On Bad Logic, Abortion, and Children’s Rights

Last updated on: August 8, 2013 at 5:33 am by Libby Anne

On Bad Logic, Abortion, and Children’s Rights 2013-08-07T16:41:15-04:00 Libby Anne

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Blogger Connie, a homeschool mom with eight children, recently wrote a post on why she opposes regulation of homeschooling. (She says it’s because she doesn’t trust the government.) In that post she approvingly showcased an earlier comment on the topic that had been left by a reader:

Public schools and their employees/programs are required to account and report things, and stay accountable, because they are using public dollars and are essentially employees to public money. As such, they do and ought to provide all kinds of accountability to pretty much everyone and their mother/neighbor/tax paying citizen for their choices in manner and method of providing educational services. Parents using their own dollars to educate their children (who, let’s remember, they’re entitled to execute in utero should they so choose!) don’t owe accountability to the state or anyone else.

Connie is extremely and adamantly pro-life, and so, presumably, was the reader who left that comment. Here’s the problem: You can’t use the fact that abortion is legal to argue that parents should be able to do whatever they want with their children’s education with no accountability if you don’t actually believe abortion should be legal. It doesn’t work that way.

Let me put it like this: Connie appears to be suggesting that because abortion, which she believes amounts to killing your child, is legal, you should logically also be able to do whatever you want to your child once its born. But she also believes that abortion should be banned . . . which means that logically she should also believe that you shouldn’t be able to do whatever you want with your child once it’s born . . . which means she should be in favor of some form of accountability when it comes to homeschooling. Except that she isn’t.

Which brings me to another point: The idea that pro-lifers believe that children only have rights before they’re born. Because isn’t that what’s going on here? Connie balks at the idea of being accountable to the state for how she raises or educates her children. She wants them to leave her alone and let her do whatever she wants with her children. Do I think Connie is an abusive parent? No. I just don’t think she’s entirely thought this through. It’s only before birth that she wants the government to step in and tell women what they can and can’t do with what she views as their children. Before birth? All the rights in the world. After birth? The child is the property of the parent. Accountability? Ha! Parents’ rights.

Which brings me to the other time I’ve seen this same cocktail of arguments and issues. Michael Farris, you see, would very much like to get a parental rights amendment passed. He has drafted one himself, and he has 60 cosponsors in the House. Here is how it reads:

The Proposed Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

SECTION 1

The liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children is a fundamental right.

SECTION 2

The parental right to direct education includes the right to choose public, private, religious, or home schools, and the right to make reasonable choices within public schools for one’s child.

SECTION 3

Neither the United States nor any State shall infringe these rights without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served.

SECTION 4

This article shall not be construed to apply to a parental action or decision that would end life.

SECTION 5

No treaty may be adopted nor shall any source of international law be employed to supersede, modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this article.

So here’s an interesting question: Why is Section 4 even there? If you really thinks you need to add a clause to specify that parents’ rights don’t extend to killing their children, I think you might want to rethink the wording of the rest of your amendment. And if you’re worried enough that the wording might indicate that parents have the right to kill their children that you add an exceptions clause to the contrary, don’t you think you should include more than just death in that exceptions clause? Why not specify that parents can’t torture their children, for instance, or otherwise physically abuse them?

The sad thing is, I know the answer. Farris added Section 4 because some of those involved in the drafting were concerned that the amendment might be used to defend abortion under the banner of parents’ rights. He didn’t add the clause because he was concerned about protecting children from death from child abuse, he added the clause because he was concerned about banning abortion. Because banning abortion, apparently, matters more than ensuring that your parental rights amendment does not make child abuse, child torture, and child murder legal.

You know what? I’m really sick of people claiming to care oh so much about little “babies” murdered during abortion, and not giving a shit about actual born children.

Previous Post

August 7, 2013

Want To Help Homeschoolers? Check This Out.

Next Post

August 9, 2013 CTBHHM: The Tale of the Purple Flowers PJ Girl

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Atheism Evangelicalism/Fundamentalism Family Feminism Homeschool Meta Parenting Patriarchy Politics Purity Quiverfull Social Justice Uncategorized Worthwhile reads

Select a Month February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who saw a burning bush that was not consumed?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jacob Moses Isaiah Abraham