To: The South Dakota State House, The South Dakota State Senate, and Governor Kristi Noem
Children's rights
Children age 14 and older should have the right to choose which parent they live with in divorce situations.
Why is this important?
At age 11 children can take a babysitting class and get certified to care for other children; at age 12 they can take a gun safety class and legally handle firearms; at age 14, in the state of South Dakota, they can drive a car without an adult present (to certain locations). All these activities put children in the position of making life and death decisions that impact their own well being as well as others, yet they are not considered competent enough to decide which parent they want to live with in custody situations. It is absurd and needs to change.
My own children were victims of physical and emotional abuse, and neglect. Their voices were silenced by a system that chose to believe a slick abuser over the voices of the children. I was bullied and intimidated by that same system for trying to speak up for them and protect them.
There needs to be a paradigm shift from focusing on parental rights to focusing on children's rights. Abusers shouldn't be able to use the guise of "custody battle" as an opportunity to get away with abuse and not have it be believed.
Giving children their own voice and their own choice takes the power away from abusers, and away from judges who all too frequently make bad decisions that cost children something they can never get back -their childhood.
My own children were victims of physical and emotional abuse, and neglect. Their voices were silenced by a system that chose to believe a slick abuser over the voices of the children. I was bullied and intimidated by that same system for trying to speak up for them and protect them.
There needs to be a paradigm shift from focusing on parental rights to focusing on children's rights. Abusers shouldn't be able to use the guise of "custody battle" as an opportunity to get away with abuse and not have it be believed.
Giving children their own voice and their own choice takes the power away from abusers, and away from judges who all too frequently make bad decisions that cost children something they can never get back -their childhood.