What are the best interests of the children? I think that is different than asking what is the "basic" rights and needs of the child. Who all in society should ensure those best interests are being met? ie. parents, neighbors, state, feds.
I think that is the correct answer, so when I hear of a food company who threw out children's lunches because the parents had not paid their bill, I feel they are neglecting these children and not looking out in their best interests. And I also think parents who are neglecting their children should lose them to the state. As much as I hate that fing Gingrich bastoid, he was right on with put these kids into the states hands. I am not talking about the poor that need assistance here, but on that note society is not providing their needs in the child's best interests. Also their are plenty of people on our social roles who need financial assistance. Other people on social roles could be assisting in the raising of children, baby sitting while mom works, general help to take kids to parks, pick up groceries, etc. for the handicapped-disabled parents, tutoring children, etc. Like you say They are America's future.
I think the evolution of the nuclear family has brought negatives with it. In the past communities invested in the up bringing of children, people watched out for each other and the kids, now many parents are working without any sort of support network. Throw in the need for two income families, and it is tough being parents these days. Then we have the cycle of bad parents raising bad parents
Easy Question two parents of the opposite sex who love and care for each other and their children. Anything else is nonsense.
I think that a civilized society takes care of its own. I don't think that children can be blamed for their own unfortunate circumstances, and extra effort should be made to keep them healthy, happy and maybe even loved. None of these are rights, which I find interesting. The UN's Universal Declaration on the Rights of the Child mentions this: "The child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable him to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. In the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration."
Often both parents have to work and in many cases one parent makes plenty, but both work because they want more. Its the difference between living in $800k home with 2 incomes or a $400k home with one. For most women, working at home was fullfilling. Women's Lib came along and squashed all that for better or worse. The community brought up the children because all the Moms were home all day, got to know and trust eachother. Need to go out for a few minutes, drop the kid off at a neighbor or leave him outside with a whole bunch of other kids. Plenty of other Moms out there keeping watch. Now, forget about it. Then you have kids before marriage which really screws up the works, with multiple fathers thrown in the mix who are deadbeats. The nuclear family is ideal, but its slowly going away. Selfishness & mental problems make it harder for 2 people to stay together.
Interesting set of questions! The second one is fairly common, but the first one gets at something that we all probably take for granted, in a very vague way. What are the best interests of children? Or anybody, for that matter. It's hard to say. For lots of people, the material considerations are all they worry about. For other people, a child's spiritual disposition is the most important thing. Most people want their kids to be happy, but some people regard other things as more important than happiness. Good questions. I have to think before I answer.
I notice the state intercedes when a parent prevents medical care due to religion, so I think in that instance only, the state trumps. There maybe times when a stranger might trump parents rights, such as stopping them from physical abuse of the child at a public place.
