We  are excited to announce another video released by ParentalRights.org presenting a compelling and dramatic overview of the threats facing parental rights in America. Please watch and share “Overruled!”

The Johansson case was briefly mentioned in ‘The Child,’ a situation in which Swedish authorities removed a child into state custody for his parents’ infraction of home schooling. It has now grown more serious, and the Johansson parents are facing the reality of losing their parental rights altogether.

The following is an official HSLDA report, offering a way for all of us to support the Johansson family
http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Sweden/201110070.asp

 

HSLDA has learned that Swedish officials on the Island of Gotland may be seeking to terminate the parental rights of Annie and Christer Johansson. Seven-year old Domenic Johansson was snatched by a fully armed Swedish police unit in June 2009 while on board an airplane bound for Annie’s homeland of India. Among the primary reasons given for the seizure was the fact that Domenic was homeschooled. His entire family has been denied any contact with their son for nearly a year. HSLDA and the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed a joint application on behalf of the Johansson family at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in June 2010 and have been working to support the family since shortly after Domenic’s seizure.

Both the ADF and HSLDA are asking for letters to be written in an attempt to renew attention to the family’s case and to encourage Swedish officials to release Domenic back to his family. The United States Supreme Court has called the termination of parental rights the family court equivalent of the death penalty. Annie and Christer have done nothing worthy of such a horrific outcome. Will you join us as fellow advocates and take a moment to write to the Swedish Social Services Committee in charge of Domenic’s custody situation? The Johansson family is grateful for your efforts on their behalf. ADF has prepared a sample letter or you may write your own letter to the committee. You can download a copy of the sample letter in Microsoft Word or as a PDF file.

Please mail letters to:

Swedish Social Services Committee
Socialnämnden
Gotlands Kommun
621 81 Visby
SWEDEN

A stamp for a standard weight letter to Sweden will cost $0.98 through the U.S. Postal Service.

Please also continue to keep the Johansson family in your prayers as they somehow endure this unbearable situation.

One of the most common questions directed towards Watchman Cinema is: “why don’t you make “The Child” available for free?” After all, posting it on youtube would reach a large audience. Wouldn’t it serve the cause of parental rights better to simply share “The Child” through every available medium at no cost?

We truly appreciate the sincerity behind the question, and agree that our primary goal is to have as many people as possible watch “The Child.” However, being our primary does not make it our only concern. We will share with you several other factors that must be considered when determining our distribution methods.

1) Security

We have a responsibility to the interviewees featured in “The Child” to protect our product – and their testimonies – from tampering and perversion. To that end, we have encoded our DVD in such a way that deters downloading, and we have avoided releasing “The Child” in any format that can be easily downloaded (e.g. Youtube). DVDs burned on a personal computer do not contain copy protection and therefore make the product vulnerable to easy download and editing. Please DO NOT copy, download, or edit “The Child” without express permission from Watchman Cinema, LLC.

2) Clear Communication

Were “The Child” to be made available on Youtube or a comparable free viewing source, it would likely be available in sections, not in its entirety. “The Child” was meant to present a comprehensive overview of the status of parental rights in America, to be a visual textbook of sorts. This accounts for its length (another common complaint), as well as its thoroughness in covering all major aspects of the issue. However, to view only a section of “The Child” would likely lead to an incomplete understanding of the issue, leading to misconceptions which may hurt the cause of parental rights in the long run. As much as possible, we want to encourage viewing “The Child” in its entirety to preserve the integrity of its message.

3) Preserving the Value of the Product

As crass as it may seem, it is human nature to value what you pay for. People are simply less likely to watch something that is given to them for free, as opposed to something they purchased. As a general rule, those who are not willing to pay the equivalent of a fast food combo do not likely care enough to sit for 90 minutes and educate themselves. Of course,  Watchman Cinema is committed to providing access to “The Child” for those in financial difficulty. If you or someone you know simply cannot afford to purchase a DVD of “The Child,” send us a note at WatchmanCinema@gmail.com and we will see what we can work out.

As a side note, grassroots screenings are a great way to share “The Child” for free, because they ensure that friends who attend will actually watch it!

4) Covering Costs

This is our not our top priority, but the fact remains that a production like “The Child” incurs both initial and ongoing costs. “The Child” was not made for free, and Watchman Cinema is a valid business with a bottom line to maintain. While “The Child” was made to serve a cause, it is still the copyrighted product of Watchman Cinema, LLC. Please respect this.

Again, it is still our main goal to see as many people view “The Child” as possible, and we truly appreciate all your help and support in doing so. We thank everyone who has inquired about the distribution of “The Child,” both for asking us and for trying to help! Hopefully this post has clarified some of the reasons we are not pursuing certain distribution venues. If you have further questions, feel free to contact WatchmanCinema@gmail.com.

Sincerely, Watchman Cinema Support

To everyone who tried to place a DVD order since June 3, we apologize for the technical error that did not allow orders to be placed. The website has now been fixed, and you should be able to order “The Child” DVDs again.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of any further assistance: WatchmanCinema@gmail.com

Sincerely, Watchman Cinema Support

Grace Tate, Director of “The Child,” interviewed with Kevin Swanson on “Generations Radio” this week, discussing the making of “The Child,” the status of parental rights, and how Americans are responding to it. Mr. Swanson also explains the impact of family life on our culture, examining how this may truly be the defining issue of our day. It’s a thought provoking discussion!

Note: Run time is approximately 1 hour; no commercial breaks; Grace joins the program about halfway through.

The feature-length documentary “The Child: America’s Battle for the Next Generation” will return to NRB (National Religious Broadcasters)  network on Wed., June 1 at 8 pm and midnight EDT (7 and 11 pm Central).

If you do not have cable, you can watch it stream live at http://www.NRBNetwork.tv

Mark your calendars, set your TiVo, and encourage your friends to do the same!

Watch the video below, or visit this link, to hear some unbelievable stories about children being wrongly and absurdly seized from parents on the whim of state workers. It is consistent with the nationwide trends against parental rights, detailed in “The Child” documentary. Visit ParentalRights.org to learn of more stories like this, and learn what you can do about it.

http://www.wxyz.com/video/videoplayer.swf?dppversion=9138

Watch and share a new 30-second video promoting the battle of parental rights!

The Child: America’s Battle for the Next Generation is airing on National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) network at the following times on the evening of Monday, March 7:

• 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT
• 12:00 am ET/9:00 pm PT
  

NRB is channel 378 on DirecTV or channel 126 on Sky Angel.

The eye-opening documentary about parental rights in America today will also be simulcast online via streaming video at http://www.nrbnetwork.tv/WatchOnline/Pages/default.aspx.

You can now order DVDs of “The Child” direct from Watchman Cinema at www.TheChildDocumentary.com

Individual and bulk pricing is available as follows:

1 DVD – $15

5 DVDs ($12 each) – $60

10 DVDs ($10 each) – $100

25 DVDs ($7 each) – $175