Parental rights: Do we have them in Idaho?

I would like to begin by informing you about the current status of our parental rights in Idaho. In 2011, a bill sponsored by Representative Bob Nonini and Senator Russ Fulcher, and co-sponsored by House majority leader Mike Moyle and Senator Steve Vick, was introduced about parental rights. These representatives encouraged Congress to pass the Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in order to protect the rights of all parents. The idea of this bill was that parents would be ensured the sole right to be in charge of the upbringing and education of their children.

The bill made it all the way to the U.S. Congress but unfortunately it was not ratified. Up to this point, the citizens of Idaho were excited to stand up for their liberties and fight for what they believed was right. Unfortunately, the bill failed to be ratified in Idaho's State Legislature also, and the people once again felt powerless against the government.

Why are parental rights so important? Well, before our country was even established, God created the first form of government called Family government. Family government follows the Biblical model of all governments. Parents are the sovereign rulers in the family. Authority has been delegated to the parents from God, and parents ought to reflect the image of God. When the Family government is not preserved and protected, then how can we expect to protect state government?

The Constitution was written to protect the people from the government. Our Founding Fathers knew that the government would eventually become a problem for the people. James Madison especially believed this could be a problem so he wrote the Bill of Rights to further ensure the rights of the people. Our Founding Fathers worked hard to protect our freedom. Our government was created by "We the People" and was meant to be controlled by the people.

What happened? Who gave the government the power to disregard our rights as citizens of the United States? Unfortunately, we did. It is our job as citizens to make sure that the government does not overstep its bounds. When do we start standing up for our rights? If you want to be in charge of your children's education and upbringing, then you need to stand up and say something! Some people don't think there is any reason to worry about parental rights in Idaho. They are wrong. Our parental rights are in grave danger of being taken completely away from us.

Many people are familiar with the Justina Pelletier case and the injustice that family received. What people don't know, is that similar custody fights have occurred at other pediatric hospitals. The question is, do parents have a say in their children's medical care? Evidently not! This should be concerning for all parents. Can this happen in Idaho? The facts and information are readily available and everyone should look closer. Idaho does not have a parental rights law on the books right now. We currently are not protected.

Our Founding Fathers believed in our rights. They did their best to protect our rights from being stepped on by government. Instead of honoring this idea, people have completely forsaken it. They have taken on a helpless attitude and no longer believe they have any power to stand up for themselves. I believe we can make a difference if we stand together on this issue. We need to stand up for our children's and grandchildren's sake. Our parental rights are extremely important. Please, people of Idaho, stand up for this issue!

Courtney Theander of Athol is a high school student who is being home-schooled.