Vote for RealeChange

Thanks to your calls and the leadership of Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ) and Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), the Parental Rights Amendment is gathering cosponsors in the U.S. House and Senate! So far we are up to 10 cosponsors in the House, and we expect many more in the next few days. That’s because these 10 are a small minority of those who have been inquiring with Rep. Franks’ office for more information. We are getting a very positive sense from many of these offices that it is just a matter of time. We are equally encouraged and hopeful in the Senate, though to our knowledge no one has made their cosponsorship official at this point. (I myself have spoken with two additional offices who sounded very positive!) Keep Calling Until They Sign On! In many instances, the staff just needs to get the new language in front of the Congressman…..

PARENT’S RIGHTS “Rights to marry, have children and maintain relationship with children are fundamental rights protected by the Fourteenth Amendment and thus, strict scrutiny is required of any statutes that directly and substantially impair those rights.” P.O.P.S. v. Gardner, 998 F2d 764 (9th Cir. 1993) “Parent’s right to rear children without undue governmental interference is a fundamental component of due process.” Nunez by Nunez v. City of San Diego, 114 F3d 935 (9th Cir. 1997) Law and court procedures that are “fair on their faces” but administered “with an evil eye or a heavy hand” was discriminatory and violates the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 US 356, (1886). Parents have a fundamental constitutionally protected interest in continuity of legal bond with their children. Matter of Delaney, 617 P 2d 886, Oklahoma (1980) Parent’s interest in custody of her children is a liberty interest…..

ParentalRights.org President Michael Farris will be on national television tomorrow morning as he speaks in defense of parental rights regarding yet another controversial issue—child obesity. Fox News’ America’s Newsroom plans to interview Farris at 10:40 a.m. EDT on Tuesday May 8, 2012. Journalists will seek his insight into recent government restrictions on what children can eat and drink while at school. Supporters familiar with Farris’s efforts to pass the Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution can be sure his response will focus on a solution that begins at home. “We need to be encouraging individual parents whose children are at risk to do a better job in guiding their child’s diet and encouraging exercise,” Farris said in advance remarks to Fox News. “Government edicts will never work. Friends and families should be on the front lines of helping parents recognize a problem.” We hope you will tune in to…..

Representative Trent Franks and Senator Jim DeMint have both agreed to introduce the Parental Rights Amendment in both the House and Senate in the next few days. This is very welcome news. And the really good news is that we have worked with National Right to Life Committee to find language that resolves their concerns. The PRA will not resolve the debate about abortion. The added language just ensures that our Amendment does not tip the scale one way or the other. And there’s even more good news! Representative Trent Franks is the Chairman of the Constitution Subcommittee in the House, and we have his promise of an early hearing – but he has asked us for one thing right now. We need to call every single member of Congress and urge them to become original cosponsors of the PRA. If we get a strong initial showing of original cosponsors,…..

We are excited about our new strategy to protect parental rights. This new path is in addition to and not instead of our ultimate goal of passing the Parental Rights Amendment. Let me remind you of the problems we are trying to solve so that you can see how this new strategy fits in. 1. We need to have parental rights as an explicit fundamental right. Because our rights have been implied and not in the text of the Constitution, judges are starting to chip away at the traditional high level of protection. 2. International Law which threatens our families must be stopped. There is only one way to achieve both of these goals in one document: add the Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But we could achieve important objectives through other legislative vehicles. The only way to permanently stop the threat of international law is with a…..

WASHINGTON – In response to the abortion restrictions signed into law in Arizona this month, Libertarian Party Chair, Mark Hinkle, issued the following statement: “Like so many others, Libertarians wrestle with the moral issues associated with abortion.  While our party includes a significant number of people who describe themselves as pro-choice, nearly as many members describe themselves as pro-life.  In my own view, however, there is no conflict: the best way to respect life is to prevent government from interfering with individual rights. “Most who refer to themselves as pro-life believe that the fetus becomes an individual endowed with full rights at the moment of conception.  Most of those who call themselves pro-choice believe that an individual entitled to rights does not exist at least until there is a functional brain, capable of consciousness, which most scientists place somewhere between 22 and 26 weeks. “Regardless of one’s view on this…..

WASHINGTON — In light of tomorrow’s personal income tax filing deadline, Libertarian National Chair, Mark Hinkle, released the following statement: “While everyone needs revenue, only criminals and politicians insist that they have to get it through violence.  The criminals, however, do not pretend they’re doing it in order to serve the public, and taxes make politicians public masters rather than public servants. “Certainly, the present size of government at all levels depends on taxation – not only the explicit kind, but the invisible kind that the Federal Reserve System imposes through inflation of the money supply.  People probably wouldn’t voluntarily pay to bomb, invade, and occupy other countries, bail out large banks and other corporations, and try to dictate the personal choices of others.  Good riddance!  Government-monopolized services such as education and health care could be provided for less than half the cost if they could be returned to the…..

Tom Mullen Author and columnist   How the Fed Steals for the 1% It is ironic that Occupy Wall Street is reportedly very low on cash. This is something that Wall Street itself never has to worry about. They have ready access at all times to as much cash as they need. The Occupiers mistakenly blame capitalism, but it is not capitalism that is behind this inequity. It is the completely anti-capitalist Federal Reserve System. The Fed purports to stimulate economic growth by expanding the volume of money and credit. This forces down interest rates and makes more money available to start new businesses or expand existing ones. However, while the currency units are created out of thin air, the purchasing power is not. The purchasing power has to come from somewhere. As I’ve explained before, the expansion of money and credit really redistributes wealth from the holders of existing…..

WASHINGTON — Libertarian National Chair, Mark Hinkle, released the following statement today: “Last month, the joint war on liberty by Republicans and Democrats continued, when Attorney General Eric Holder informed surprised students and faculty at Northwestern University Law School that President Obama can kill anyone in the world without charge or trial. This, of course, is just acceptance of the Unitary Executive Theory which President George W. Bush utilized to ignore the courts during his administration. Needless to say, both Presidents, Bush and Obama, assured us that they would be careful to only use their unlimited powers for the benefit of their subjects. “Libertarians say this is not good enough. Until recently, most Americans believed that they could not be deprived of their life, liberty or property without due process of law. The very idea of having people judged by a jury of their peers was to limit the ability…..

WASHINGTON: Libertarian National Chair, Mark Hinkle, released the following statement today: “The Obama administration is crowing about a drop in the unemployment rate to 8.3% in February 2012. Unfortunately, a large part of the decline since the 10.0% peak reached earlier in his term is the result of people who have given up looking for work. In fact, the percentage of working-age Americans currently unemployed stands at 36.3%, the highest rate of his administration and the worst since the 1980s. “Libertarians running for local, state and federal offices offer several proposals that can help end what is becoming a permanent disaster for the economy. At the state and local levels occupational licensing laws, zoning and building codes block tens of millions from entering or changing professions and from starting their own small businesses. Regulation, in general, is a job killer: the states with the heaviest regulatory burdens are usually the…..

We were humbled and inspired by the devotion of CWO Edward Cantrell and Indiana mother Stephanie Decker, who risked and sacrificed to save their children. In the two weeks since we shared their stories, there have been a number of headlines about other parents going to great lengths to protect, defend, or rescue their kids, but none have been as dramatic as these two. And that’s okay. Not all parents will face down death for their child’s sake. But they all invest their lives in one form or another. As promised last week, we are now accepting submissions for a publication with the working title, “Parents Who Inspire.” (The final title is not yet determined.) Here’s what we’re looking for and how the process will work: What We’re Looking For We are seeking stories on the theme, “Parents Who Inspire.” Stories should be by children or acquaintances of the parents…..

Last week I wrote to you about CWO Edward Cantrell of North Carolina and Stephanie Decker of Indiana, two parents who made tremendous sacrifices in the interest of their children. Their devotion and selflessness are truly inspiring. But not all heroes sacrifice their bodies in one bright flash of bravery. For some, it is a passionate commitment over decades to invest in someone they believe is more important than themselves – their child. Your father probably never had to dash into a burning building to pull you out, but he may have done other things that shaped your life and empowered you to become who you are. Your mother probably never shielded you from a tornado with her own body, but perhaps she worked two jobs to see that you were well taken care of. Or perhaps she gave up her career altogether so she could be there for you…..

Constitutionalist Platform The following principles should be considered planks in the platform of any candidate who calls himself or herself a “constitutionalist”: 1. The rights recognized in the Bill of Rights are rights that precede the Constitution, apply to all persons everywhere and all times, and considered as restrictions on the actions of government officials or agents, apply to all officials or agents at all levels of government, federal, state, and local, and even to the treatment of any persons anywhere outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States, except when otherwise authorized by a declaration of war or letters of marque and reprisal. 2. The right to keep and bear arms, like other rights in the Bill of Rights, is an individual right, at all levels of government, and covers all weapons or other tools or supplies that might be used for defense, riot control, personal protection, law enforcement,…..

WASHINGTON — Libertarian National Committee Chair, Mark Hinkle, released the following statement today: “While President Obama and the Republicans in Congress spend time debating whether religious groups must provide their employees free contraceptives, a far more fundamental issue is being ignored: if we want better health insurance for all, why are we making it illegal? “ObamaCare, known in Massachusetts as RomneyCare, effectively outlaws true health insurance. Insurance, if you think about it, should exist to protect you against catastrophic expenditures. For example, car insurance doesn’t cover the cost of gas and oil, as it would be outrageously expensive due to the incentive for increased driving. Similarly, health insurance should not cover ordinary and predictable costs, yet remains outrageously expensive because it does.” “Then why do consumers continue to buy overpriced insurance that covers predictable costs? Government. First, the senseless connection of health insurance to employment is the result of a…..

The issue of whether to adopt the Parental Rights Amendment (PRA) or ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) comes down to one question: Who decides what is best for children? Proponents of the CRC believe that the United Nations has already decided and should continue to decide, and that governments should be obligated (and empowered) to enforce those decisions. The specific policy states that “In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.” (CRC, Article 3) In application, “[this] ‘Best interests’ [standard] provides decision and policy makers with the authority to substitute their own decisions for either the child’s or the parents’, providing it is based on considerations of the best interests of the child,” according to CRC advocate and international law…..

You have heard the warning by now: under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, or Convention), the right of parents to direct the education of their children will disappear. You may also have heard the many assurances from internationalists and special interest groups that it’s not going to happen, that the CRC actually enshrines parental rights and will respect the important role that parents play. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding – and certain recipes cooked up of late taste very sour indeed. First there is the Romeike family, who were forced to flee Germany and seek U.S. asylum in 2008 as the only means to keep their children out of the state-run schools. Perhaps you will recognize Germany’s education law – it was passed in the 1930’s under Adolf Hitler, who is famously quoted as saying, “He who controls the youth controls the…..

If you are a law student or legal professional with access to the Westlaw legal database, we need your help. We have a need for a little bit of research (maybe 1-3 hours) into state law. If you would be willing to assist us in your state – either personally, or by assigning an assistant to the task – please let me know by email, and I will send you both the sample argument and the recommended search terms for the citations needed. This research is vital in our on-going efforts to pass a parental rights resolution in each state. Thank you for your continued support for parental rights in America! Sincerely, Michael Ramey Director of Communications and Research

Who can measure the value of a teacher’s life? Apart from the inestimable intrinsic value of any human life, there is also the value of the everyday sacrifice, the noble laying aside of one’s own ambitions for the opportunity to shape and mold the next generation, to make a positive difference in the world of the country’s children and youth. So just what is the life of a noble teacher worth? Under the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), apparently not very much. The Times of India last Saturday reported on a high school teacher, Uma Maheshwari, who was stabbed to death in her classroom by an angry student. Under India’s Juvenile Justice Act 2000, a law passed “in keeping with the UN Child Rights Convention,” the young murderer will face a maximum sentence – a maximum sentence – of three years in a reformatory. Though…..

Support for the Parental Rights Amendment continues to grow across the country, and is finding a voice in the states through state resolutions. Two particular challenges came to a head yesterday, and I am excited to share the outcomes with you. First, HCR 11 in Michigan faced its first hurdle in the form of the House Committee on Families, Children, and Seniors, where a representative of the ACLU opposed the measure in a hearing last week. The last thing mentioned before the committee voted in their executive session yesterday was a reminder that the ACLU opposed the resolution. Nevertheless, the final vote to pass it out of committee with recommendation was 8 ayes, 0 nays, 1 pass (present but not voting). So despite ACLU opposition, Michigan is a giant step closer to calling on Congress to propose the Parental Rights Amendment. Second, Wyoming’s budget session convened on Monday, and HJ…..

In November, Overruled premiered online, and with your help it has received more than 100,000 views since then. But that is not nearly enough for an issue as vital as preserving the precious parent-child relationship. Fortunately, we are now rolling out a new tool to help you spread the word. Overruled: Government Invasion of Your Parental Rights is now available on DVD as well! But these DVDs are not being made available on an individual basis. They’re not here so you can urge your friend to order one. They’re here so you can order 5, 10, 20 or more and hand them out every chance you get. In other words, we’re filling bulk orders only. I know how it often works. You urge your friends to check out this important movie and they say they will, but then they forget to visit YouTube or OverruledMovie.com and watch it. Well, now…..

The United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) poses a serious threat to the rights of parents to direct the upbringing of their children, by making the government – not the parent – responsible for decisions that are made for that child. Proponents of the treaty last week posted an opinion piece at Time Magazine’s website calling for CRC ratification anyway. And they’d like to see us subject ourselves to its dictates by November 20 of this year. Nor is this latest salvo the full extent of their efforts. They are also pushing online petitions asking President Obama to send the CRC to the Senate for its advice and consent, the final requirement for ratification. Now it is time for us to act, to halt their grand offensive in its tracks. And the place to do that is in the U.S. Senate. Action Item Please take a…..

Proponents of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) have set a target date by which they would like to see it ratified in the United States: November 20,2012. That date is the anniversary of its adoption by the UN General Assembly back in 1989. Last month the Child Rights Campaign began pushing online petitions calling on the President to move for CRC ratification. Tuesday, Time ran an online opinion piece by Lawrence Cohen and Anthony Debenedet calling for the United States to ratify by November 20. In the piece, they name our organization and then provide some misinformation to convince readers we are wrong. Clearly, our opponents have no intention of letting up. They are pressing to make ratification happen before Obama – and their best opportunity – are gone. That is why we must continue to stand against them. And we need your help. The CRC…..

In the last few weeks state legislatures across the country have convened and taken up lots of activity involving parental rights. So although many of you did not receive any email from us last week, we actually sent out several – to a few particular states. What’s more, we expect this kind of localized activity to continue, so please be on the alert for action emails to come your way as thinks get moving in your state. Though the Amendment’s introduction in the national Congress is still delayed, there are so many ways to stay involved in the parental rights movement. Consider last week: In Washington state supporters communicated opposition to HR 2193, a third party visitation bill that would allow a judge to overrule the decision of fit parents as to who can visit with their child. (Though the bill passed the committee, it did so with amendments. Watch…..

As legislative sessions get started across the country, we have become aware of a number of issues to watch, including three significant issues at the national level. First, ParentalRights.org is joining with several other parent-friendly organizations and leaders to support HR 2769, Rep. Ron Paul’s “Parental Consent Act.” This bill would prevent federal funds from going to any organization “to establish or implement any universal or mandatory mental health, psychiatric, or socioemotional screening program.” It goes on to define such programs to include “any student mental health screening program that allows mental health screening of individuals under 18 years of age without the express, written, voluntary, informed consent of the parent or legal guardian of the individual involved.” (emphasis added) We do not often take a stand on any legislation beyond the Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But we fully support the requirement of informed parental consent for…..

After enjoying some time off with my family last week, I returned to the office Monday intent on catching up and moving ahead – and I discovered a mystery. I call it the “Christmas bump.” In tracking our web visits over the last month, I noticed a significant up-tick in traffic to ParentalRightsUS.org for December 25 and 26. We haven’t used that website much lately, but for that 2-day period it enjoyed a revival as nearly 200 visitors stopped by – an increase of 2500% over the daily average! The visitors almost all came from Facebook and went to our Palmdale page. Someone obviously posted a link to that page on December 25 and did a wonderful job of pushing it to their friends. Over the next 2 days, 170 different people visited that page and stayed (on average) long enough to read it. What’s more, at least 12 of…..

On Thursday, December 15, Michael Farris* and the Michigan legal team presented a petition to dismiss the case against Ken and Erin Stieler. You will recall that young Jacob Stieler’s parents had opted not to subject him to further chemotherapy once multiple PET scans showed that his cancer was gone, but the state Health & Human Services department filed charges of medical neglect against those loving parents. The judge took the petition under advisement for the weekend and has just reported his decision to dismiss the case. This is a tremendous victory for the Stielers and for families around the country, as it affirms once again the fundamental right of fit parents to make medical decisions for their children. The Supreme Court in 1979 voiced the presumption “that natural bonds of affection lead parents to act in the best interests of their children” (Parham v. J.R.). The dismissal of this…..

As 2011 winds down and we look back on the last 12 months, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for your generous support of our efforts and for your confidence in the mission of ParentalRights.org. I’m grateful that when it comes to protecting families, you know the difference between talk and action – and you are taking action. Your support, whether financial or otherwise, has helped us make needed headway in our battle for parents’ rights. You’ve helped us make this a national issue, and you’ve put us in a good position for engaging Congress with the Amendment in 2012. You and I know that America is at a critical juncture for parental rights. Right now, the legal right of fit parents to raise their kids is foggy at best. With no clear constitutional standard for parents’ rights, the courts are confused. And that leaves families at the mercy…..

On December 15, 1791 the Bill of Rights was ratified, creating the first Ten Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The Bill of Rights guarantees important individual freedoms and restrains the powers of the federal government. Among them, our rights to free speech, self-defense and justice. These restraints were later extended to the states with the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Democrats and Republicans regularly violate the Bill of Rights, especially the Tenth Amendment which states that the powers of the federal government are strictly limited to those enumerated in Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution – a short list which stands in stark contrast to the incalculably long list of functions comprised by today’s Big Government. Presidents, Senators and Representatives in Congress have long violated the Bill of Rights by continually expanding federal power far beyond what is allowed by the Tenth Amendment and by trampling on due process,…..

A brief 7-minute professionally-produced video has just come available that talks about a matter that is very important to me. I have watched it and taken action, and now I am asking you to do the same. This is truly a critical issue affecting all of us. Won’t you join me in being part of the solution? Please take just 12 minutes right now to learn about the precarious state of parental rights in America today, and to pass it on. Here is what I’m asking you to do, minute-by-minute: 1. (1 min.) Read this email and get started. 2. (7.5 min.) Watch the short version of Overruled: Government Invasion of Your Parental Rights (stop at the credits). If you don’t agree there is a need to act, then you’re finished, and I thank you for your time. 3. (1 min.) Visit ParentalRights.org/petition and sign up if you haven’t done…..

Traditionally, the Supreme Court “has recognized that natural bonds of affection lead parents to act in the best interests of their children.” Whatever the parents decide, it is presumed to be what is best for the child, absent a showing that it is in fact abusive or negligent. One of the greatest dangers of ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child is the “Best Interest of the Child” principle, which replaces this presumption with the idea that the government must decide what is best instead. Now, the Senate is considering S. 1877, a bill that would also create an environment of hostility against parents and against the presumption of innocence. Introduced by Sen. Bob Casey and Sen. Barbara Boxer, S. 1877 would make every adult a “mandatory reporter” of child abuse or neglect. This will destroy the presumption of innocence and lead to an increase in unfounded investigations…..

When we were in school… several parents were there on a regular basis helping out in the classroom or the library, chaperoning field trips, or leading special reading or art programs. They were just doing their part to improve our education. But parents are not allowed in public schools today. Sure, there are those increasingly rare exceptions. But in general, a parent cannot even visit, let alone sit in on a class or become a regular part of the classroom community. And those terrific school districts sprinkled around the country who do still allow parents entrance grant it as a privilege, not as a parental right. Washington Times columnist Jay Matthews recently lamented this fact in an article called “What’s Wrong with Parents Visiting a School?” Matthews had spoken with two sets of parents, each of whom had asked to sit in on a class with their child, whom they…..

When I was in elementary school, mom was there on a regular basis helping out in the classroom or the library, chaperoning field trips, or leading an advanced reading program for gifted students. And she wasn’t the only mom doing her part to improve our education. The Department of Education in 1986 released “What Works: Research About Teaching and Learning.” The report was divided up by setting – Home, Classroom, and School. The first principle listed under the Classroom section was, “Parental involvement helps children learn more effectively.” Again, this was in the classroom. So “What’s wrong with parents visiting a school” in 2011? That’s the question columnist Jay Matthews of the Washington Post  asked in his article of December 4. According to Matthews, two sets of parents – one in Fairfax, the other in Arlington County, VA – had similar experiences: When they asked the local school if they…..

When we released Overruled: Government Invasion of Your Parental Rights on November 17, we were modestly pleased that it scored nearly 37,000 views in the first week. and we were very grateful for the wonderful comments many of you left us on YouTube. But that is not nearly enough for it to go viral. Frankly, with an email list of more than 120,000, we were hoping to generate a lot more views than we did. I know it’s a busy time of year, but this is a remarkably easy way to support a very important cause. As one person commented, “This is very possibly the most important 35 minutes you will spend in front of your computer this year, and maybe in your life!” While we really appreciate all of you who watched, we know we can do better if more people decide to help. As it turns out, we…..

Our new docudrama, Overruled: Government Invasion of Your Parental Rights, is scheduled for release this Thursday, November 17, and I am excited to announce that we are right on schedule! Last week we sent you a condensed list of things you can do to prepare; you can see the fully detailed version here. In addition, we have available a flyer you can post on local bulletin boards, and a half-page hand-out or bulletin insert for your local congregation. Both of these papers point readers to OverruledMovie.com, where they can view the entire film online without cost. (You can donate to help cover the cost here.) Prior to the release, let me encourage you to print out as many of each as you can use to promote the film; alternatively, you might want to save the file, take it to your local printer, and have the flyers or inserts professionally printed……

North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue has been spinning wildly since her trial balloon suggestion about suspending Congressional elections exploded across the political landscape. First, the story was she was joking. When that lame tale fell flat, Perdue scurried to Facebook, where she helpfully explained it was hyperbole and, to make sure the great unwashed knew what she was talking about, she even defined the word for us. So kind of her. After two days of merciless ridicule and condemnation, her latest excuse is, sarcasm! Perdue continued to try to walk back her comments, which her staff initially described as hyperbole. “My point was one of sarcasm,” Perdue told reporters in Thomasville. “We really just need to encourage our leaders who are elected to work together and solve America’s problems.” She added: “It was taken out of context from my perspective. But honest to goodness, who would think something like that…..