Mike Farris:
Congressman Hoekstra, the Supreme Court has recognized the right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children for almost 100 years now. Why is it that you think that this implied right needs to be put into the actual text of the Constitution?

Congressman Pete Hoekstra:
Well, I think you’ve got a couple of things that are going on now that raises a level of concern that we need to nip it in the bud early rather than let it fester and then wait until it gets out of control. First thing is that in some of the opinions that have been written by Supreme Court justices and other justices lately, there is an indication that they may be getting a little nervous about protecting the rights of parents, because it’s not explicitly guaranteed in the Constitution. So to address that concern, it’s “Let’s make it explicit in the Constitution so the judges don't have to look for it.”

The second reason is that, you know, with some of the cases that have been coming out more recently, some justices have been looking towards international law. When they look towards international law, the bias in international law clearly is towards the government having rights that supersede the rights of parents. That’s the second reason that we need this protection and need it now.

Mike:
Thank you so much, Congressman Hoekstra. We appreciate your leadership on this issue, and we’ll visit with you more tomorrow. I’m Mike Farris.