Dear Parents,
As you know the state is trying to take over from you our parents, the right to decide what is best for us, what our rights are and what is in our best interest.
Despite the appalling record of state institutions entrusted with the care of neglected children, they claim that they are doing this, taking over control because they know better than you do and are concerned and care for your children and will suggest to you that you are uncaring if you do not agree with them i.e. vote YES in this referendum. We your children say the opposite show us your loving care by voting NO.
The state intrusion into family matters is setting us, you and your children on a collision course of our rights and yours. The state will set itself up as judge to adjudicate, they will claim that the constitution is amended, it gives them the right and that you, if you vote yes will have ratified their claim. This will have far reaching and disastrous consequences.
To raise one example in some other countries a 14 year old girl has the right to have an abortion without reference to her parents, without their knowledge or consent. Is that the kind of thing you want to say yes to? Situations of this and other kinds have become a nightmare for parents in those countries. Those who are sticking for your YES vote will not, of course tell you all that is entailed, they never do. They are once again trying to sell you a pig in a poke. Do not buy it.
In their attempt to justify a takeover of your right to decide for your children to soften you and condition you to comply they will continue bombarding you with impressions, messages and examples of hard cases.
These are the same people who not so long ago pledged not to introduce abortion and are now grasping around to find a way to wriggle out of that commitment….. so much for their care and credibility. When abroad their sole motivation seems to be to say yes to their European bosses, to sign up to everything they are told, to catch up with and emulate European lifestyles.
We are an embarrassment to them. Their European colleagues are probably taunting them and asking them “when are you going to leave your tradition values behind, lead your people out of the dark ages”…….”get with it”!?! You should read what Kathy Sinnot, MEP, has to say in the Alive Monthly about the bind our Irish officials have got themselves into abroad. Writing in the October issue of Alive in an article headed “Government hotting up war on parents rights” she sums up at the end….. “The children’s rights referendum is about giving the keys of the hen house to the fox”…….. NO THANK YOU.
After your experience of our “state’s childcare” and their handling of our affairs in general for as long as you remember you don’t have much reason to trust them, nor do we, we trust you far more, we trust you completely. We know that you love us and have our well-being’s at heart. We plead with you to hold on to your right to decide for us everything that concerns us, our up-bringing, our well-being, our education etc. It is your right, your god-given right and not the state’s with regards to our neglected children, the constitution already provides for their care. The state does not need to be given more power. They already have enough and this is a view shared by many people including solicitors, judges and high court judges.
Nothing can be more traumatic for parents and their children to be separated. It should absolutely be the last resort and based on factual knowledge, it should not be left to stranger’s acting on behalf of the state. Perhaps a Children’s Community Alert should be established in every parish getting local nurses, doctors, teachers, ministers, gardi and neighbours involved who know the family concerned and are familiar with the circumstances. In this way the state power could be curbed, not increased.
Father Sweeney
Ramelton
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