot about this document from Home School Legal Defense lately, and what I have read has all been scary in that it would not only take away the rights of the parent, but also of the US to determine child safety laws. Those who are pushing it in the US say it would not jeopardize homeschooling, but it is happening right now in the UK. Anna has some posts about it already, so to avoid duplication, I will just put up links.

Warning from HSLDA
Who to contact
Is your congressman a sponsor?

I did try to call Ambassador Rice, and the phone is still off, so I went looking for the address of the UN building. Here is the address, and the letter I sent if you would like to copy it (obviously you might need to take out the foster parent part). I dated it July 4th and will wait to mail it then as I felt that the perfect day to send off my opinion on the idea of giving away American freedoms.

Ambassador Susan Rice
c/o United Nations
1775 K Street Suite 400
Washington, DC 20006

July 4, 2009

Dear Ms. Rice,

I am writing to you regarding my serious concerns over the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. As a foster parent, I certainly have a great deal of regard for the protection of children and their rights to safety and happiness. What I disagree with is the notion that our nation, pioneers in the advancement of child protection laws, educational standards, and equal opportunity, would need to take a step backward and join a convention that would not only supersede US law, but have absolutely no benefit to our society whatsoever. The Child Protection system in our country is not broken. What is broken is the ability of parents and teachers to keep kids safe because of those who already do whatever they wish with no regard for the rights and safety of others.

In the US, we see the ill effects of advancing the ‘rights’ of children who do not have the maturity to make such consequential decisions. Already we have schools full of children who cannot be controlled because they have learned that those is authority do not have the power to make them behave. The CRC gives a child the right to refuse to follow any rule or regulation that he may find ‘stifles’ his creativity. Were we to adopt the CRC, the stripping away of parents' rights to train their children would leave all of society very similar to that of many High Schools, where the few adults present are token caretakers and the children, not mature enough to be responsible and yet protected by their right to free expression, would be free to engage in whatever behaviors they desire. And who will take responsibility for the outcome? Surely not the parents, whose very rights to teach those children right and wrong have been relinquished to the UN!?!?

You have stated that the failure of the US to ratify this convention would be a disgrace. What would be a true disgrace is the handing away of US sovereignty to the UN for no purpose other than making nice. If you personally desire to be ruled by a patron, move to Europe and one of its many EU member states. Leave to the US, the birthplace of freedom and countless great reformers, the determination of what is best for the best. We fought for our independence….it is not yours to give away.

Lover of Freedom,

Amy *****

I also contacted my congressman and told him he needed to step up like many of the other Ohio congressmen already did and protect what is not broken. If you read the studies and statistics, the problem is not with parents stifling their kids' creativity. The problems are in homes where the parents are either absent or too permissive. Giving kids a bill of rights will only increase the problems tenfold!