Mike Farris:
This week we’re talking about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. When you look at the idea that the government should have the right to overcome parents on any matter of any choice, you have to reach the conclusion that the people who are promoting this in this country won’t reveal the truth about the treaty to the members of the Senate.

What do they say? Well, if you look at the website childrightscampaign.org that says that it’s the clearinghouse for ratification of the treaty, you’ll get the idea of what they’re doing is actually trying to mislead the American public and mislead the Senate.

This website proclaims a series of arguments used to oppose the treaty, that the child’s rights experts proclaim to be all myths. Take this one, for example.

So-called Myth No. 7: “The CRC allows children to participate in any religion of their choosing.”

Now, if you look at the text of documents where the CRC is actually being implemented, we see that this so-called myth is actually quite true! For example, the government of Scotland has published a pamphlet that it gives to all the children in that nation, explaining the treaty. And it says this, I quote: “You have the right to choose your own religion and beliefs. Your parents should help you think about this.”

That’s the essence of parent’s rights under this treaty: children get to make decisions. Parents get to give advice. I’m Mike Farris.