Parental Notification Laws....
I got thinking about this topic after hearing a NOW rep on the radio blabbering on about how Roberts could potentially destroy the Roe vs Wade ruling and how that would set reproductive rights back 100's of years. She emphasised how allowing state legislation to decide the issue could put children in danger by requiring parental notification.
Let me start off by saying, I don't personally approve of abortion, especially as a contraceptive method. I understand there are exceptions, rape, health, etc etc that are reasons to justify and I WOULD NEVER question the choice a woman made, because I am not in her shoes.
That being understood, I want to address the topic of parental notification and the fact that NOW and other abortion activists are pressing for anti-notification rulings. The reasoning they give is that it could put a girl's life or well-being in danger. For example, a girl has to go to her abusive father and tell him he got her knocked up, or he is violent and owuld react negatively to finding out her boyfriend knocked her up. Other examples given include, girls getting backstreet abortions because they didn't want to "disappoint" thier parents.
The Pro-Abortion groups use these examples of child endangerment as reasoning to support their Anti-notification stance. What the BLEEP?!?! What about protecting children from incest, abuse etc etc?! They want to abort a baby then send the child back to the abusive situation?!?!
I have a really good idea for how to deal with that. If a child (anyone under 18) shows up and asks for an abortion and says they do NOT want to notify their parents, then they should be REMOVED from the home automatically. Avoid the whole "child endangerment" vrs. telling mom and dad situation altogether. Or even take it a step further and any girl pregnant before 16 should be placed in protective custody, pending a check of the home situation to ensure her safety. Parents could attend counseling to prove they won't beat her or abuse her for being in that situation.
If it is a case of potential abuse, stop it before it starts, get the girl counseling and present ALL options from a non-judgemental source (Not Planned Parenthood) Aborting the baby and returning the child to the home without intervention is just asking for it to happen again.
And if it turns out that the child just is "afraid to disappoint" her parents? Parents and daugher should attend counseling. Her to help with the options and parents to accept the child's situation.
So this would solve the "abuse" factor all that's left is some girls may be afraid to admit pregnancy to parents out of shame, embarassment etc. *I think they should be embarassed if they made poor choices!* But that should not justify providing a serious medical proceedure that has signifigant emotional side effects to a minor. These kids are not considered mature enough to vote, but they can decide to kill an unborn baby?
Parents have the right to raise children in a manner they feel is appropriate. As long as no abuse is going on, parents currently have the right to teach children what they want, instill religious/moral values and require them to obey rules without approval of the government. But if parents no longer have a say in a child's signifigant moral decisions regarding abortion, they how can they regulate anything else in the child's life? Circumventing parents further distances them from any ability or responsibility to raise their children.
If a 12 year old can get an abortion without telling her parents, why can't she get a nose job? Quit school? Drive a car? Donate organs? Get married?
By using the courts to make parents obsolete, we are condemning children to a life without understanding of accountability or responsibility for their actions.