Children are less safe when the Government exerts their right over the Child
and limit the parents influence and control the parents right to raise their kids.
~ Jonathan Horton, Interview
Today, the Marysville Parenting Examiner had an opportunity to interview Jonathan Horton, national grass roots organizer for parentalrights.org. In a previous article – You’ve gotta fight for your right to parent! – MPE introduced readers to the website of parentalrights.org and the parental rights amendment brought before congressional vote. Having watched the YouTube video – Overruled: Government Invasion of your parental rights – and reviewed the website, this is one interview that parents within the Marysville, and surrounding communities, need to pay attention to. This is one issue parents need to contact their legislatures about and ask for their support on the passage of the Parental Rights Amendment.
Please tell me little bit about who you are and what you do for parentalrights.org.
National grassroots director who oversee all volunteer work, including networking and building network of volunteers to work with us in support of the parental rights amendment and work with state leaders in twenty-nine states at the moment. I also recruit district coordinators to work with getting congress members on board to vote on the parental rights amendment. Help facilitate events with tea party rallies, home schooling events, and other community events. We also have over 180 allied organizations from small state to large national organizations that I help facilitate and maintain coalition with.
How was parentalrights.org established?
Michael Ferris is the pioneer in legalizing home school here in America and is the chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association that fought to make home schooling legal in America. He is an advocate and litigation attorney who fights for the rights of parents, defending them in the political arena. He is also the Chancellor of Patrick Henry College.
What exactly does parentalrights.org do and what is the parental rights amendment?
Zogby Poll that was done in August of 2010 showed that citizens of America upheld the traditional parental rights to the education and directing the educational rights of their children. 63% likely voters will support a parental rights amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
The parental rights amendment is to provide the support of the constitutional right of the parents when it comes to their children. Children are less safe when the government exerts their right over the child and limit the parents influence and control the parent’s right to raise their kids. This is referenced in the freedom of association – an ultimate threat being exerted. Freedom of association will hamper the parent’s right to protect their child from being stalked via the internet or brought into a gang. This essentially says parents can’t prevent children from associating with whoever they choose. It will also affect a parent’s right to use their religious belief system in raising their children.
Jonathan Horton provided MPE with sample court cases. One of which is mentioned in the docudrama Overrulled where the father of a kindergartener was arrested for trespassing on school grounds due to him and his wife’s opposition of not having been informed about the book My Two Dads – a homosexualized themed book that they were not notified, nor given an opportunity to opt out of. Challenging the Public School system, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, No. 07-1528 and brought before Lynch, Circuit Judge, Stahl, Senior Circuit Judge, and Howard, Circuit Judge heard the case Parker vs. Hurley. This case took place on January 31, 2008. What follow are Judge Lynch’s remarks on the case:
Two sets of parents, whose religious beliefs are offended by gay marriage and homosexuality, sued the Lexington, Massachusetts school district in which their young children are enrolled. They assert that they must be given prior notice by the school and the opportunity to exempt their young children from exposure to books they find religiously repugnant. Plantiffs asserted violations of their own and their substantive parental and privacy due process rights under the U.S. Constitution.
The Parkers object to their child being presented in kindergarten and first grade with two books that portray diverse families, including families in which both parents are of the same gender. … The parents do not challenge the use of these books as part of a nondiscrimination curriculum in the public schools, but challenge the school district’s refusal to provide them with prior notice and to allow for exemption from such instruction. They ask for relief until their children are in the seventh grade.
This would seem reasonable to any parent who holds particular religious views that disagree with secular viewpoints and agendas. One would think that parents ought to have the right to be informed as to what is being presented to their children within the public education system. However, as one reads further into the opinion text of the case, the defendants (school district and superintendant) argue:
Defendants respond that plaintiffs’ argument runs afoul of the general proposition that, while parents can choose between public and private schools, they do not have a constitutional right to “direct how a public school teaches their child.” Blau v. Fort Thomas Pub. Sch. Distr., 401 F.3d 381, 395 (6th Cir. 2005).
In the conclusion, Judge Lynch affirms the dismissal of the Plaintiff’s claim that their parental rights were violated by the school district without giving prior notification, and upholding the lower court’s decision.
In such cases, as Jonathan Horton explained to MPE, is the reason and premise why it is important for parents to take a stand for their parental rights, to pass this parental rights amendment in order to facilitate and strengthen the most sacred unit of society – the family.
How would this constitutional amendment help protect the rights of fathers in custody cases and the right to raise their children?
With regard to this situation, it might not be…certainly may not be a final fix. Parental rights are fundamental, despite gender bias, or the state comes in to protect the rights of the parents (one or the other, or both) and ensure that the rights are not infringed upon – unless it is provable that they are not fit parents.
Psychologists, family advocates and counselors are now providing resources with a new term “co-parenting” where the parents are still key components in the life of the child after the dissolution of the marriage/relationship.
To see psychologist and professional viewpoint and observation where both parents still have fundamental rights to raise the child, despite the breakdown and dissolution of the marriage/relationship is significant. It may help in a small part to get the shared parenting part of raising a child.
What can parents within the Marysville and surrounding communities do to support and uphold parental rights?
Emphasize the educational issue where parents have lost rights or are losing more rights in public education toward raising their children. Lower Federal courts uphold that parental rights do not extend beyond the threshold of the school. Nothing keeping a public school teaching children what they want, in what manner they want to teach and not notify parents what type of curriculum is being taught. Those public school districts that do inform parents do not provide such information based on law, but as a courtesy and do not have to seek parental approval. Schools can also mandate what students can do in their free time at choosing a particular organization. This means that schools extend their influence beyond the school grounds.
Best way to be involved right now is to share the video and take action. Go to parentalrights.org to sign the petition and subscribe for email updates to receive information about issues affecting parental rights. Occasionally respond to state legislation to take action – the national scene is the primary focus about the pro-parental rights that will be introduced within the next couple of months.
What would potentially block this amendment from being passed?
Getting 2/3 House and Senate to vote for the amendment and ¾ of State Legislatures to ratify it within their State Constitutions. It is a matter of getting these votes and it comes down to public pressure on our elected officials to respond to this. 93% voters are in support of this parental rights amendment. We also need people to volunteer and exert themselves to get the word out within their local community, making it a talking point. We also need more media attention on this issue as well. Simply need to get this out by word of mouth.
This is a very important issue for parents within the Marysville and surrounding communities. Having read and interviewed Jonathan Horton from parentalrights.org, MPE will begin advocating and presenting focus articles on the parental rights we all have – rights that are fundamental to how we decide to raise our children, how our children ought to be educated, and why it is important to remove Government intrusion into those fundamental rights. Take action now, go to www.parentalrights.org and sign the petition. You can also locate your respective legislature and write to them, letting them know about the parental rights amendment that will be presented before congressional hearing and to vote for this amendment. Do not think for one minute that the government will support your parental rights when documented court cases and public educational systems have denied the fundamental rights of parents – this includes the passage of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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