Thanks, Ms. Wordsmith, I did not know about this. Why so few signatory? I would think this is least controversial compares to Kyoto Protocol.
Fertilized egg? I really need to educate myself....
rated.

You have hit upon a subject close to my heart. I have posted on this convention as well as all the others which the US has not ratified. I do believe that Obama will fulfill his promise but needs to clean house in the US first.
Here is my post on the Human Rights Watch calling for leadership from the US:
http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=85317
And my post on most of the conventions:
http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=79165
and finally my post on what makes me think that Obama will answer HRW's call for leadership:
http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=88353

You and I are soulmates on this one!
Kudos for your post!!!

Pucci, O'Steph: Thank you for reading and caring. With an administration that has stated it is open to hearing the concerns of its citizens, I think this provides an ideal opportunity to raise the point in a more active and direct way.

Bumping because it's important. And because Obama's in my backyard today... Right, Juliet? (http://open.salon.com/user_blog.php?uid=1763)

You can also call the White House directly at 1- 202-456-1111, where a very nice lady has already heard about the subject of capital punishment for children from other people today.

On the site you link to there is also a link to a text of the convention itself. I cannot find anything in it that would cause the U.S. to balk at signing it. Do you know the Bush Administration's justification for not being a signator on the Convention??

rated, rated, rated

John, to quote from the Wikipedia page linked further down in my post:

The administration of President George W. Bush has explicitly stated its opposition to the treaty:

"The Convention on the Rights of the Child may be a positive tool for promoting child welfare for those countries that have adopted it. But we believe the text goes too far when it asserts entitlements based on economic, social and cultural rights. ... The human rights-based approach ... poses significant problems as used in this text." [5]

Active opposition to the Convention in the United States has been concentrated in politically conservative groups.[6] Senator Jesse Helms, the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, described it as a "bag of worms," an effort to "chip away at the U.S. Constitution."[7]

Dialed, ranted and rated. Thank you.

Amen.

Bumped because it needs to be read. And because I've added links to more information about the Convention and the precepts it sets forth.

Bumping again.
The propblem that the US has with it is that it defines health care as a human right. It's an entitlement when it does not go to the wealthy.
Imagine. Just imagine...

Thanks--kids deserve a Hell of a lot better. rated

O'Steph: Thank you for the added info. Coming from a place with universal healthcare (spotty at times but available to all), the notion hadn't crossed my mind.
How deeply disheartening...

Thanks for this. Emailed the White House.

Docrpk, waking: Thank you for reading, thank you for caring.

FACT SHEET summary of Article 24 (Health and health services): Children have the right to good quality health care – the best health care possible – to safe drinking water, nutritious food, a clean and safe environment, and information to help them stay healthy. Rich countries should help poorer countries achieve this.

Things that go bump in the night...

FACT SHEET summary of Article 37 (Detention and punishment): No one is allowed to punish children in a cruel or harmful way. Children who break the law should not be treated cruelly. They should not be put in prison with adults, should be able to keep in contact with their families, and should not be sentenced to death or life imprisonment without possibility of release.

FACT SHEET Summary of Article 14 (Freedom of thought, conscience and religion): Children have the right to think and believe what they want and to practise their religion, as long as they are not stopping other people from enjoying their rights. Parents should help guide their children in these matters. The Convention respects the rights and duties of parents in providing religious and moral guidance to their children. Religious groups around the world have expressed support for the Convention, which indicates that it in no way prevents parents from bringing their children up within a religious tradition. At the same time, the Convention recognizes that as children mature and are able to form their own views, some may question certain religious practices or cultural traditions. The Convention supports children's right to examine their beliefs, but it also states that their right to express their beliefs implies respect for the rights and freedoms of others.