Children's Rights

The other day, I wrote a post about the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child. This treaty seeks to protect basic rights for children around the world, including the United States. Every nation in the world has signed this treaty except the United States and Somalia, and Somalia has informed the United Nations that it is ready to sign.

That leaves the United States standing alone as the only nation in the entire world that refuses to sign the treaty and guarantee basic rights to children. There are some in this country who believe the treaty would interfere with parental rights. I think that's hogwash. No parent should ever have a right to abuse their children, and if they do they should be prosecuted or have those children removed (or both).

We live in a fairly violent country, and I submit to you that much of that violence can be traced right back to a child that did not have his/her basic rights and needs met. An abused child will often turn into a violent or abusive adult. Isn't it time we started to take this problem seriously, both for children and our country (and our world)? A good start would be for the United States to finally ratify the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The United States government says it is studying the treaty. Frankly, the time for study is over and the time for action is here. The treaty is already twenty years old. How long are we going to have to wait for our government to do the right thing?

Meanwhile, I have found two blogs that are a pretty good resource on children's rights, and have added them to my blogroll for your convenience. They are Stop The Storm (U.S.) and Children's Rights And Other Things (U.K.). Stop The Storm also has a plain language version of the rights that children should have. I thought it was so good that I'm reprinting it here:

1. All children have the right to what follows, no matter what their race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, or where they were born or who they were born to.

2. You have the special right to grow up and to develop physically and spiritually in a healthy and normal way, free and with dignity.

3. You have a right to a name and to be a member of a country.

4. You have a right to special care and protection and to good food, housing and medical services.

5. You have the right to special care if handicapped in any way.

6. You have the right to love and understanding, preferably from parents and family, but from the government where these cannot help.

7. You have the right to go to school for free, to play, and to have an equal chance to develop yourself and to learn to be responsible and useful.

Your parents have special responsibilities for your education and guidance.

8. You have the right always to be among the first to get help.

9. You have the right to be protected against cruel acts or exploitation, e.g. you shall not be obliged to do work which hinders your development both physically and mentally.

You should not work before a minimum age and never when that would hinder your health, and your moral and physical development.

10. You should be taught peace, understanding, tolerance and friendship among all people.