Loving, involved parents across the country have become enemies of the federal government. Labeled as “domestic terrorists,” the government seemed to think they could name-call these parents into silence. And yet, no parent backed down. In fact, it appears that parents and state legislators alike are coming together to defend the fundamental right of parenthood.  

Pennsylvania may become the 16th state to reaffirm parental rights should the current Senate Bill 996 make it to the governor’s desk once Senator Mastriano is in the gubernatorial seat (yes, I am being very presumptuous here). The bill explicitly defines parental rights as a fundamental right. It would protect parental decisions on education, mental health, health care, and other issues.

This fundamental right is one of the older ones in the book, er, I mean courts, going back to 1923. The 14th amendment was reaffirmed in the case of Myers V. Nebraska, where a teacher was sued for teaching German to a 10-year-old child. However, the 14th amendment is clear, “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” That first line bears repeating for all government officials, “no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.”

Parental rights being upheld because of the 14th amendment has been reaffirmed 3 additional times at the Supreme Court level. Yet, here we are, 2022, and the state, often through the Department of Education and the Department of Health, is trying to take away the rights of parents to decide the education and upbringing of their children.  

The Pennsylvania Senate hearing held on October 18th, 2022, was a standing-room-only event and comprised of 8 decision-making public officials: 6 state senators and 2 executive directors. The parents filled the room with what seemed to represent every ethnicity from all across the state, with multiple people lined up to testify their stories of being victimized by government entities. One thing became clear; do not mess with mama bears.

Stories of parents being sued by school districts just because they used their constitutional right to get information that should’ve already been transparent became known. One particular mother was sued by her school district 10 times. This means if you are a Central Bucks School district resident, you should be questioning the “legal charges” line item of your district’s budget. With the annual presentation of a “budget crisis” drives Act 1 to make sure a penny is never left behind. How does a school district have that much money to go after a parent when the school district loses every time? What was this school district trying to block?

An example of the school district’s decision-making processes and lawsuit palooza occurred in August 2020. Superintendent, John Kopicki, announced an abrupt change of plans; students would be starting the school year virtually. This went against the advice of the health director and 81% of the parents in favor of in-person classroom instruction. After the parent submitted a public records request to find out what happened, the parent got sued. After the parents won in court, the superintendent resigned just days before the release.  

Another notable lawsuit came about from a decision in August 2021 when Governor Wolf attacked students’ rights by issuing another statewide mask mandate. A parent successfully sued the Wolf administration to have the mandate thrown out. Yet, Attorney General Josh Shapiro stepped in to appeal the decision (and thankfully lost). AG Shapiro is currently running for PA Governor on a platform of “freedom.” However, in every way, his actions have demonstrated the opposite. Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court recognized parental rights recently, saying, “[a} parent’s right to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control of his or her children is among the oldest of fundamental rights.”  

This same school district mentioned above has teachers who are choosing to hide pertinent information from parents in the name of discrimination and is taking it upon themselves to initiate gender-affirming care. This can range from socially affirming behaviors to irreversible harm from surgical interventions because of gender dysphoria, which more than 75% of children recover from as adults. 

The real problem is that it is not just one school district. School districts across the country are creating highly inappropriate policies that break down the family unit and create a secretive environment that is common among sexual predators. Programs are being introduced behind the closed doors of a classroom, with students being instructed not to talk about it at home.

The curriculum is being changed to incorporate “CRT” or Critical Race Theory elements that use concepts of oppression, race as a social construct, and systemic racism. The bottom line, it creates a framework of division and cognitive guilt and labels people into subgroups. It tells one group they are victims and another they are oppressors. This may be the quickest way to break down any society. Rather than focusing that we are all Americans who can achieve the once coveted “American Dream,” it teaches victimhood. 

The evidence is horrifying. The school districts, Department of Education, and Department of Health are out of control. States must step in to protect parents. The necessary legislation (SB996) in PA is modeled after the Florida Parental Rights Bill (HB241) that ensures “parental rights from being denied or abridged.” It creates curriculum transparency and articulates that “it is a fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their minor children.”  

So who is the champion of this legislative change in Pennsylvania? It should be no surprise to anyone that it is the gubernatorial candidate, Senator Doug Mastriano. “This statute is needed now more than ever as the constant eroding of parental rights over the past two years,” Mastriano said. “We saw instances where parents were labeled as domestic terrorists simply for advocating for what they felt was best for their child.”

“We saw schools shuttered and parents left without in-person learning alternatives.” He continued on to say, “SB 996 will provide parents the legal protection they need when overreaching bureaucrats attempt to overrule their voice. Regarding raising children, parents are better than the government.”

The bottom line is that voting blue could harm your child’s mental, social, and physical health.

If you, as a parent, feel that you know what’s best for your child, vote red in order to maintain your rights and protect your children!

Image: Reuters