Free Republic

* A Fitchburg, Massachusetts family were terrorized and put in grave danger after they declined vaccinations for their nine-month-old baby on religious grounds. * The parents, Isael Rivera and Ruth Encarnacion, were arrested and charged with “familial kidnapping” after fleeing to Texas to avoid the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) and local police. * The coercive and vindictive pediatrician who reported the parents to DCF is under scrutiny for overstepping boundaries, and violating the family’s fundamental rights. * The case has sparked national outrage and calls for reform in how DCF and law enforcement handle parental decisions regarding...

A recently-introduced bill in the state of Illinois would change the definition of “abused child” to include minors whose parents object to their children receiving puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, transgender surgeries, and abortions. House Bill 4876, which was introduced in early February, also shields doctors from liability if they prescribe such treatments to minors who do not have parental consent — and empowers the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to step in and, if they deem it necessary, remove children from their biological parents based on the new definition of an “abused child.” According to the legislation,...