Do parents have the right to risk the lives of their children?

 

In late July of this year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an Executive Order protecting the rights of parents to choose whether to require their children to wear masks to school. But what about the rights of their children?

According to the Declaration of Independence, we all have the inalienable right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” How do we guarantee the right to life if we allow parents to risk their children’s lives by sending them to school, unvaccinated and unmasked?

The latest reports show this Delta variant is both more contagious and potentially more deadly than the original Covid-19. Without the ability to vaccinate children under 12, parents who send their kids to school unmasked are risking their children’s lives. Does a parent have the right to do that? I would argue the answer to that question is an emphatic, “No.”

When Governor DeSantis prioritizes the rights of parents over the safety of their children, he is promoting child abuse. This is according to U.S. law and the 2020 Statues in his home state of Florida, where child abuse is defined as “…An intentional act that could reasonably be expected to result in physical or mental injury to a child; or active encouragement of any person to commit an act that results or could reasonably be expected to result in physical or mental injury to a child.”

The Florida statute goes on to say that “…neglect of a child may be based on repeated conduct or on a single incident or omission that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, serious physical or mental injury, or a substantial risk of death (italics, mine), to a child.”

Ron DeSantis’ decision to ban mask mandates and most recently, to punish school officials by withholding pay from any who attempt to implement them, clearly violates the statutes against child abuse/neglect in his own state. The offenses corresponding to child abuse and child neglect are both felonies per the above referenced Florida 2020 Statutes.

DeSantis may just have just ended his political career with his latest move, given that Florida law deprives convicted felons of the right to vote, serve on a jury, or hold public office. In fact, if parents in Florida decide to press charges against DeSantis, and he is convicted, he could lose his Governorship.

DeSantis may have his eye on the White House, but if there is any justice, he’ll be tried and found guilty of both child abuse and child neglect. After that, the only job he may be qualified for in Florida is used car salesman—which sounds about right.

(As of this writing, Florida’s death toll now exceeds DeSantis’ margin of victory.)

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A convicted felon may run for President. The Constitution does not prevent that. If there was ever a time for a quick Constitutional Amendment, this would be it.