What Can I Do?
Under the new presidential administration, there are clear warning signs on Capitol Hill that there will be an effort to seek United States ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) during 2009, or 2010 at the latest.
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Supporters of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child have stated that they desire U.S. ratification this year, in recognition of the CRC’s 20th anniversary. |
The UN adopted the CRC on November 20, 1989. It has since been ratified by 193 countries. Although Madeline Albright, then United States Ambassador to
the UN, signed the CRC on behalf of the United States on February 16, 1995, the U.S. has not yet ratified it. (The ratification process in the U.S. requires the Senate to approve the CRC by a two-thirds vote, which would require 67 senators voting in favor of the convention if all 100 were in attendance.) However, it could be brought before the U.S. Senate at any time.
The reason that the CRC has never been brought up for a vote in the Senate is because there has always been insufficient support to ratify it. In the mid-1990s, HSLDA’s Congressional Action Program, consisting of volunteer homeschool lobbyists, was instrumental in persuading numerous senators to voice opposition to the CRC, effectively ending any chance of its ratification during the Clinton administration.
Supporters of the CRC have stated that they desire U.S. ratification this year, in recognition of the CRC’s 20th anniversary. Many Obama administration officials have publicly endorsed the CRC.
We must vigorously prepare to defeat the CRC. It is vital that all parents—not just homeschoolers—educate themselves about the convention so that if and when it is brought before the U.S. Senate, we have the information we need to voice our objections. We encourage you to read the briefing paper by Mike Farris. We also encourage you to discuss this vital issue with friends, family, and acquaintances.
Reintroduction of the CRC could offer a unique chance to respond with a counterattack: introduction and passage of the Parental Rights Amendment. Learn more—and sign the petition as a citizen cosponsor of the amendment—at www.parentalrights.org.
Look for more information about the CRC and the Parental Rights Amendment in the coming weeks and months via email alerts and the Court Report. Although the dangers of the CRC and the challenges of passing a Parental Rights Amendment may incline our hearts to fear, Psalm 46:1-2a reminds us that “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear …” We can take the steps necessary to defend and protect parental rights with full confidence in God’s mercy and grace during a time of uncertainty.
