August 03, 2012
Friday PM

The CRPD stands for The Convention of Rights of Person's with Disabilities. It is a treaty that is going to be voted on in the Senate to be ratified soon. I have done my own research and am horrified that we would even consider this. Basically, it is the same as The Convention on the Rights of a Child. However, it is giving the UN/government control over what is in the "best interests" of the disabled and disabled children. It supersedes any of our own fundamental rights like the right to self-govern, our laws and Constitution. And instead of "We the People" it gives further control over to government to do what "it" thinks is best.

It scares me, because Hitler didn't just come to power overnight doing his atrocities. People really believed in change and the "best for the Motherland". It wasn't about killing people, but about success, improvement and a better way of life. If the people of the country were looking at long term consequences of their ideology, how many do you think would have stopped it before it got out of hand?

What is defined best by government is not always what is best for individuals. Eugenics is a good example. Belgium is one of the countries that adopted the UN treaties. Their doctors get to decide to kill children under the age of 1, if the doctor believes the child will suffer in life because of a disability. No joke. Parents can protest, but to no avail. This is not unlike what Hitler did. At first the disabled were taken care of and put in homes, and then they were given "merciful deaths."  In Sweden, it is a "child's right" to childcare outside the family home. It is expected that families place their children in childcare by the age of 1. If you home school in Sweden, you can look forward to being hunted down and your children taken. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I cannot think of a time in history where once government gained a foothold in "human rights" that it ever let go of its prey. Human rights were defined no longer by individuals, but by the few on top who ruled. Where does it stop once you have lost your rights of personal choice? And is it really "human rights" at the end of the day or a way to sugarcoat another person's beliefs that you will be forced to live by? Before we know it, we will have lost all that we have, by trying to do good, and only a few will have gained in the end.

I believe in families, kids, parents and individuals. It really saddens me to see our freedoms and way of life slip away. More and more governmental control only leads to oppression and suppression, even if it was started with good intentions.

Article 7 of the CRPD states:

1.  STATES PARTIES shall take all necessary measures to ensure the full enjoyment by children with disabilities of all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with other children.
2. In all actions concerning children with disabilities, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.
3. STATES PARTIES shall ensure that children with disabilities have the right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them, their views being given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity, on an equal basis with other children, and to be provided with disability and age-appropriate assistance to realize that right.

There is no consideration in this article for parental rights and it states that “in ALL actions…the best interests of the child shall be the PRIMARY consideration.” And who is going to be considering what is in the best interest of my child? The government or "STATES PARTIES". My child shall also "... be provided with disability and age-appropriate assistance to realize that right." That means government shall undermine and take over the parents roll to "provide" the "assistance to realize that right." However, I still believe it is a fundamental right and the job of a parent to decide what is in the best interest of a child and to GUIDE their child. What is a parent without this right?

No one knows a child like a parent. A parent sees the small things that add up to big things in a child's life. We make it our priority. Each child is different and every family is different. Every child in each family is different. I know that we have to take unique things into consideration with each child in our family when deciding what is needed for our child's success and happiness. THERE WILL NEVER BE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL.

How can a government begin to monitor and "ensure" the “enjoyment” of those with disabilities to be equal to others without establishing precedence for it? Firm standards would need to be established requiring defined rights, best interests and happiness of those with disabilities and those without. Thus, our freedom and liberty of which we once knew will fade into nonexistence in light of a governmental controlled and defined definition of “rights” and “happiness” and “best interests”; a one-size-fits-all cliche. And it would require a plan for everyone to conform and the government would have the right to take all necessary steps to ensure that it happens.

A government does not consider differences in each child, individual or family and no one will do as much for our kids as we, the parents, will. The CRPD will require my kids to conform to what the GOVERNMENT thinks they need and this will not make my kids happy. Nor will this be the best thing for them. The CRPD is supposed to help secure the “fundamental freedoms” of those with disabilities, yet it can’t even protect the “fundamental freedoms” already established. No bureaucrat or politician beliefs should take precedence over a parent when it comes to a child. Please do not give anyone the right to overstep this boundary. It is not what is going to help our children, families or individual freedom.

I believe this issue touches all our lives and no matter our beliefs. I believe that just like opening the door with the government deciding what is needed to "protect us", it leaves unchecked power and will leave the people of the US with privileges to be doled out with permission instead of liberty. The government taking control of our "best interests" will render us powerless and it will supersede our right to individual freedom, religious freedom and the right to self-govern.

Please help stop this treaty. But whatever you decide, thank you for reading and for considering the future of America.

Amanda Mitchell
Ketchikan, AK

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