Because each of the states in the U.S. is a separate and sovereign part of the whole, and free to implement laws under the Tenth Amendment, each state has its own legal view on the legal rights and responsibilities of a parent.
Despite showing remarkable lack of common sense, every state also has a different designation of the term ?parent,? although in general, a ?parent? has been widely defined as the adult who has the duty to care for, protect and support a child, and must provide shelter, food, clothing, education, health and dental care until such time when that child reaches the age of majority. Most states require that parents support the child financially through the end of high school and some through college.
The most controversial part of the characterization of parenthood comes from established parental ?rights? ? and these are also diversified. Typically, a parent has the right to name the child, make decisions about the child’s place of residence, education, even religious training ? as well as legal matters. In many states, parents also have the right to the child’s earnings, as well as the right to inherit from that child, and all rights and responsibilities are shared by both parents if they are present and willing.
While the legal age of majority change from state to state, Mississippi being the oldest (at 21) and most others 18, most young adults are unaware they can make medical decisions on their own, without parental consent, much earlier.
Take?Idaho?for example:
There, a child must be 18 to be considered a legal adult but can, at 14, consent or not to medical treatment related to infectious, contagious or communicable diseases without parental consent.
So why is ?faith healing? killing so many children in the Gem State?
Because of Republican state law that states:
?Treatment by prayer or spiritual means alone shall not for that reason alone be construed to have violated the duty of care to (a child harmed or killed).?
In other words, parents cannot be legally held responsible if they refuse to medicate a sick child because they believe ?God would heal him? and the child dies. And since parents have the right to mandate their children’s religious training, their “right” to harm the child trumps their right to consent — or even ask — for treatment.
Idaho is not alone ? currently, thirty-seven states, and the District of Columbia, have religious exemptions from providing medical care for sick children. The states are:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Utah, Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
In Tennessee, even caretakers who hold a medical license cannot be named liable as negligent if they choose ?remedial treatment? that is ?legally recognized or legally permitted? rather than medication.
It gets worse.
Seventeen have religious defenses to felony crimes against children:
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Fifteen states have religious defenses to misdemeanors:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Kansas
- Maine
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New York
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
In West Virginia and Arkansas, the law provides religious defense for child neglect resulting in death and murder of a child.
While the religious exemptions vary in scope depending on the state, children continue to die from treatable diseases, with the blessings from GOP officials like Christy Perry, a Republican from Idaho, born in Turkey, and now representing District 11.
According to Perry, faith healers are caring parents ? they just choose to trust in God more than in doctors and think that if their child is to survive, it’s God’s will.
?They are comforted by the fact that they know their child is in heaven,? Perry said. ?If I want to let my child be with God, why is that wrong??
Perry, a mother of three, is also a self described ?Pro-life mother and grandmother who emphasizes her honor and value to human life, born and unborn.?
She is also very confused trying to define ?honor? and ?human life,? like most Republicans.
