- In 1998, a paper was published in the prestigious journal The Lancet, presenting evidence that a childhood immunization vaccine was linked to the onset of autism spectrum disorders. The article was widely criticized and partially retracted in 2004, then fully retracted in 2010. However, this article sparked a much greater anti-vaccination movement, primarily in the United States, where 1 in 4 parents still believe vaccines can cause autism.
- When Democrats discuss family values, they mean economic issues, and perhaps censorship issues, like those below.
- When Republicans discuss family values, they mean a more general concept of traditional American society, hinting at:
- Traditional roles for women versus men
- Traditional marriage over same-sex marriage
- Traditional child-rearing concepts like encouraging abstinence
- Pro-life and pro-adoption.
- In the 2016 elections, the concept of "Latino family values" may play an important role in the Republican primaries.
Numerous surveys support that Latinos support the Republican definition of traditional family values, yet they vote overwhelmingly Democratic in presidential elections.
Some Republicans, especially Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), have both focused on how to reach Latinos on grounds of shared family values, to overcome the demographic problem of the overwhelming Democratic vote.
In 1999, Elián González left Cuba with his mother for Florida, on a small boat with other illegal immigrants. Elián's mother drowned en route with ten others, and Elián was placed in custody of relatives in Florida. Under the "wet feet/dry feet" rule, since Elián had been arrested at sea ("wet feet"), he was not eligible to stay in the U.S., whereas Cubans who make it illegally to American shores ("dry feet") may stay as refugees. In April 2000, the I.N.S., under authority from President Bill Clinton's Attorney General Janet Reno, stormed the relatives' home and arrested Elián, who was sent back to Cuba to his father's custody. Conservatives nationwide called for Elián to stay in the U.S., on grounds of anti-Communism.
Child Deductions & Tax Credits
- The 1997 Tax Relief Act established a per-child tax credit of $400 for 1998, increasing to $500 for 1999.
In 2015, the per-child tax credit is as high as $1,000.
- In addition, the 1990s tax code allowed for a deduction of $2,650 per dependent child.
In 2015, the per-child tax deduction is $3,950.
- Candidates focus on the social effects of those tax policies as well as deductions for day-care, pre-school, after-school, and others.
- Some candidates instead focus on how corporations can support families via Family Leave, Flex-Time, and so on.
Internet Smut, V-Chip & TV Ratings
- Internet filters are intended to prohibit children from seeing Internet-based pornography, based on parameters that parents can set up.
- The ‘V-Chip’ and other ‘choice chips’ allow similar parental oversight of television programs.
- Television programs, music CDs, video games, and other forms of entertainment may soon carry ratings similar to those in cinemas today (which are voluntarily established by the movie industry).
Deadbeat Dads & Child Support
- On one side, enforcing child support payments improves children’s economic circumstances.
- On the other side, ‘fatherhood rights’ is beginning to achieve courtroom victories against anti-male bias.