The problem with parental rights

In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about parental rights. On the surface, this might sound like a good idea. If you look with any depth at all, big problems start to emerge.

Who should be responsible for the values embraced by a child, parents or the government? Parents might seem like the right answer, but this question should not be presented as a binary option. Personally, I reject the idea of mental dependence. Children should be developing their own thoughts, beliefs, opinions, and values. They should not simply be told any of these things.

Some parents have the same views as teachers. Teachers are fine with them. Parents who disagree, on the other hand, are being absolutely villainized. This has effectively created a war between teachers and parents. Parental rights are about siding with parents instead of teachers when these disputes arise. Who loses in these disputes? The children.

Let me clarify something. If I absolutely had to choose between parents and teachers, I would side with parents. I openly oppose the push for conformity, and there's more mental diversity among parents than teachers. I also believe that allowing the government to mold the minds of future voters undermines the principles of democracy. On top of all of that, parents should know their children better than their teachers do.

I honestly don't like how parental rights are being presented. Yes, parents should have a say in their children's lives, and they should know their children better than teachers do. Ideally, they should be acting as advocates for their children. When it comes to such things as education, that's not something for parents to control. That's almost as bad as government control. The only person that should be able to control a child's life is the child. It's time to stop overemphasizing the rights of parents and teachers. We need to acknowledge the rights of the children.