ACTION

Do you know that the Senate is about to vote on a treaty that would put us under international law when it comes to parenting our special needs children? 

On its surface, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) sounds like it will protect those with disabilities and many are supporting it with good intentions. When you look deeper, it actually gives the government the power, with direction from the U.N., to decide what is best for our children.

I agree with Senator Jim DeMint, "Why should we submit ourselves to other nations who have been far less effective and committed to this cause? We can be the light on the hill ... why should we submit instead of lead?"

Senator John Kerry is rushing this through a committee vote today and planning for a full vote on the floor by next week. Some have suggested that they are in a hurry to get it ratified before the American people demand a debate.

Remember, if ratified, CRPD would become the law of the land under the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause, and would trump state laws, and could be used as precedent by state and federal judges.

Two provisions of the treaty concern me the most:

• One provision in the treaty would give the government, acting under U.N. instructions, the ability to determine for all children with disabilities what is best for them. 
• Secondly, if CRPD were ratified, it would give the U.N. discretion over decisions about how we educate our special needs kids, and could potentially eliminate parental rights for the education of children with disabilities.

I'm sure you can understand that we come at this issue from a personal angle.

As you may know, our daughter Bella is a precious special needs child. In working with healthcare professionals, early on we found that a few advised treatments were not helpful to Bella. In fact, they could actually have been quite harmful.  As her parents, we were able to make the decisions that were best for her.

Karen and I have found that we are far from alone. Many parents across the U.S. care for their special needs children, and they are the best equipped to do so.  The government cannot determine the right education path for a child they have never met. 

Since CPRD is a treaty, the U.S. Constitution requires that it must be ratified by two-thirds of the U.S. senators present.  We need to make sure that 34 senators vote "NO"!

Karen and I are sending a letter to each U.S. Senator explaining the dangers of the very troubling U.N. Treaty. Will you please take just a minute to send an email or  make a phone call to your Senators?

We can make a real difference by standing together as one voice on this crucial issue!

Would you also consider joining with Patriot Voices and partnering with us to be a voice for those who cannot fight for themselves? Please help by making a contribution to Patriot Voices today of $10, $25, $50 or even more so that we can afford to continue this fight.

Thank you and God Bless for all that you're doing to stand with us!