The International Convention on the Rights of a Child is an international convention setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children. Nations that ratify this international convention are bound by it by international law. The United States is the only country in the world with a working government which has not ratified this treaty. President George W. Bush and his administration openly oppose this treaty, stating, “"The Convention on the Rights of the Child may be a positive tool for promoting child welfare for those countries that have adopted it. But we believe the text goes too far when it asserts entitlements based on economic, social and cultural rights. ... The human rights-based approach ... poses significant problems as used in this text." One conflict is that the United States can convict a child (anyone under 18) to life in prison without the possibility of parole. What kind of protections does this government not want its young people to have, and who is being most impacted by violations of human rights standards?

Alex Nevado: Generation Y