Drive for Parental Rights Amendment Picks Up Over 110 Co-Signers
A constitutional amendment to ensure the fundamental right of parents to raise their children as they see fit has recruited over 110 co-sponsors in the House so far, according to the grassroots movement behind the effort.
"More and more members of Congress are recognizing the threat from government and foreign interference into the parent-child relationship," commented U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), who introduced the Parental Rights Amendment.
"Just about every member of Congress agrees with the legal principle that parents have the fundamental right to make decisions for the upbringing of their children," added Michael Farris, president of Parentalrights.org, an organization that was created to secure a constitutional amendment that defends the rights of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children.
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If passed, the Parental Rights Amendment would state explicitly in the U.S. Constitution that parents have a fundamental right to raise their children as they see fit, while protecting against abuse and neglect.
Supporters of the amendment say threats to the parent-child relationship presently include potential Senate ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child and the erosion of fundamental parental rights in today's federal courts.
"Because of international law and shifting judicial philosophies, the right is being steadily undermined," commented Farris.
"We now have 110 members of Congress with the foresight to say that we need to protect this long-standing right before the erosion goes too far," he added Tuesday, before at least four more signed on. "We appreciate the leadership of Pete Hoekstra and the 109 other members of Congress who believe that it is important to secure the rights of American families for generations to come."
Organizations that have allied with Parentalrights.org on the issue include the American Family Association, Concerned Women for America, Focus on the Family, Liberty Counsel, and the Traditional Values Coalition, among others.
The House version of the bill is H.J. Res. 42.
