Friday, October 21, 2011

Parents' Rights

In light of the new sex education mandate in the New York City public schools, Robert George has written this in an op-ed piece in the New York Times.  (By the way, a middle schooler in New York City is a sixth, seventh or eighth grader.)  Among other problems, this mandate victimizes most those parents who don't want their kids to participate in this so-called 'education,' but who can't afford private school.  Mr. George writes:
But beyond rival moral visions, the new policy raises a deeper issue: Should the government force parents — at least those not rich enough to afford private schooling — to send their children to classes that may contradict their moral and religious values on matters of intimacy and personal conduct?        
The right to parent is rather like the right to exercise one’s religion. Like parental duties, religious duties are serious and highly personal. This is why, absent the most serious reasons, it would be a grave violation of individual rights if the state prevented people from honoring what they regarded as their religious obligations. To subject children to indoctrination in deeply personal matters against their parents’ consciences is no less a violation than forcing Muslim parents to send their children to a Catholic Mass.       

No comments:

Post a Comment