What way should I vote, and why

fupduck wrote: »

I am genuinely undecided about how to vote in the upcoming children's.
referendum
I can understand that many groups have hailed this as a good thing , absolutely necessary , and a long time coming, but my gut, and my (maybe slightly unhealthy) natural cynicism is telling me that once passed, this could in fact cause more harm than good.
In layman's terms , can anybody convince me which way to vote, and why?

If you read this critique of the wording of the amendment it might help you arrive at a decision http://www.scribd.com/doc/109280995/Legal-Analysis-of-Children-s-Rights-Ref-Proposal

mariebeth

Well first off, the referendum, if passed, will finally put a legal basis on children's rights. At present, the only right that children have in the Constitution is the right to education. Ireland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Children in 1991, however to date they have not legislated for children's rights, which is a major failing IMO.

Children will have the legal right to voice their opinions with regards to custody arrangements. Children will be able to be adopted regardless of their parents marital status. As it stands now, there are children who have been in long term foster care, who consider their foster parents to be their 'real' parents, but cannot be adopted by their foster parents because their biological parents are married. If passed, many of these children will be able to be adopted by their foster parents, should that be the wish of both parties, if they have been with their foster family for a certain period of time.

The state will have more power to intervene in welfare cases, and I presume that this would allow for further legislation in which people who care for and work with children will be legally obliged to report welfare concerns or face prosecution.

Overall, this referendum is genuinely aiming to give children a voice, and to protect children and childhood in Ireland. For once it's not about Europe or a greater power, it's about Irish children living in Ireland. So please consider all sides of the argument, and don't vote 'no' just because you want to upset the politicians. [Just in case you think I'm suggesting that you personally would do that, I'm not. I just put that part in there because I'm worried that a lot of people might actually vote no just for that reason. It's a good amendment, it's not perfect, but it's good, and it's genuinely for the improvement of children's lives]

fupduck wrote: »

In layman's terms , can anybody convince me which way to vote, and why?

What I can do is set out, as briefly as I can, why I'm deciding to vote no.

Firstly, this referendum isn't about children's rights as such. Children already have rights, the same rights as all of us - and a few extra ones besides, like the right to primary education. What this referendum is really about is whether the State should have more power, and parents less, as protectors of children's rights.

The Constitution already allows the State to intervene where parents are gonzo. It also provides some basis for parents to protect children from any abuse of official power - such as requiring doctors to obtain their consent if they want to perform medical treatment on a child, which is similar to the need to obtain consent from adults for any treatment on themselves.

As the existing balance of rights and duties is sound, and as there is no problem that requires a Constitutional Amendment, I'm voting no as this change can only disrupt the existing, reasonable, balance.

If your next question is "then why are we having this vote at all", I'm afraid I simply don't know. You'll find as well, if you persist with that question, that no-one else can tell you either.

mariebeth wrote: »

Well first off, the referendum, if passed, will finally put a legal basis on children's rights. At present, the only right that children have in the Constitution is the right to education. Ireland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Children in 1991, however to date they have not legislated for children's rights, which is a major failing IMO.

Children will have the legal right to voice their opinions with regards to custody arrangements. Children will be able to be adopted regardless of their parents marital status. As it stands now, there are children who have been in long term foster care, who consider their foster parents to be their 'real' parents, but cannot be adopted by their foster parents because their biological parents are married. If passed, many of these children will be able to be adopted by their foster parents, should that be the wish of both parties, if they have been with their foster family for a certain period of time.

The state will have more power to intervene in welfare cases, and I presume that this would allow for further legislation in which people who care for and work with children will be legally obliged to report welfare concerns or face prosecution.

Overall, this referendum is genuinely aiming to give children a voice, and to protect children and childhood in Ireland. For once it's not about Europe or a greater power, it's about Irish children living in Ireland. So please consider all sides of the argument, and don't vote 'no' just because you want to upset the politicians. [Just in case you think I'm suggesting that you personally would do that, I'm not. I just put that part in there because I'm worried that a lot of people might actually vote no just for that reason. It's a good amendment, it's not perfect, but it's good, and it's genuinely for the improvement of children's lives]

In the case known as the Baby Ann case Supreme Court Judge Adrian Hardiman said

1. There are certain misapprehensions on which repeated and unchallenged public airings have conferred undeserved currency.

2. One of these relates to the position of children in the Constitution. It would be quite untrue to say that the Constitution puts the rights of parents first and those of children second.

3. It fully acknowledges the “natural and imprescriptible rights” and the human dignity, of children, but equally recognises the inescapable fact that a young child cannot exercise his or her own rights.

4. The Constitution does not prefer parents to children.

5. The preference the Constitution gives is this: it prefers parents to third parties, official or private, priest or social worker, as the enablers and guardians of the child’s rights.

6. This preference has its limitations: parents cannot, for example, ignore the responsibility of educating their child.

7. More fundamentally, the Constitution provides for the wholly exceptional situation where, for physical or moral reasons, parents fail in their duty towards their child. Then, indeed, the State must intervene and endeavour to supply the place of the parents, always with due regard to the rights of the child.

In a very recent newspaper article retired SC Judge Hugh O'Flaherty said more or less the same thing as Judge Hardiman. http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/hugh-oflaherty-we-dont-need-a-referendum-to-protect-our-childrens-rights-3226110.html

fupduck

Thank you for your replies , @mariebeth, I would certainly not use a referendum as a protest vote against the present government, the constitution is way to important and far reaching to be used in this way. I can understand however, your concern, that given the feeling against the Government, that people may well do this.
I can see why , on the adoption issue, that this referendum may indeed be good for certain children , in certain circumstances, BUT, I also see how, if the state has a right to supercede the parents wishes, cast in stone in our constitution, that this gives the child an awful lot of power, which they may neither fully understand, nor be able to comprehend emotionally.
What is a perfectly acceptable form of expression in one family may not be in another, who draws the line? The parents or the state?
Whilst children are very young, parenting is about provision, love and teaching right from wrong, as the children grow older, it can and often does become a power struggle and a sheer battle of wills sometimes! One of my children, despite my best teaching , provision , will, and guidance , went off the rails in his teenage years (my other child was as good as gold) . He is now at university , studying for his degree. What would have happened to my family, if the State had the right to enforce his wishes over mine at the time of his first court appearance? (I am not saying that his wishes were to leave home, just to get his parent off his back) A lot can happen in families , which can be interpreted in any number of ways, especially in a legal setting. I just wonder if , on the referendum being passed, would parents who genuinely are doing their best, would have any recourse against decisions made, in which they are in disagreement? I would also be concerned, that the state's record for looking after children in its care is far from acceptable in my opinion. Is there no way that the adoption issue can be dealt with in legislature? I have no problem with the adoption part , but the rest of it, and how it may be interpreted in law, at future dates, deeply concerns me.
There is a world of difference between a 5 year old child and a minor a couple of years from 18 and 'adulthood' , and the wording will have to cover all ages ,
I hope that people don't see me as stupid or argumentative, I am genuinely trying to assess all the implications to both yes and no votes

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

...there is no problem that requires a Constitutional Amendment...

I guess the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is mistaken in its assessment that a constitutional amendment is required, so.

It's acceptable to express the opinion that there is no problem that requires an amendment. It's not acceptable to express that opinion as fact.

oscarBravo wrote: »

I guess the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is mistaken in its assessment that a constitutional amendment is required, so.

It's acceptable to express the opinion that there is no problem that requires an amendment. It's not acceptable to express that opinion as fact.

Germany's 1949 Constitution is very similar to ours with respect to children's rights, the family, State intervention. It is not having a referendum on the UNCRC. Its laws require the voice of the child to be heard from 4 years upwards.

EQUALITY
3.1 All persons shall be equal before the law. (GERMANY)
40.1. All citizens shall, as human persons, be held equal before the law. (IRELAND)
FAMILY
6. 1 Marriage and the family shall enjoy the special protection of the state. (GERMANY)
41. 3. 1 The State pledges itself to guard with special care the institution of Marriage, on which the Family is founded, and to protect it against attack. (IRELAND)
CHILDREN UPBRINGING
6. 2 The care and upbringing of children is the natural right of parents and a duty primarily incumbent upon them. The state shall watch over them in the performance of this duty. (GERMANY)
42. 1. The State acknowledges that the primary and natural educator of the child is the Family and guarantees to respect the inalienable right and duty of parents to provide, according to their means, for the religious and moral, intellectual, physical and social education of their children. (IRELAND)
STATE INTERVENTION
6. 3 Children may be separated from their families against the will of their parents or guardians only pursuant to a law, and only if the parents or guardians fail in their duties or the children are otherwise in danger of serious neglect. (GERMANY)
42. 5. In exceptional cases, where the parents for physical or moral reasons fail in their duty towards their children, the State as guardian of the common good, by appropriate means shall endeavour to supply the place of the parents, but always with due regard for the natural and imprescriptible rights of the child. (IRELAND)

oscarBravo wrote: »

I guess the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is mistaken in its assessment that a constitutional amendment is required, so.

It’s disappointing when a poster just ignores the points already explained, and repeats an earlier misunderstanding like you’re doing here. You’ve already had it explained to you by gizmo555 on another thread that your picture of what has been said is wrong.

gizmo555 wrote: »

The document linked to merely "recommends" that the Convention's right of children to be heard in matters affecting them be reflected in the Constitution. It certainly doesn't state that constitutional change is required and in any case the amendment as proposed goes far beyond this specific point.

oscarBravo wrote: »

It's acceptable to express the opinion that there is no problem that requires an amendment. It's not acceptable to express that opinion as fact.

Well, I could say the implication of Hume’s problem of induction is that no proposition can be taken as fact. But that might be taken as off the point, to say nothing of making any attempt of discussing any issue a little pointless.

So what I’ll say instead is it is perfectly reasonable for me to say that no problem has been identified that requires an amendment, until such time as someone produces such a reason. In your own case, on the other thread, you pretty much admitted that you’d no idea why a referendum was needed, other than your assumption that there must be some reason that so many groups were calling for such an amendment.

An appeal to authority is rather strange, when a point at issue is what’s going to protect us from the authorities abusing their powers. In a context where past experience shows that they do.

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

It’s disappointing when a poster just ignores the points already explained, and repeats an earlier misunderstanding like you’re doing here. You’ve already had it explained to you by gizmo555 on another thread that your picture of what has been said is wrong.

Well, no. I've had it explained to me in another thread that some people don't believe there are any reasons that they personally find sufficiently compelling to justify a constitutional change. There's a subtle difference between "there's no reason do this", and "there's no reason to do this that I find sufficiently persuasive to accept its very existence".

A committee of the UNHCHR has indicated that we are not fully compliant with a UN convention that we have ratified. I get that it suits your argument to pretend that's not a problem that needs solving, but it would be more intellectually honest to debate the proposed solution on its merits than to keep pretending that an entire constitutional amendment has been dreamed up without there being a single compelling reason for it whatsoever.

Well, I could say the implication of Hume’s problem of induction is that no proposition can be taken as fact. But that might be taken as off the point, to say nothing of making any attempt of discussing any issue a little pointless.

Alternatively, you could read the forum charter, particularly the prohibition on stating opinions as facts.

So what I’ll say instead is it is perfectly reasonable for me to say that no problem has been identified that requires an amendment, until such time as someone produces such a reason.

I've pointed out such a problem. You've dismissed it as not being a good enough reason by some standard you've arbitrarily set, and continue to claim that this is an issue for which there are arguments on only one side.

In your own case, on the other thread, you pretty much admitted that you’d no idea why a referendum was needed, other than your assumption that there must be some reason that so many groups were calling for such an amendment.

Wow. That's some pretty breathtaking arrogance: I posit a reason, you dismiss it as not being a good enough reason by your standards, therefore not a reason at all, therefore I have admitted to not having a reason.

Can I get to make up my own rules for this discussion as well? Then we can talk past each other and each feel smug about winning the argument, without having to waste precious mental energy on the possibility that the other might have a point.

An appeal to authority is rather strange, when a point at issue is what’s going to protect us from the authorities abusing their powers. In a context where past experience shows that they do.

You can call it an appeal to authority if that's what it takes to avoid having to answer the question, but I'll ask it again anyway: why do you think that every single one of the hundred-plus organisations who are advocating a constitutional amendment have all made the exact same mistake of believing that there's a problem that requires such an amendment?

oscarBravo wrote: »

There's a subtle difference between "there's no reason do this", and "there's no reason to do this that I find sufficiently persuasive to accept its very existence".

There is, but the present situation is much simpler than that. You asserted that a UN Committee stated that changing our Constitution is a requirement. That is factually wrong, on the basis of the evidence that you linked.
So the situation is that you have not yet provided a valid reason. The reason you suggested is factually wrong.

oscarBravo wrote: »

why do you think that every single one of the hundred-plus organisations who are advocating a constitutional amendment have all made the exact same mistake of believing that there's a problem that requires such an amendment?

I've no idea what their motivation is.

Can you tell us, briefly and in your own words, what the problem is that these hundred-plus organisations see this as solving? If you give a valid and substantial reason, then the discussion is over.

Of course, if you can't state the problem, you're also helping by illustrating the absence of an coherent reason for this Amendment.

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

There is, but the present situation is much simpler than that. You asserted that a UN Committee stated that changing our Constitution is a requirement. That is factually wrong, on the basis of the evidence that you linked.

Wow. As much as I'd love to join you in your game of let's-use-every-semantic-niggle-we-can-find-to-avoid-actually-discussing-the-issue, I'm reminded of the exhortation against wrestling with a pig. You can take this as a concession of the point if you like; I know you will anyway.

I've no idea what their motivation is.

Interesting. You state, repeatedly and with great conviction, that there are no arguments in favour of this proposal, but you haven't even bothered to find out the motivations of those who support it.

Can you tell us, briefly and in your own words, what the problem is that these hundred-plus organisations see this as solving?

Why does it have to be in my words?

You are absolutely certain that there is no valid reason for this amendment. That means that those hundred-plus organisations have, individually and collectively, deluded themselves as to the need for it. Aren't you even a little bit curious as to how so many organisations can be so utterly and hopelessly wrong? I mean, curious enough to even try to figure out what their motivations are?

tayto lover

This Referendum will be passed without any problem so why are we wasting a small fortune with all the posters around the country?
This is madness in times of austerity in my opinion.

oscarBravo wrote: »

You can take this as a concession of the point if you like; I know you will anyway.

I don't need the 'point' to be conceded. It is simply the case that you are factually wrong in your contention.

oscarBravo wrote: »

Why does it have to be in my words?

Oh, if you'd prefer someone else's, fire ahead. All I'm looking for is a valid and substantial reason.

Which hasn't yet appeared.

ciarafem wrote: »

Germany's 1949 Constitution is very similar to ours with respect to children's rights, the family, State intervention. It is not having a referendum on the UNCRC. Its laws require the voice of the child to be heard from 4 years upwards.

I think its worth expanding on that a little; although, I know the pertinent point is the one you've already made - that there's no need to change the Constitution to provide for a child advocate.

In Germany, the child has a lawyer appointed, on the pretext that this lawyer will be the child's voice. But, you'll appreciate, it's not that the actual voice of the actual child gets heard. What happens is the lawyer says "M'lud, if this child was a 45 year old barrister, s/he would agree completely with what I'm about to say".

tayto lover wrote: »

This Referendum will be passed without any problem so why are we wasting a small fortune with all the posters around the country?
This is madness in times of austerity in my opinion.

Just to be fair, we aren't paying for the posters. The posters are being put up by the political parties. The taxpayer will cover the cost of the actual vote. But that's just the way it works. I'd much rather that they needed to have a vote to change the Constitution, rather than (for the sake of argument) allowing the Oireachtas to change it directly with a two-thirds majority.

James Jones

fupduck wrote: »

In layman's terms , can anybody convince me which way to vote, and why?

Generally, when it come to Constitutional referenda, "If you don't no, vote No!".
No cases have been put forward where the current Constitutional positions has failed children. All of the cases that the YES side rely on are failures of the Child Protection Services rather than the Constitution.
Barnardos have a vested interested in a YES vote. See HERE.
"The Best Interests of the Child" principle has not been defined. It will be up to individual Judges to decide what is in the best interests of any child in a secret court. At the moment, "The decisions of the parent of minors are presumed to be in the best interests of that minor in the absence of evidence to the contrary" (see NMcK v the Information Commissioner). However, a Judge will be allowed to decide what they think is in the best interests of a child, without having to rely on any evidence.
If still not sure read this Legal Analysis

James Jones wrote: »

"If you don't no, vote No!"

I'm automatically suspicious of the "if you don't know, agree with me" argument.

If still not sure read this Legal Analysis

Why is that one better than this one?

oscarBravo wrote: »

I'm automatically suspicious of the "if you don't know, agree with me" argument.

You're not comprehending the context. That said, I'm not convinced you want to - but that's only how your posts appear.

"Vote no if you don't know" cannot be equated to an assertion o f "Vote yes if you don't know".

"Vote no if you don't know" is sound advice, for the same reason that people should not sign a contract they don't understand. Vote yes, and you've committed yourself to support something you don't understand. Vote no, and you've made no commitment.

And if we all vote no, as we know from past experience, our Governments are never shy about putting the same question to us again. Again, a Yes vote is like signing a contract - you've consented to the change, without having a clue what it's about. A No vote might be opposition, or might just be "you haven't explained why I should sign this contract".

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

"Vote no if you don't know" is sound advice, for the same reason that people should not sign a contract they don't understand.

Sounder advice might be "educate yourself if you don't know".

I agree that you shouldn't sign a contract that you don't understand, but I'd suggest it's better to make the effort to understand it and make an informed decision on whether or not to sign it than to simply not sign at all.

oscarBravo wrote: »

Sounder advice might be "educate yourself if you don't know".
I agree that you shouldn't sign a contract that you don't understand, but I'd suggest it's better to make the effort to understand it and make an informed decision on whether or not to sign it than to simply not sign at all.

I'll meet you half way.

1. Best option; inform yourself, and decide which way you want to vote on the basis of your understanding.

2. Middling option; Vote no in ignorance, as at least you won't have consented to something that you don't understand.

3. Worst option; vote yes in ignorance, and then act surprised when you find out what you've just signed up for.

Option 2 is predicated on the assumption that voting "no" has no negative consequences. That's not an assumption I'm comfortable with.

Uriel.

ciarafem wrote: »

If you read this critique of the wording of the amendment it might help you arrive at a decision http://www.scribd.com/doc/109280995/Legal-Analysis-of-Children-s-Rights-Ref-Proposal

Who is the author and what qualifications does he have in regard to the law?

Uriel.

oscarBravo wrote: »

I'm automatically suspicious of the "if you don't know, agree with me" argument. Why is that one better than this one?

The analysis prepared by the Children's Rights Alliance looks far superior and could be argued has more weight behind it given the breadth of organisations that make up the Alliance, however, it is unclear to me who the actual author is. Presumably, it was written in conjunction with a legal professional.

However, I cannot take either analysis as being particularly good or sound without knowing the qualifications behind the analysis. To be honest, I'd far sooner listen to members of the Judiciary on this, particularly those of the Supreme Court.

For transparency, for what it's worth, I am leaning towards a Yes vote, but am not 100% convinced, yet

K-9

Voting No and not knowing why means you may miss out on the positives of voting yes, it isn't a zero sum game. Really, if you haven't a clue what it's about, abstein, it's the wisest choice.

K-9 wrote: »

Voting No and not knowing why means you may miss out on the positives of voting yes, it isn't a zero sum game. Really, if you haven't a clue what it's about, abstein, it's the wisest choice.

oscarBravo wrote: »

Option 2 is predicated on the assumption that voting "no" has no negative consequences. That's not an assumption I'm comfortable with.

Nope, there is no assumption about consequences. It's the same scenario as signing the contract.

Maybe a failure to sign a contract has negative consequences. Maybe it doesn't. The point is about how to cope with that uncertainty, not about assumptions as to consequences. You simply don't consent to something out of ignorance. That's a very basic, and very sound, principle.

Abstaining isn't a solution, because a referendum is like a contract that others can sign on your behalf and apply to you. So it's more a case of "if we don't hear to the contary, we'll assume you consent". Unfortunately, as this turkey is on the agenda, the choice can't be avoided.

K-9

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

Nope, there is no assumption about consequences. It's the same scenario as signing the contract.

Maybe a failure to sign a contract has negative consequences. Maybe it doesn't. The point is about how to cope with that uncertainty, not about assumptions as to consequences. You simply don't consent to something out of ignorance. That's a very basic, and very sound, principle.

Abstaining isn't a solution, because a referendum is like a contract that others can sign on your behalf and apply to you. So it's more a case of "if we don't hear to the contary, we'll assume you consent". Unfortunately, as this turkey is on the agenda, the choice can't be avoided.

By voting no you are in a way signing a contract for things to remain the same. Thing is you don't know what you are voting about at all, you don't know if voting yes would be better than a no, you don't have a clue. It doesn't make any sense as you've no idea of the consequences of a Yes vote, why favour either? It makes sense to people who want a no vote, nobody else. Just abstain if you don't know anything either way about it.

K-9 wrote: »

By voting no you are in a way signing a contract for things to remain the same.

No, you are simply refusing consent to the alteration of the current contract.

Do recall that our Governments have, several times, put the same question before the people again within a few years of a "No" vote. Not just the EU treaties, but the divorce amendment as well. A No is not closing the door on necessary change; it might be a necessary step to clarifying if there actually is some issue that people need to take note of.

No is the default option.

K-9

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

No, you are simply refusing consent to the alteration of the current contract.

Do recall that our Governments have, several times, put the same question before the people again within a few years of a "No" vote. Not just the EU treaties, but the divorce amendment as well. A No is not closing the door on necessary change; it might be a necessary step to clarifying if there actually is some issue that people need to take note of.

No is the default option.

But you don't know if a yes would be a better scenario, you're voting for the status quo through ignorance, never a good way to decide important issues. As for a second vote, given how long it has taken to get the first one that can't be taken for granted either.

K-9 wrote: »

But you don't know if a yes would be a better scenario, you're voting for the status quo through ignorance, never a good way to decide important issues.

Your comment is just repeating a point already answered. The issue is not over whether yes or no is the best option. It is about what you should do when you don't know which is the best option, same as when you don't know the implications of signing a contract. As this is a collective contract, which will be voted on whether or not any particular individual participates, abstaining from a vote is effectively consent.
So, to repeat

The point is about how to cope with that uncertainty, not about assumptions as to consequences. You simply don't consent to something out of ignorance. That's a very basic, and very sound, principle.

Uriel. wrote: »

However, I cannot take either analysis as being particularly good or sound without knowing the qualifications behind the analysis. To be honest, I'd far sooner listen to members of the Judiciary on this, particularly those of the Supreme Court.

Judge Adrian Hardiman made these comments in passing in the Baby Ann case in 2006:

There are certain misapprehensions on which repeated and unchallenged public airings have conferred undeserved currency. One of these relates to the position of children in the Constitution. It would be quite untrue to say that the Constitution puts the rights of parents first and those of children second. It fully acknowledges the “natural and imprescriptible rights” and the human dignity, of children, but equally recognises the inescapable fact that a young child cannot exercise his or her own rights. The Constitution does not prefer parents to children. The preference the Constitution gives is this: it prefers parents to third parties, official or private, priest or social worker, as the enablers and guardians of the child’s rights. This preference has its limitations: parents cannot, for example, ignore the responsibility of educating their child. More fundamentally, the Constitution provides for the wholly exceptional situation where, for physical or moral reasons, parents fail in their duty towards their child. Then, indeed, the State must intervene and endeavour to supply the place of the parents, always with due regard to the rights of the child.