Parents Ordered to Let Child Die: Take Action

All hope for 10-month-old Charlie Gard died when the European Court of Human Rights denied the petition to hear his parents’ appeal of a British court ruling that will end his life. Charlie has a rare genetic condition that has rendered him immobile and unable even to eat or breathe on his own, but an experimental treatment in the U.S. once gave his parents hope. State doctors sued for the power to end his life citing the child’s “best interests,” and the courts agreed. Now, their last chance of an appeal exhausted, parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates are forced to watch their baby die.

“Natural bonds of affection lead parents to act in the best interests of their children,” the U.S. Supreme Court has held. Parham v. J.R., 442 U.S. 584 (1979) But in Charlie’s case, the doctors and courts have decided that they know better.

There is much more to this heart-wrenching story, and we will follow it closely and keep you updated. But the bottom line is this: parents, not doctors or courts, should be trusted to make the best decisions for their children (absent abuse or neglect).

Sadly, there is no action we can take as an organization that would save young Charlie’s life. But we can act to keep this kind of judicial overreach from coming to our country.

Please take a moment right now to contact your federal representative and two federal senators and urge their support for the Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This bi-partisan common-sense solution will keep parents in the driver’s seat when their child’s life is on the line – and during all the other ordinary decisions parents must make every day.

Our friends at Home School Legal Defense Association have graciously made their legislative toolbox available for our use to speed your response time, so click here to enter your info and contact your lawmakers with a personalized message. (This will not subscribe you to anything from HSLDA, but you will need to “register” to link you to the right officeholders. On the page after you register, click the red “Take Action” button near the top-right corner of the page to customize and send your message.)

Only by standing together can we prevent the kind of government-knows-best rulings infecting Europe from taking over American courts as well. Thank you for taking your stand with us to protect children today!

Sincerely,

James R. Mason
President

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