Ignore the Rod: the Parental Rights Amendment Isn’t About Spanking
Several weeks ago, a Politico story gave a glimpse into the long-shot movement to create a new “parental rights” amendment to the Constitution, citing the debate as “the new wedge issue” that will reignite the culture wars (or perhaps more appropriately, reinvigorate media coverage of the ongoing, un-extinguished culture wars).
The proposed amendment, led by Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), has garnered 81 supporters in the House to date. Hoekstra has created a website, parentsrights.us, to organize support and house his numerous recent media appearances in support of the bill, which holds that “The liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children is a fundamental right” which no treaty or international law can supersede. Since its introduction, the bill has been covered heavily by Fox, ranking coverage from Bill O’Reilly, Mike Huckabee and other conservative anchors, fanning outrage over the idea that parents will be forbidden from disciplining their children or dragging them to church. However much church attendance and spanking may have been the focus of recent coverage, from both supporters and opponents of the proposed amendment, neither is the most potent issue in this fight.
