7-20-09



7-20


7-15b
Do you know what needs to change about you as your child approaches the teen years? Let me give you a hint...it's something that you've done since they were born. And it needs to grow and evolve into something new, just as your teen is growing into a new person that only vaguely resembles the child they once were.

Many parents arrive at the teen years with everything going like clockwork, so why change? What's been working for more than a decade will surely continue working right up until the day their child leaves home, right? But then they are baffled and confused when their teenager begins to turn their back on the family and all the values they hold dear.

So, what is it that needs to change about you, the parent?

Change your aim
Most parents aim at providing everything for their child. However, I am convinced that there are some lessons that teens are not supposed to learn from their parents. Instead they need to begin working out things for themselves. If you guide every step and give your teen every material want and need, he'll begin expecting that for the rest of his life.

What's more, giving your teen the answer every time life presents a difficult question may actually get in the way of all they are supposed to learn. And, it spoils the opportunity for them to flex their decision-making muscles. Instead, allow them to think things through. Move from telling them how to think to asking good questions that will help them sort through their choices.

The aim changes from solving all of their problems and meeting all of their needs to allowing them to learn how to solve their own problems (sometimes the hard way), and taking responsibility for meeting their own needs.The method is to carefully identify what is going on in their world, and target your boundaries to teach them how to respond appropriately. And keep adjusting the boundaries for every "next new thing" that comes along, while allowing them to make decisions along the way. They will probably not make the right choice 100% of the time -- maybe not even 50% of the time -- but they need the opportunity to learn by doing so.

Change the underlying purpose of your rules
Move away from ruling your home, to using rules for training your teen to face the real world and building their character. In the early teen years and on through the time they leave home, the focus should be on character-building.

The aim is to change the rules that apply to your teenager to focus on setting boundaries and building character, not so much on managing actions.

The method is to develop rules that train your teenager how to think, how to make wise choices, how to keep a commitment, and how to live honestly, respectfully, and obediently. These are the most important character-building qualities you can help them develop.

Change the way you listen
I see two extremes in the way parents listen, and neither one is very helpful. The first is a parent who listens in order to react to every word that comes out of their teen's mouth. The other is a parent who dismisses everything their teen says, and never really listens. Over-listening and ignoring do nothing to prepare your teen to live in the real world.

As difficult as it can be sometimes, I believe it is better to know what a teen is thinking than to not know it. But knowing it doesn't necessarily mean you have to react or respond immediately. Sometimes a teen is just "thinking out loud" in an attempt to process the difficult things in their world.

If you are guilty of not really listening, you may see your teen baiting you and picking fights just to try to get you to really listen to what's going on in their life -- at a deeper level.

The aim is to stop assuming you know what your child is thinking, or making the same kind of demands as when you were younger, and develop strong listening skills.

The method for changing the way you listen addresses both sides of the "listening' issues. Zip your lip and open your ears. Sit directly in front of your teen when they are talking and listen intently. It is a simple concept with staggering ramifications. Start listening. Stop reacting. Stop ignoring. If you must ask a question, ask only that which allows you to further your listening, and keep quiet while they answer. This brings me to my next point...

Change what you are willing to talk about
Christian parents are sometimes so protective of their values and beliefs that they send the wrong message to their teen -- one that says, "We can't talk about that -- because talking about it will make it seem as if I approve." One sure way to build a wall between you and your teen is to make them feel that there are things you will simply not discuss.

The aim is to change the way you talk with your teen and what you are willing to talk about. Build opportunities for discussion -- a two-way conversation that takes interest in what each of you has to say, while exploring new ideas.

For most parents, the method involves spending more time listening and less time sharing your opinion. It also involves waiting until you are invited to give your opinion before offering it. Try, "I've thought a lot about what you're saying, I respect you -- so, what do you think should happen next?" You will find that the more you ask this question, without offering your own ideas, the more your teen will pursue discussing his options with you. He'll even come up with options he'd never thought of before, just because you are listening.

Change your attitudes about your parenting
Parents believe that what they do in raising their child in the younger years will carry that child through to his older years. For example, they go to church, walk in godly ways, study the Bible, go to Christian camp or summer mission trips. It is a deceptive self-comfort that we settle into in parenting -- if we just do "these things" our teen will turn out fine.

In reality, this attitude sets some parents up for disappointment, and it can become a rigid wall to run into when a teen begins to struggle. In my work with Christian parents and teens, it is usually harder to get the parents to change than it is to change the behavior of the teenager. But both must go hand in hand when it comes to working through a time of struggle.

The aim is to change your attitude about how successful you've been in parenting, and learning to view parenting as a more fluid, more accessible, and more grace-filled position in the life of your child that evolves over time. There is no perfect parent and no perfect parenting plan. So, you shouldn't always expect a perfect child.

The method involved in changing your attitudes and expectations is two-fold:

1. Move from seeking justice for their mistakes to giving more grace. Focus on finding more of what is right in their life, instead of always focusing on what is wrong. Pick your fights wisely and avoid nitpicking. There are important things and values you need to care about, but there are less important things that are best left to the teen's discretion. When given discretion over those less important things -- like clothing, as long as it is modest -- your teen will feel a sense of responsibility and may surprise you with how well he chooses. Or, he may admit later that his choices were really childish -- but he'd probably dig in his heels and not come to such a conclusion if it was a point of contention between him and you.
2. Allow for the struggle, should it come. Struggles are opportunities for change. The struggle does not invalidate all the work you have done in the life of your child, nor is it an indictment on your parenting. Just because your teen is experiencing difficulty right now doesn't mean God's thumbprint is no longer on his life. Usually the struggle is for a short time, so don't make things worse than they are, or make your child feel as though they are no longer loved or accepted. The two words I use most when encouraging a parent through such a time as this are: "Struggle well."

The fact that you care so deeply about your teen is no guarantee that everything in their life will be all right. Other factors may affect your teen -- factors that are completely out of your control. That's why many Christian teens today go through periods of struggle. Through it all, their parents need to keep adjusting, training, listening, and caring. Teens want more and more freedom, but that freedom shouldn't be without interaction, boundaries and guidance from their parents. Be there to coach them as you allow them a little more autonomy, so they can learn responsibility and grow in maturity through the triumphs and mistakes they'll make along the way.


7-15
Strengthening the Weak

On Monday, we sent out 50 different emails to our volunteers (not our whole email network) – 1 to each state – complete with news about our upcoming Congressional Blitz Days July 21-23 and state-specific contact information for your representatives. (More on those Blitz Days will be coming out to everyone next week – in time for you to take part!)

In the process, we learned a few things about ourselves – like where we have more volunteers and where we have fewer. So today’s Action Email challenge will focus on strengthening where we are weak.

So far, we have encouraged you to reach out where you are, as we need 10,000 supporters in each district. However, we know you also have long-distance contacts you can make if you haven’t already.

No state is where we need to be yet (though our progress is exciting!), but there are a few states that are lagging behind.

So, if you have friends or family in any of the following states, today’s challenge is to contact them and tell them about the Parental Rights Amendment. Send them to our website and urge them to sign up as a 10-and-2 Representative or as a volunteer for their area. We especially need to build our grassroots army in:

Connecticut	Pennsylvania
Massachusetts	Rhode Island
Nevada	Vermont
New Jersey	West Virginia
New York	Wisconsin

Of course, you may not know anyone in any of these states. If that’s the case, contact just three more people today and tell them about the Parental Rights Amendment – three people anywhere in the country. Who knows? Maybe one of your friends has a brother in Vermont, a sister in New Jersey, or an old college friend in West Virginia.

Whether you use a Rolodex, a Blackberry, or a little black book, it’s time to pull it out, flip it open, and find a few contacts. If we can strengthen these weak spots now, it will pay great dividends down the road – and protect children and parents for generations to come!

Join Our Social Networking Team

If you blog or enjoy Facebook, Blogger, Twitter, MySpace, etc. - we need you on our Team to increase our online presence.Click here for more details orto join.

Join the Email Network

Did you receive this email from a friend? Quickly join the network here.

Tracking Our House Sponsors

H.J.Res.42, the Parental Rights Amendment, has 105 cosponsors. Check our Sponsors List for your Congressman.

Why Not Become a Member?

For your donation of $25 or more, you can become a member of ParentalRights.org and receive two exclusive ParentalRights.org decals to display in your car window, or wherever you'd like. Your donation will help us continue our success in Congress and fuel our efforts in the Senate as well!

After the Fact

How did a prohibition of corporal punishment get to be part of the CRC when 169 countries allow reasonable spankings in the home?Read here to see how the CRC changes after the fact!


7-13

Beautiful, Click on the link. http://webmail1.webmail.aol.com/43735/aol/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.22208435&folder=Inbox&partId=7&saveAs=the_price_of_children.pps&a=124861&z=2226046

7-8c
Teens develop in maturity by doing, seeing, and experiencing. They crave freedom and they want to show the adults in their life that they are fully prepared to make their own decisions. They want to have some sense of control over what they do, where they go, how they look, and who they choose to be their friends.

But some parents want to prevent their teen from making mistakes at all costs (especially the same kind of mistakes they made when they were a teenager), so they apply more and more controls on their teen and hover over them. This excessive sheltering can lead the teen to a life of sneakiness (doing what they want to do behind the parent's back), frustration, anger, and eventually rebellion.

I can hear parents everywhere asking, "Isn't this the time in their life when we need to rein them in? This culture is horrible!" I agree. In fact, it is precisely because the culture is so difficult that it is important for Christian parents to prepare their teen by helping them develop discernment. An overprotective parent accomplishes just the opposite, and the bud of discernment never develops into full-bloom.

I'm not recommending suddenly becoming an overly permissive parent. You can never just cast your concerns about your teen to the wind, nor let them make foolish decisions again and again. Instead, I am talking about looking for ways to help your teen develop discernment through expanding their freedom and through learning responsibility.

The best way to offer freedom is to couple it with responsibility. For instance, a sense of freedom can come from having a responsible job. To have some hours away from home, to make some money, and to think on their own, will give them more freedom while still being responsible to a boss. On the other hand, an unwise freedom is to allow your teen more time to simply hang out with his buddies at all hours, aimlessly thinking up the trouble they can get into.

From my years of training horses I have learned to let the rope out a little at a time. I loosen the reins as the horse and I develop more trust in one another. There is a big difference between letting out the rope a little, and letting the horse out of the corral. Likewise, when I talk about giving your teen more freedom, you still need to maintain the "fences" or boundaries, but gradually loosen the reins so your teen has more freedom to operate within those boundaries.

I admit, it takes a leap of faith to get both you and your teen to the next level. However, finding a way to give your teen more freedom allows them to develop in maturity, before they become an adult and leave home altogether. A wise parent will see a teen's need for more freedom and find a way to give it them before they ever ask for or demand it, and even if they are still reticent to experience it. So, look ahead, and develop a test of their mettle that is age-appropriate. Explain the boundaries, rules, and consequences in advance, and then let them go.

Will they fail? Of course they will! They'll make mistakes -- and when they do, your job is to apply consequences so they learn from those mistakes. Expect failure, and plan for how to address it.

•Don't shame them when they fail. We all fail.
•Don't purposely put them in situations where you know they'll fail.
•Don't let your fears keep you from allowing your teen to try appropriate things.
•Don't fix the messes they make or lessen the consequences.
•Don't resort to, "I told you so," or, "I should never have trusted you," statements.

I love Chuck Swindoll's definition of failure. He said, "Failure is the backdoor to success." No parent wants their child to fail on purpose, but there are times when failure really helps a teen learn to be more discerning. As for me, I have been more blessed and learned more from the failures of my life than from the successes.

On the other hand, when a teen doesn't fail, reward them! Give them some positive feedback and reasons to continue making right choices. Thank them for thinking it through and coming to the right conclusion. Use their good decisions as an opportunity to give them more freedoms and therefore, more opportunities to make right choices.

You'll provide your teen with the strength and discernment they need later in life by spending less time sheltering and hovering, and more time helping them learn important lessons on their own. Appropriate freedom along with responsibility can be the catalyst to develop discernment and maturity in your teen.

Ultimately, you'll have to put your teen in God's hands. He loves and wants to protect your teen as much as you do. So pray, trust God to direct your child's path, and believe that He will make all things work toward His higher good. Pray for your teen's protection, for the right people to come into his life, and for the lessons he'll learn as he begins to experience more freedom.


7-8b
Dear Donna, Thank you again for being one of the first people to sign the Patients First "Hands Off My Healthcare" petition. In less than two weeks, over 70,000 people have signed the petition! It's catching on but we need your help! Can you help us reach 100,000 in the next 48 hours by sending the petition to 10 of your friends?

Tell Your Friends and Family to sign the "Hands Off My Healthcare" Petition

President Obama is using every tool at his disposal – TV, online video, Twitter, Facebook – to get the word out about his vision for health care. The Left is responding with throngs of supportive e-mails. You must answer them now! Help spread the message online through your social networks! Share the "Hands Off My Healthcare" petition on Facebook. Patients First is running TV ads targeting key senators. Check out one of the ads here. We must unite to prevent Washington from taking control of our health care! Take action by contacting your members of Congress directly through the Patients First website and tell them you oppose government-run health care. Then take just a moment to write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Thank you for partnering with us in the important fight! Please forward this message to 10 friends! Sincerely, Amy Menefee
Patients First



7-8
ParentalRights.org Releases New Video

A new video featuring president Michael Farris has been released by ParentalRights.org. To watch, click here, then double-click on the video image.

The video presents a new tool to introduce both the Parental Rights Amendment and the 10-and-2 volunteer campaign in Mr. Farris's own words.

Those interested in sharing the message with groups should contact ParentalRights.org at (540)-751-1200 to request a DVD copy. However,a small donation to cover shipping would be appreciated, and even then we can onlyprovide so many DVDs. Speakers and organizations will be given priority.

The video is also the central feature of animproved front page atParentalRights.org which now contains a Senate Cosponsor list to go along with the House list we have featured since March.

Next It's Your Turn: PROclaim Video Contest!

Though we haven't officially introduced it yet, we want you to be able to get started on an upcoming project - the PROclaim Video Contest. Here's how it works:

1. Make a video, telling America why it’s important to preserve parenthood. Your video can be anywhere from 10 seconds to 10 minutes (no longer, please). Act out a story or give a speech. Use music, photos, video, text, animation….We want to know why YOU support parental rights.

2. Then, we'll have you upload your video to a special video page and fill out the entry form.

3. Categories will include:

Children: 0-12
Teens: 13-17
Adults: 18+
Commercials: 30- or 60-second commercial spots

Watch for full details coming soon! Join the Email Network

Did you receive this email from a friend? Quickly join the network here.

Tracking Our House Sponsors

H.J.Res.42, the Parental Rights Amendment, has 105 cosponsors. Check our Sponsors List for your Congressman.

Thank You for Giving!

Because our decals are new, we've sent them to every donor of $25 or more in the history of our organization. If you recently received our thanks but haven't given lately, itwas to thank you for your earlier gift.

Why Not Become a Member?

For your donation of $25 or more, you can become a member of ParentalRights.org and receive two exclusive ParentalRights.org decals to display in your car window, or wherever you'd like. Your donation will help us continue our success in Congress and fuel our efforts in the Senate as well!

Alberta Votes for Parental Rights

The provincial government in Alberta has taken a stand to protect the rights of parents to opt their kids out of controversial school curricula. Read here.

New Parental RightsHand-out Available

It started as a Father's Day bulletin insert,but so many liked it's short introduction to the need for the Amendment, that we tweaked it and made it an everyday hand-out.Get ithere.


7-4


7-1

Managing conflict with your teen

Mark Gregston - Guest Columnist - 7/1/2009 8:40:00 AM

Most of us want to avoid conflict with our kids, but did you know that conflict in a family can offer you an opportunity to pull together like never before? If reckoned with properly, conflict is a force for change that has the power to bring relationships together rather than tear them apart.

Another positive aspect of conflict is that it helps a child learn how to stand up for himself. How else will he learn how to say "No" when he needs to, or "That's just not right," or, "I don't agree with that."

So, how can you effectively manage conflict with your teen in a way that maintains a solid relationship while at the same time honoring the household rules?

First, it involves agreeing with them in some way, while holding your ground in regard to enforcing the rule. Let me share with you one of my favorite words when it comes to managing conflict; the word is, "nevertheless."

Sweetheart, I'm aware your friends think this is a great movie, and they may be right, nevertheless...our rule for that is that we don't go to R-rated movies.

Darlin', you may have merit for being upset and I'd probably be upset too, nevertheless... our rule is that everyone in our family is required to be respectful of one another, even when we're angry.

Son, I'm sorry you don't like the new curfew rule. I didn't either when I was a teen, nevertheless...our rule is that curfew is midnight.

Handling conflict in a more intentional way sends your child the message – "Honey, I love you and I understand why you feel the way you do, but we're still going to live according to our household rules. If you choose to disregard the rules, consequences will follow."

You see, I believe conflict doesn't have to separate us. The word "nevertheless" acknowledges your teen's angst or viewpoint, while at the same time reaffirming – these are our rules, and if you choose not to follow them, these are the consequences.

Rather than leaving your child to wonder about the consequences, determine and communicate them in advance. How else can the teen properly choose? They can't. They need to be able to say to their peers, "If I do that, I'll lose my car for a month," or, "If I'm late now, my curfew will be even earlier for a month."

But you'd be surprised at the number of ways parents avoid enforcing consequences. Make it a rule for yourself, if nothing else -- the consequences I've communicated to my teen will be enforced, one way or another. Get some outside help with structuring the consequences if you need it. And, always present, a united front with your spouse.

Some parents haven't taken the time to set up and communicate household rules and consequences, or they just assume that their child knows where the line is that they shouldn't cross. For them, I've developed a handbook and complete home kit for setting up a system for discipline. You can see it online at HeartlightResources.com.

Beyond the normal rules and boundaries for curfew and chores and such, there should also be some rules you may not have thought about. For instance:

1. We must spend regular time together

Your relationship with your teen needs time to develop in a way that moves beyond entertaining them or simply providing for them. Require a one-on-one weekly breakfast or dinner to spend some time developing your relationship. Make it a rule – we will go out and eat together once a week. "If you don't show up, you owe me $25. If I don't show up, I owe you $100."

2. Everyone listens

Some of the best advice I give moms is encompassed in a simple mandate: Keep quiet! Instead of always nagging, correcting, cajoling, or critiquing – just be quiet. Look for opportunities to lead into a discussion where you can ask your teen to explain their point of view, their solution to a problem, or how they arrived at a conclusion, then allow them to talk. Don't try to correct their thinking – just let them talk.

Some parents just need to zip it. They need to turn the table and allow their teen to ask questions for a change. Teenagers today need to know someone will truly listen to them and not judge them for what is said. So sharpen your own listening habits, and your teen's may grow as well.

The point is, make your home a place where everyone listens and enforce it as a rule.

3. Lighten up! That's an order!

Some families need to learn to laugh together. So, make it a rule to do something wacky together every week. Play paint ball. Pull some stunts. Unexpectedly, take everyone to a motel with a pool and a game room for the night. Watch some really funny movies together, or have a water balloon fight on the lawn.

Parents today take themselves and their teens way too seriously at times. Let your kids see just how goofy you can really become, and make it a goal to make someone in your family laugh every day. Bring some fun things into your home, be impetuous, and smile a little more.

4. Our rules will be periodically reviewed

Like "sunset laws," rules need to be reviewed from time to time to see if they are still appropriate for the age of your children. An extreme example is, "We must hold hands crossing the road." Now, that was appropriate for little children, but not teenagers. Likewise, a rule such as "curfew is 10 o'clock" for a 12-year-old may be obsolete for a 17-year-old.

Taking time to communicate to your teen the rules that have changed shows the teenager that you value the idea of having rules and you will make them appropriate for them. Nothing undermines rules, even in society, more than when they are totally inappropriate, like some of these wacky laws:

- In Hartford, Connecticut, it is illegal to cross the street walking on your hands.
- In Memphis, Tennessee, it is illegal for a woman to drive a car unless there is a man either running or walking in front of it waving a red flag to warn approaching motorists and pedestrians.
- In Washington, it is illegal to drive an ugly horse.
- In Youngstown, Ohio, it is unlawful to run out of gas.

By the way, some rules never change -- and these are the kind of rules that apply to all family members, including the adults. They generally have to do with the values you hold dear, like: respect, morality, family observances, faith, common decency, and societal laws.

A relationship that doesn't stop
Your teen needs the kind of relationship that doesn't stop even if they overstep the boundaries (and there will be times when they do). At all times, keep reminding your teen: "There's nothing you can do to make me love you less, and nothing you can do to make me love you more. In other words, to do something wrong won't end our relationship. I will love you just the same regardless of your actions, but that doesn't mean I won't enforce consequences for breaking the rules."

What your child wants more than anything else is to have more freedom, while also having a solid relationship with you. A wise parent will give their teenager rules and boundaries and offer them opportunities to choose. Should they break the rules in their search for more freedom, their freedoms will be further restricted -- or the opposite of what they sought by breaking the rule. And if they consistently make right choices, then they also need to experience their freedoms expanding. In any event, your relationship remains rock solid and unwavering.







7-1 Take Us to the Party

This weekend, many will celebrate Independence Day with Tea Parties and other conferences or events. Many more will gather with friends and family to celebrate the founding of our great nation. If either of these is in your plans, consider taking ParentalRights.org along. Parentalrights.org volunteers are already set to host tables or booths at a number of Tea Parties across the country. A few will even have an opportunity to speak to the crowds gathered there. If you are heading out to one of these events, why not print some copies of Why An Amendment? or Twenty Things You Need to Know and hand them out while you’re there? And be sure to look for our table and share a word of encouragement with your fellow volunteers! If you’re gathering with family, what better time than July 4th to remember that freedom isn’t free, that the price of our freedom is eternal vigilance, and that freedom must be passed on to the next generation if they are to know what freedom is. The Parental Rights Amendment is an example of that vigilance, that passing on of freedom to the next generation. So why not sign up as a 10-and-2 volunteer and recruit to our email network just 10 of the friends you will see this weekend? If you can persuade two of them to go out and recruit ten more each – and keep the cycle going – we can grow exponentially in the weeks ahead! It is our sincere desire that you have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend. And while you’re at it, take us along and introduce us to your friends. Invite them to drop by and visit us at parentalrights.org anytime. Remember, their national sovereignty and parental rights are just as much in danger as yours are. The only solution is to stand together and insist on passing the Parental Rights Amendment.

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Are environmentalists scaring your kids? Marcia Segelstein - Guest Columnist - 6/30/2009 7:35:00 AM

There's a video currently making the rounds among schools (and on the Internet) which purports to explain to children how America's consumption of "stuff" is destroying the planet. Specially made to appeal to kids, with child-like animation, enough adults have bought into the message that it's being shown in classrooms across the country.

Annie Leonard created "The Story of Stuff," and narrates the 20-minute video.

In that short period of time, she manages to "teach" children quite a bit. I'll try to sum up a few of the highlights.


First, the civics lesson -- a la Leonard. It's the government's job to watch out for us and take care of us. But the government has become more interested in taking care of big, bad corporations. The government is naughty for not doing enough for us. And big business is just plain evil.

Now the story of how stuff is made. We start with extraction which, according to Leonard, "is a fancy word for natural resource exploitation which is fancy word for trashing the planet." Trees get chopped down, mountaintops are blown off so we can get metals out, and "we use up all the water and we wipe out the animals." Hmmm. I guess I missed the news that we'd used up all the water and wiped out the animal population. But just in case any school children in the audience were having the same thoughts, Leonard assures them that despite the fact that it's hard to hear, "it's the truth."

Next we move on to the lesson in anti-Americanism. We, apparently, use up more than our share of natural resources. "My country's response to this limitation [of natural resources] is simply to go take somebody else's," says Leonard. "This is the Third World." Evidently American are just plain selfish. And cruel to poor countries, too.

Back to stuff-making and production. What exactly is production? It's when we use energy "to mix toxic chemicals in with the natural resources to make toxic-contaminated products." I always wondered what factories were for.

Continuing along the line, so to speak, we come to distribution. How does all this toxic stuff get into our greedy hands and oversized houses? Thanks to stores that keep prices low for consumers by not paying the store workers very much and skimping on health insurance for them. I guess it just can't be said enough: businesses are bad.

She manages a few other jabs worth noting. On the topic of how awful it is to be a consumer, she makes fun of President Bush for encouraging people to shop after the attacks of 9/11. (He actually urged people generally to continue with their lives as normally as possible.) Perhaps she would have preferred an economic collapse. (Come to think of it, she probably would have.) She tells us that when choosing a picture to represent government, her friends told her she should use a tank. "After all, more than 50 percent of our federal tax money is now going to our military." (By the way, based on Congressional Budget Office numbers, that "fact" is wrong. It's more like 20 percent.)

According to The Heritage Foundation, this little propaganda film isn't only being shown in American classrooms. According to a posting there, "This film has been heavily promoted, translate, and distributed in foreign countries." More self-loathing exported overseas. According to Chris Horner, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, "This is community college Marxism in a pony tail."

The New York Times reports that the video is proving effective. Parents of one nine-year-old boy told the Times that their son worried whether buying a set of Legos would be bad for the planet after watching the video.

There actually are important lessons to be taught about consumerism. But, in my opinion, they're more about the fact that money can't buy happiness, and that over-consumption is likely a sign of a sick soul, not a risk factor for killing the planet. If you want to teach your children a good lesson about the down side of over-consuming, I recommend the VeggieTales video Madame Blueberry. No amount of stuff purchased at the Stuff Mart manages to bring the title character true happiness.

It will probably come as no surprise that Annie Leonard is a former Greenpeace worker. She's certainly entitled to her opinion, and to make a video espousing her opinion. But for schools to show this one-sided, environmentally-radical, anti-capitalist, anti-American video to children is unconscionable.

The New York Times also reports that "hundreds of teachers have written Ms. Leonard to say they have assigned students to view it on the Web. It has also won support from independent groups that advise teachers on curriculum choices. Facing the Future, a curriculum developer for schools in all 50 states, is drafting lesson plans based on the video."

So watch out. If your school hasn't already shown the video to your children, they may be planning to in the near future. Plans for a companion book and DVD are in the works.

And if you think you can't make a difference, consider the father in Missoula, Montana, who single-handedly convinced the school district there to ban "The Story of Stuff" based on the argument that it violated standards on bias. Liberals don't have a monopoly on activism.



6/28

Monitor what your kids are doing on line.

BERN, Switzerland - Swiss police say they have uncovered a child pornography ring involving more than 2,000 people in 78 countries, including the U.S.

Federal Police spokeswoman Eva Zwahlen says authorities were monitoring a Web site with a provider in the Swiss canton Vaud, acting on a tip from Interpol.

She says the site was devoted to hip-hop music. But unknown individuals used a forum on the site to hide illegal child pornography films.

Zwahlen confirmed a Swiss newspaper report that the investigation involves people from the U.S., Poland, Greece and other countries.

Weekly SonntagsZeitung reported Sunday that 32 men are under suspicion in Switzerland.




6/27
After a public uproar, Texas Governor Rick Perry rejected a bill that would have given Children's Protective Services unusual power. After the Lone Star State's legislature passed the legislation as an amendment to another bill, the alarm was sounded and the public rose to the occasion. Jonathan Saenz of the Free Market Foundation led the campaign.

"I like to call it a seize-and-ask-questions-later CPS bill, which would have expanded Child Protective Services' rights to violate the constitutional rights of parents and children, and allow CPS to come to your home and take your kids and examine them and question them regarding an anonymous tip," he explains.

Saenz adds that under the bill, that could happen without a court hearing, without notice to the parents, without consent, and even without good cause -- in spite of a federal court decision that requires constitutional protections to stay in place.

"So, it's just ludicrous that now the legislature would try to do an end-run around what the federal court decided," Saenz concludes.

Governor Perry's office was flooded with phone calls and emails before the announcement was made that he would veto the measure. 6/25 First, be encouraged. From reports we have received, we have kept the White House phone lines very busy this morning. We have also had an impact at Susan Rice's office. However, some of you are having trouble getting through to her. It turns out Susan Rice's name is not in the automated directory. However, there are three options to fix this. Please dial ONE of them, and deliver the message that you oppose the CRC, and that she should represent Americans to the United Nations rather than push a UN agenda on our country. 1. Dial the main line at 1-212-415-4000, and dial 6 to leave your message; OR 2. Dial the Public Diplomacy Office at 1-212-415-4050 and leave a message; OR 3. Dial her office directly at 1-212-415-4404. Again, you will need to leave a message. This is not a message they want to hear, so do not expect a cordial reception. The important thing is to get the message through. Thank you so much, and keep up the great work! Michael Ramey, Director of Communications & Research 6/23 Take Local and State Action to Protect Parental RightsOn Monday, June 1, the Tennessee House of Representatives voted 70-20 in favor of a resolution to oppose U.S. ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The same resolution passed both houses of the Oklahoma legislature in mid-May, but was cheated of a vote in the Tennessee Senate, which adjourned last week without considering the resolution. In keeping with the strategy outlined by the pro-U.N. forces at their symposium earlier this month, the state of Oregon has a proposed resolution that would call on the U.S. Senate to ratify the Convention. House Joint Memorial 23 was submitted on behalf of a member of the Campaign to Promote U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and is not expected to move out of committee, but it notes that the city Of Portland (OR) already has a resolution to the same effect. The City Council of San Francisco also adopted the CRC for their city in April of this year. In short, the battle for parental rights is being fought at every level, not just in the federal Congress. This week’s Action Email invites you to get involved in the state and local struggles, too. Here are some things that you can do:

1. Urge your city council or board of supervisors to pass a resolution rejecting the use of international or treaty law to infringe upon fundamental parental rights. Specifically, urge them to denounce the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as a violation of state and local sovereignty, since all state and local family law will be thrown out if the treaty is ratified.
2. Urge your state representatives to take up one of the sample resolutions available at our site – either opposing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child or supporting the Parental Rights Amendment (HJR 42) – or both! Many state legislatures are not in session during the summer, but this could be an ideal time for your representative to look over and consider new proposals for the next legislative session.
3. Take out an ad in your local paper urging passage of one or more of these resolutions, once they’re proposed. If nothing has been proposed in your city or state, take out an ad to encourage your U.S. Congressman to support HJR 42, or to urge your Senators to oppose the UNCRC and support SJR 16.
4. Go to parentalrights.org/join-the-fight and sign up as a District Representative, then coordinate efforts in your area to get your congressman to sponsor the Parental Rights Amendment, and to put pressure on your senators as well.

Please Take Note: Last week we sent you five major news stories - 1 each day. But only 20 to 30% of you were able to take the time to read those. Today's right column contains a brief recap of all five, with links to the articles on-line. Please take note of these vital events in the fight to protect children by preserving Parental Rights in America! Join the Email Network Did you receive this from a friend? Sign up quickly here. Tracking Our House Sponsors H.J.R.42, the Parental Rights Amendment, has 95 cosponsors. Check our Sponsors List for your Congressman. Amendment Introduced in the U.S. Senate Seethe latest on Sen. DeMint's SJR 16here. International Law versus Army Recruiters Who decides US recruitment policy - the US Government or the UN? Read here. UN Treaty Jeopardizes Homeschooling in Britain This is a major news item. If this is what the CRC means in Britain, it is what it will mean in the U.S. Read here. Human Rights Treaties are NOT Good for Your Health A new study disproves CRC rhetoric claiming the treaty will help child health. Read it here. "Child Rights" Forces Mobilize Those who support the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are making plans to build a grassroots network to push for ratification. Their plans, and how we fight them, here. Father's Day Bulletin Inserts - Final Score Volunteerssigned up327 congregations from all over the country, reaching approximately52,768 people. This does not count many of you we know participated, who didn't submit numbers online. The important thing is you got the w 6/20 Divorce case exposes minors to homosexual environment Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 6/20/2009 4:25:00 AM Eric Duane Mongerson and Sandy Kay Ehlers Mongerson were married for 21 years and had four children. The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled in their divorce case that the children cannot be prohibited from visitation with their now-homosexual father.The ruling would also put the children in contact with their father's homosexual friends. Matt Barber ofLiberty Counseltells OneNewsNow the courts historically have looked to the best interests of children. "In this case the court, in order to somehow perpetuate and further the interest of political correctness, has taken what's in the best interest of the child and turned it on its head," he contends. Barber says there appears to be no consideration for the fact that children are very impressionable and could be harmed from exposure to a homosexual environment. "Obviously it is not in the best interest of a child to be taken by his father and introduced to a group of people who are engaging in abhorrent sexual behaviors, who are modeling abhorrent sexual behaviors and celebration of that [which is] demonstrably dangerous from a medical, spiritual, and emotional standpoint -- modeling those behaviors for the child," Barber adds.The Libery Counsel attorney notes that puts the mother in the position of determining how to counsel her children. ***************** "Child Rights" Forces Mobilize 6/19 Dear Supporter of Parental Rights, Three major developments—all of them ominous—have occurred in the last several days. 1. On June 1 and 2, Georgetown University Law School hosted a two-day symposium entitled “The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): Why It Is Time to Ratify.” This well-funded conference was held to organize a new coalition effort by American internationalists to seek ratification of the UN child’s rights treaty. 2. In the second week of June, a major study was released by the British education ministry calling for dramatically dangerous increases in the regulation of homeschoolers in that nation. This study concludes that the UN CRC requires that the government enter every homeschooling home and privately interview each homeschooling child to determine “the child’s wishes” regarding his or her education. 3. On June 17, at the UN headquarters in Geneva, the UN’s Human Rights Committee—which oversees all human rights treaties—announced that it was forming a committee to draft a new “protocol” for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Under this new addition to the CRC, individual children would be able to file a formal legal complaint if they believe that their rights had been violated. It would give this new international tribunal the right to determine if the child’s treaty rights had been violated by any person. The internationalists believe that this is their moment in history. They have millions of dollars in their coffers. They have the media. They have the powers of government. They have the entire apparatus of the United Nations. We have some assets as well. Our arguments resonate with the American people—the vast majority of Americans believe that Americans should make our own domestic laws and that parents, not government, should make decisions for children. Leaders at the Georgetown conference publicly admitted that logic and facts will not defeat our arguments. What do they plan to do? They plan to use emotional arguments. They said so in open public sessions. At the Georgetown conference, the UN officials and other foreign experts were constantly censored by their American handlers. Why? Because these foreign experts acknowledge that this treaty would be supreme over American law. The American child’s rights propaganda machine denies that we would forfeit American sovereignty—even though they do not have the legal arguments to back their rhetoric. They did everything they could to silence their guest speakers when they strayed from the sanitized version of their message. We are in a race. It is a race for the future of the American family and American self-government. The question is: Will the lies of the internationalists be heard by more Americans than the truth of those who believe in families? I wish that I could look each person reading this right in the eyes. It is incredibly difficult for written words to explain how serious this situation really is. The real battle is being fought right now. Our opponents are preparing for a vote in the Senate sometime ahead—as soon as they feel they have laid the groundwork for victory. Because the internationalists possess the reins of government, have millions of dollars at their disposal, and have powerful allies in the mainstream media, they can build momentum much faster than we are able to do. We have to get our message out to others and we have to do it today. I have been leading grassroots political efforts for over thirty years. Without any fear of contradiction, I can tell you that we are going to win or lose the battle over the Convention on the Rights of the Child in the next few months. The key to victory lies in the stage of preparation. Will we have adequate preparation to win? The annual budget of Parentalrights.org is less than $500,000. They have millions and millions of dollars at their disposal. We must raise money right now to employ professionals who can help us get our message out in the media. We must also raise money right now to employ experienced people to work the halls of Capitol Hill on our behalf. I cannot do these things alone. We have to have a quality team if we expect to stop the combined power of Geneva, New York, and Washington. This is the time to decide whether you are willing to take meaningful action. There are just two tangible things I would ask you to do. 1. Give a gift of $10 or more right now to parentalright.org (PRO). Membership in PRO is just $25 a year. Sustaining membership is just $100. We have to raise a substantial amount of cash or we simply cannot keep up. 2. Please recruit at least three other people to sign up for our online email alerts. We have over 100,000 people who are a part of this team. We need to get to 4,000,000 supporters before the battle starts. We have to dramatically pick-up the pace of recruiting people if we are going to have any hope of beating the other side in the greatest grassroots battle in American history. We need to be doubling our numbers every couple months to get our team in place. You are the best recruiters we have. Please pick up your phone right now and call a friend and tell them that they need to read the email you are about to send them and that you really need them to become part of the team. This kind of personal attention will work. In less than two years, American social workers may be in a position to inform all our children that if they have any conflict with their parents over any decisions at all then they can file a formal complaint in an American court to vindicate their international rights. And ultimately, once this new protocol is in place, if they don’t like the outcome from the American courts, there will be a new UN tribunal to hear their complaint. Moms and dads, we have to get ready. The battle for American liberty is about to begin. Michael Farris Find this article on-line. Return to Normal Schedule We hope you agree that this week's news was worthy of an email a day. Next week, though, we will return to our normal scedule of about an email a week. We thank you for the opportunity to keep you informed on parental rights issues. Tracking Our House Sponsors H.J.R.42, the Parental Rights Amendment, has95cosponsors.Check our Sponsors Listfor your Congressman. Amendment in the U.S. Senate See the latest here. Volunteer Web Forum Up! Come discuss Parental Rights with other volunteers. Give and get insights and encouragementat 10and2.org. Please Update Your Petition Page! If you have already collected signatures, thank you! But if you haven't yet, and the petition page you printed out seeks signatures and not email addresses, please click here and download a newer version. We need email addresses to addsupporters to our activist email network! Decals Coming Soon! Due to limited resources, many of you still have not received your decals for becoming a member of our site. Those issues are now resolved. Look for your decals to arrive in the next 2-3 weeks. Father's Day Bulletin Inserts So far, our volunteers have signed up294 congregations from all over the country, reaching as many as 48,000 people. Get the insert and sign up your assembly here.http://www.parentalrights.org/index.asp?Type=DYNAFORM&SEC={3FAFD648-1E67-47BB-93FA-FB58AAD35B8C} ********************************************* Human Rights Treaties Are NOTGood for Your Health 6/18 “Does Ratification of Human-Rights Treaties Have Effects on Population Health?” That is the title of – and the question asked by – the first scientific study on the impacts of human rights treaties, which appeared in the world’s second largest medical journal on June 5. The Lancet published the study, produced by a team of Canadian scientists and academics, which found that no effects could be noted between a nation’s accession to these treaties and any improvement in its population health. For some time, many proponents of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) have urged that we ratify the treaty because, they say, it will improve the welfare of children. It will give them better education and more career opportunities in adulthood. It will improve health, increase life span, simply save lives. Children will be healthier, smarter, happier and safer. So they say. But there have been no studies yet demonstrating any of these claims. This study now proves that there is no correlation between treaty ratification and good results in public health. Taking into account such statistics as “HIV prevalence, maternal, infant (<1 year), and child (<5 years) mortality rates, and life expectancy rates from UN and WHO [World Health Organization] data,” the study “also gathered data for social indicators, including child labour, complete human development index score, gender gap, corruption index, civil liberties, and political-rights scores from reputable third parties.” Across the board, no evidence was found to suggest that any health benefits are derived by the people in a nation that ratifies a human rights treaty. The study looked at national accession to and compliance with six different human rights treaties, including the CRC, and found “that economic status was the greatest predictor of good health, but was not associated with likelihood of treaty ratification.” The study was performed by scientists from three Canadian institutions: The Faculty of Health Services of Simon Frasier University, and the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, both in Vancouver; and the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario. Dr. Edward J. Mills of the British Columbia Center for Excellence in HIV/AIDS led a team of eleven researchers on the project. In regard to treaties themselves, the study concluded, “We did not note an association between health outcome improvements between ratifying and non-ratifying countries over 10 years.” This refutes scientifically the notion that the CRC is a panacea for all social ills relating to children, an idea we have rejected all along. Even if it were the cure-all that its proponents suggest, the CRC would still not merit the loss of rights to parents or the loss of sovereignty in our states and country that its ratification would cause. That it demonstrably is not should only make clearer that the CRC and its ilk are a sour “medicine” we are better off without. Find this article on-line. Tracking Our House Sponsors H.J.R.42, the Parental Rights Amendment, has95cosponsors.Check our Sponsors Listfor your Congressman. Amendment in the U.S. Senate See the latest here. Volunteer Web Forum Up! Come discuss Parental Rights with other volunteers. Give and get insights and encouragementat 10and2.org. Please Update Your Petition Page! If you have already collected signatures, thank you! But if you haven't yet, and the petition page you printed out seeks signatures and not email addresses, please click here and download a newer version. We need email addresses to add supporters to our activist email network! ********************** I have seen many parents wonder what in the world happened to their family. They seemingly woke up one morning to a teen who completely changed overnight. Their loving, kind and thoughtful kid is now a person they no longer recognize. It's easy for them to feel they are not prepared for all of this – but who is? No matter how good a parent you are, there are forces at work in our culture trying to send your kid spinning off in a direction that you could never imagine. The teen culture is bent on undermining the values you have tried so hard to instill into their lives. Should you ever wonder if your teen's troubles have something to do with what you did or didn't do as a parent, remember this truth: There are no guarantees or perfect formulas in parenting! Every parent struggles with one adolescent or another. If you haven't, you probably will. Most of the kids who have ever come to live with us and be counseled here at Heartlight were from great Christian homes, with loving and caring parents. Some are from the families of well-known Christian leaders. They were just as shocked as you are that their child took a turn away from them, from God, and from everything they hold dear. So, it's a mistake to believe that Christian families are safe. Christian kids are just as susceptible as any other. But I can guarantee you that God loves your family as much as you do, and more -- and there is hope. There is a way through the difficult teen years, and there are tools that we have developed to deal with difficult teens. While it can be hard work, it is worth it. Perhaps you're going through a difficult time with your child and you're trying to find the meaning of "what just happened?" Or you wonder if you'll ever make it to the other side. Or maybe you see something coming and you want to prepare yourself. In all of this, I say, "Don't quit!"

•Don't quit -- when your efforts to intervene in your teen's terrible choices fail. •Don't quit -- when family time disappears, and your teen turns his back on your relationship. •Don't quit -- when your teen stays out without permission, and you have no idea where they are or what to do next. •Don't quit -- when you draw the line and say "Honey, we're not going to live like this anymore." •Don't quit – when you enforce consequences for improper behavior and your teen is upset. •Don't quit – when your teen says they hate you or threatens to run away.

What do I mean by saying, "Don't quit"? I mean, don't give up your parental role. Don't try to befriend your teen instead of parenting them, and don't ever give in to their disrespectful or self-destructive behaviors. It's hard being in the leadership role, but that's exactly where you need to be -- for in the absence of leadership, there is anarchy. In the midst of your darkness, God will come in the light of time with a promise of His presence and companionship. Whatever your situation, you need to understand that God is still there...He hasn't abandoned you. When there is confusion and darkness, God is still there. He promises to turn your "ashes into beauty," "sadness into joy," and "mourning into dancing." These are not empty promises. They are truths about God that reflect His power, and they reveal His ability to help those facing difficult times. They are for parents of teens who are struggling through things they never thought they would. Your relationship with your teen several years from now and for the rest of their life may be affected by how you handle their struggles right now -- so don't quit, and don't forsake your relationship or your love for them, no matter how they act. Ask God for help, rest in His presence, and again, don't ever, ever quit. And if you're ever tempted to quit, please call me. I'll help you work through it.-- 16 June 2009A U.S. District Court in Oakland last week declined to hear oral arguments in a case pitting international law against U.S. military policy. Judge Saundra Armstrong announced Tuesday that she would decide the case based on briefs and other documents presented to the court for that purpose. “No matter the outcome,” Arcata counsel Brad Yamauchi says, “we’re going to appeal to the 9th Circuit and possibly the Supreme Court.”At the heart of the case are local ordinances from Eureka and Arcata, two northern California cities, which would prohibit U.S. armed services recruiters from initiating contact with youths under 18, anywhere within city limits. The U.S. Department of Justice first filed suit against the towns, claiming that these Youth Protection Acts fail under Article VI of the Constitution, which makes federal law supreme over contradictory state or local legislation.In response, the cities filed countersuits claiming that current military policy violates the Convention on the Rights of the Child’s Optional Protocol on Children in Armed Conflict, which the U.S. ratified in 2002. (This is a separate but related treaty to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC); the U.S. has not ratified the main CRC.) “When the government enters into an international treaty or protocol, that becomes the law of the United States,” says Yamauchi, also citing Article VI. The cities claim that the U.S. military is in violation of the Protocol’s prohibition on the recruiting of children for military service. Current federal law allows representatives of the armed services to educate high school and college students on military career options, alongside other educational and vocational recruiters at job fairs and the like. To actually enlist, however, one must be 18, or close to 18 with parental consent. This countersuit constitutes the first time since the 2002 ratification of the protocol that the federal government’s compliance with the treaty has been legally questioned.Judge Armstrong’s decision to forgo oral arguments is widely considered favorable to the federal government’s case. “[I]f anything, it is a negative sign for us because we obviously have the steeper hill to climb,” admits Eureka City Attorney Sheryl Schaffner. However, Armstrong’s decision, which could come at any time, is not likely to be the end, nor is it safe to guess how the 9th Circuit might rule if the case is appealed.That this case exists at all is evidence of the threat that international law presents to our American way of life. Should the full CRC be ratified, not only federal law, but even state, local and individual family decisions will come under the authority of the United Nations when children are involved. The Parental Rights Amendment is the only guaranteed method to permanently stop international law from interfering with family and state laws. ****************************** UN Treaty Jeopardizes Homeschool Freedom in Britain 6/17 The following is a press release published by Home School Legal Defense Association yesterday: Purcellville, VA – Last week the Children’s Secretary of Britain accepted a report in full by Graham Badman which argues for an end to homeschool freedom. “While it’s disgraceful that the British government would even entertain this report it’s particularly troubling for American parents because the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was used as the justification for this action,” said Michael Farris, Chairman of HSLDA and President of ParentalRights.org. The Badman report uses Article 12 and 29 of the UNCRC to justify registering the estimated 80,000 homeschooling families in Britain, forcing them to provide annual reports regarding their homeschool, granting government officials the right to enter the home and interview the children alone as well as reserving the choice of curriculum to the state. HSLDA has been warning that the UNCRC could bring an end to homeschool freedom in the U.S., if the treaty was ever ratified by the U.S. Senate because Article VI of the U.S. Constitution says that treaties become the supreme law of the land. For the UNCRC to be ratified it must gain a two-thirds vote in the U.S. Senate. If this happens then the UNCRC will automatically supersede all state laws and U.S. judges will be obligated to follow the provisions of the treaty. Currently, family and education laws are state-based; however, ratification of the UNCRC would transfer the jurisdiction for making family and education law to the U.S. Congress. Congress would, in turn, be obligated to follow the UN mandates contained in the CRC. The only answer at this point would be to add a Parental Rights Amendment (PRA) to the Constitution. The Badman report is a stark reminder of how government officials in an English-speaking democracy have interpreted the UNCRC. It’s clear that the right to homeschool in America will be negatively impacted if the U.S. Senate ever ratifies the UNCRC. To read the full United Kingdom report, click here. To find out more about the Parental Rights Amendment, visit www.parentalrights.org. Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a 26 year old, 85,000 member non-profit organization and the preeminent association advocating the legal right of parents to homeschool their children. In light of this news, we urge you to encourage your friends and family to join our email network. We also encourage you to give as you are able to the vital work of stopping these intrusions from coming to America. Read this article on-line. Tracking Our House Sponsors H.J.R.42, the Parental Rights Amendment, has93cosponsors.Check our Sponsors Listfor your Congressman. Amendment in the U.S. Senate See the latest here. Volunteer Web Forum Up! Come discuss Parental Rights with other volunteers. Give and get insights and encouragementat 10and2.org. Please Update Your Petition Page! If you have already collected signatures, thank you! But if you haven't yet, and the petition page you printed out seeks signatures and not email addresses, please click here and download a newer version. We need email addresses to addsupporters to our activist email network! Decals Coming Soon! Due to limited resources, many of you still have not received your decals for becoming a member of our site. Those issues are now resolved. Look for your decals to arrive in the next 2-3 weeks. Father's Day Bulletin Inserts So far, our volunteers have signed up263 congregations from all over the country, reaching as many as 39,000 people. Get the insert and sign up your assembly here. ********************* PARENTALRIGHTS.ORG Amendment Reaches SenateThe Parental Rights Amendment as proposed by Rep. Pete Hoekstra in House Joint Resolution 42 has now been introduced in the U.S. Senate as well. The companion bill, Senate Joint Resolution 16, was introduced by Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina in May. Currently, Senator DeMint is the only sponsor. Our efforts in the House have been quite successful, securing 93 sponsors to date. So now is the time to contact your senators and urge them to sign on as cosponsors to S.J.Res. 16, the Parental Rights Amendment, in the U.S. Senate. To find their contact information, enter your zip code in the box at Congress.org. Bigger News ComingThe introduction of the Amendment in the Senate is actually not nearly the biggest news of this week. We will be posting a new story to our website each day throughout the week, and we will be emailing them to you, as well. We do not intend to increase the frequency of emails overall – generally, we understand that once a week is enough – but this week’s news demands more than the usual attention. So be on the look-out for news each day, including some really big news on Wednesday of this week. Until then, though – it’s time to get to work in the U.S. Senate! Tracking Our House Sponsors H.J.R.42, the Parental Rights Amendment, has93cosponsors.Check our Sponsors Listfor your Congressman. Volunteer Web Forum Up!Come discuss Parental Rights with other volunteers. Give and get insights and encouragementat 10and2.org.Decals Coming Soon!Due to limited resources, many of you still have not received your decals for becoming a member of our site. Those issues are now resolved. Look for your decals to arrive in the next 2-3 weeks.ANSWERS Available: What is the purpose for Section Three of the proposed Amendment? Read here.Father's Day Bulletin InsertsSo far, our volunteers have signed up228 congregations from all over the country, reaching as many as 33,000 people. Get the insert and sign up your assembly here ***********************