(Originally published at The Federalist)
Katy Faust is co-author of the new book, “Them Before Us: Why We Need a Global Children’s Rights Movement,” and director of the non-profit Them Before Us. She joins Culture Editor Emily Jashinsky to explain why adult desires often take priority over children’s rights.
“Whether its the definition of marriage, whether you’re looking at divorce, whether you’re looking at reproductive technologies, whether you’re looking at adoption or birth certificates or polygamy or whatever it is, if you look at all those issues from the child’s perspective and through the filter of children’s rights to their mother and father, you get the right answer,” Faust said.
“Children are harmed when they lose relationship with their mother and father, and all of society is harmed if we can’t defend these fundamental rights,” she continued.
While, Faust noted, it’s an unpopular opinion, taking care of children requires sacrifice and doing hard things like adults restraining themselves and prioritizing the rights of kids over their own desires.
“Look at the kids’ lives and tell me: Was it worth it? Their turmoil. Their struggles. Their diminished outcomes,” Faust said. “You’re messing with a child’s whole life here.”
“Sometimes that happens through tragedy, but when it happens because an adult places their own self-identification or their own sexual desire or their own romantic inclination over the rights of a child, that’s an injustice,” she continued.
You can order Faust’s book here.
Dear Katy
Brilliant work. I am so in awe of how your words become clearer and clearer. It is beautiful how you convey the message with poise and dignity – even though internally you are probably weeping over what we are doing to our children.
I’m so glad you caught the natural rights angle – a REALLY important step forward.
I personally would give an example of some place that we understand natural rights in action. For example, we understood long ago that we could not take away the natural rights and freedom of African-Americans – just so we could fulfill the desires of the slave owners.
It is evident that you are hanging back from using your message as a means to explain one major element in the cultural war that is dividing the US and Europe. Maybe you doing this on purpose. Totally understandable.
How to explain that the progressives – push forward with the idea that if more children can be killed, bought and sold, medically abused, abandoned by one biological parent, and more – then the world will become a more tolerant and wonderful place. More tolerant – yes. But more wonderful?
How to explain that if Biden and Kamala gain power – they will push forward with their child harming policies for the sake of political donations from all those companies that benefit from the harming of the child…
Still – I’m so very very proud of you all. May God bless your work abundantly.
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