Dear Member of the House of Representatives
We the undersigned representing millions of concerned citizens, are writing to ask you to support HR2769, The Parental Consent Act of 2011. This bill, recently re-introduced by Congressman Ron Paul forbids federal funds from being used for any universal or mandatory mental-health screening of students without the express, written, voluntary, informed consent of their parents or legal guardians. This bill protects parents' fundamental right to directly control the upbringing and education of their children.
In 2003 a report by the federal government's, New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, it was recommended that all 52 million American schoolchildren be screened for “mental illness”, claiming–without a shred of scientific evidence–that “early detection, assessment, and links with treatment” could “prevent mental health problems from worsening”.
These screenings have come under fire. One of the recommended screening programs for schools, called TeenScreen has been highly criticized. Even Dr. David Shaffer, the psychiatrist that helped developed it, admitted that use of this screening method could produce 84 non-suicidal teens to be referred for further evaluation for every 16 youths “correctly identified”.
In October 2004, the FDA ordered its most stringent “black box” warning: that antidepressants also cause suicide in children and adolescents.
In 2006, the FDA also revealed that stimulants–prescribed to 2.5 million American children for so-called “learning” or “behavioral disorders”–could cause hallucinations, psychosis, strokes, heart attacks and death.
About the same time, the public was also warned that there had been 45 child deaths from antipsychotic drugs, largely prescribed for the same “disorders.”
Still, psychiatrists claim that antidepressants decrease suicide, but according to a Journal of the American Medical Association study, “Despite a dramatic increase in treatment, no significant decrease occurred in suicidal thoughts, plans, gestures, or attempts in the United States during the 1990s.”
A 2005 study by Dr. David Healy and Graham Aldred from the North Wales Department of Psychological Medicine, Cardiff University, Wales, reported that the studies of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants show that theyincrease the risk of suicide.
As for violence, at least 12 of the recent school shootings have been committed by students taking or withdrawing from these prescribed mind-altering drugs. The medical information of the other teen killers is not publicly available.
Parents need to be informed that unlike medical diseases, there is no x-ray, blood or other physical test to determine if a child has a “mental disorder,” that mental health screening is based on subjective questions, not medical science, and that any “informed consent” form must contain the above information.
Furthermore, written parental consent must be required for any screening initiative dealing with school children and minors. Recent media has shown more and more parents standing up for that right.
We respectfully urge your support of The Parental Consent Act (HR 2769) by becoming a co-sponsor.
[signed:]
Gretchen DuBeau, Executive and Legal Director
Alliance for Natural Health
Dr. Jane Orient, Executive Director
Association of American Physicians & Surgeons
Star Parker, President
Center for Urban Renewal and Development
Chuck Muth, President
Citizen Outreach
James J. Gormley, V.P., Senior Policy Advisor
Citizens for Health
Mark Lerner, Co-Founder
Constitutional Alliance
Phyllis Schlafly, Founder and President
Eagle Forum
Odette J. Wilkins, Esq., Executive Director
Equal Justice Alliance
Grover Norquist
Joseph K. Grieboski, Chairman of the Board
The Institute on Religion and Public Policy
Michael D. Ostrolenk, National Director
Liberty Coalition
David James, President
The Liberty Committee
Karen R. Effrem, M.D., President of Education
Liberty Watch
James Landrith, Founder
The Multiracial Activist
Kathryn Serkes, Chairman & CEO
Patient Power Alliance
John Whitehead
President The Rutherford Institute
Dr. Richard Land, President
Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Dane vonBreichenruchardt, President
U. S. Bill of Rights Foundation
Michael P. Farris, President
ParentalRights.org