This is going to be the extent of my posts for a while, random news stories that generally piss me off.
Should the California Constitution be amended to require notification of the parent or legal guardian of an unemancipated, pregnant minor at least 48 hours before performing an abortion on the minor?
Summary Prepared by the State Attorney General:
Amends California Constitution, defining and prohibiting abortion for unemancipated minor until 48 hours after physician notifies minor's parent/guardian, except in medical emergency or with parental waiver. Mandates reporting requirements. Authorizes monetary damages against physicians for violation.
Fiscal Impact from the Legislative Analyst:Potential unknown net state costs of several million dollars annually for health and social services programs, the courts, and state administration combined.
Meaning of Voting Yes/No
A YES vote on this measure means:
The California Constitution would be changed to require that a physician notify, with certain exceptions, a parent or legal guardian of a pregnant minor at least 48 hours before performing an abortion.
A NO vote on this measure means:
Minors would continue to receive abortion services to the same extent as adults. Physicians performing abortions for minors would not be subject to notification requirements.
Official Sources of Information
Official WWW Site
Full Text
Impartial Analysis
from the Legislative Analyst
Arguments Submitted to the Secretary of State
Summary of Arguments FOR Proposition 73:
MORE THAN ONE MILLION CALIFORNIANS' signatures qualified PROPOSITION 73! It will RESTORE Californians' right to counsel and care for their young daughters before-- and after--an abortion. Similar laws are protecting girls in over thirty states. FOR OUR DAUGHTERS' SAFETY, HEALTH, AND PROTECTION, VOTE YES on 73!
Full Text of Argument In Favor, Rebuttal
Summary of Arguments AGAINST Proposition 73:
Prop. 73 says government can mandate family communication. It can't. Scared, pregnant
teenagers don't need a judge--they need a counselor. Vulnerable teenagers who can't talk to their parents may resort to unsafe, illegal abortions. Parents rightly want to know, but keeping teens safe is even more important.
Full Text of Argument Against, Rebuttal
Contact FOR Proposition 73:
YES on 73 / Parents' Right to Know and Child Protection2555 Rio De Oro WaySacramento, CA 95826Toll-Free (866) 828-8355Janet@YESon73.nethttp://www.YESon73.net
Contact AGAINST Proposition 73:
Steve SmithCampaign for Teen Safety555 Capitol Mall, Suite 510Sacramento, CA 95814(916) 669-4802info@noonproposition73.orghttp://www.noonproposition73.org/
UPDATE
A couple things that they don't mention on the argument for 73.
73 would require:
Why on earth they would need a record of minor's abortions screams of the current state of abortion rights in Kansas.
So the young girl doesn't have to tell her parents about the abortion but they could end up locked in jail? Yea that won't make them suspicious of her.
So every time a judge grants a waiver for parental notification they have to make a note of it, so that come re-election time their record can be used against them?
Too many paper trails for my tastes thanks. In states that have implemented this they found many young girls just left and went to different states and got them there, and for girls in San Diego that means going to Mexico.
Thats just what I like to think of, a young girl getting an abortion in Mexico!
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Should the California Constitution be amended to require notification of the parent or legal guardian of an unemancipated, pregnant minor at least 48 hours before performing an abortion on the minor?
Summary Prepared by the State Attorney General:
Amends California Constitution, defining and prohibiting abortion for unemancipated minor until 48 hours after physician notifies minor's parent/guardian, except in medical emergency or with parental waiver. Mandates reporting requirements. Authorizes monetary damages against physicians for violation.
Fiscal Impact from the Legislative Analyst:Potential unknown net state costs of several million dollars annually for health and social services programs, the courts, and state administration combined.
Meaning of Voting Yes/No
A YES vote on this measure means:
The California Constitution would be changed to require that a physician notify, with certain exceptions, a parent or legal guardian of a pregnant minor at least 48 hours before performing an abortion.
A NO vote on this measure means:
Minors would continue to receive abortion services to the same extent as adults. Physicians performing abortions for minors would not be subject to notification requirements.
Official Sources of Information
Official WWW Site
Full Text
Impartial Analysis
from the Legislative Analyst
Arguments Submitted to the Secretary of State
Summary of Arguments FOR Proposition 73:
MORE THAN ONE MILLION CALIFORNIANS' signatures qualified PROPOSITION 73! It will RESTORE Californians' right to counsel and care for their young daughters before-- and after--an abortion. Similar laws are protecting girls in over thirty states. FOR OUR DAUGHTERS' SAFETY, HEALTH, AND PROTECTION, VOTE YES on 73!
Full Text of Argument In Favor, Rebuttal
Summary of Arguments AGAINST Proposition 73:
Prop. 73 says government can mandate family communication. It can't. Scared, pregnant
teenagers don't need a judge--they need a counselor. Vulnerable teenagers who can't talk to their parents may resort to unsafe, illegal abortions. Parents rightly want to know, but keeping teens safe is even more important.
Full Text of Argument Against, Rebuttal
Contact FOR Proposition 73:
YES on 73 / Parents' Right to Know and Child Protection2555 Rio De Oro WaySacramento, CA 95826Toll-Free (866) 828-8355Janet@YESon73.nethttp://www.YESon73.net
Contact AGAINST Proposition 73:
Steve SmithCampaign for Teen Safety555 Capitol Mall, Suite 510Sacramento, CA 95814(916) 669-4802info@noonproposition73.orghttp://www.noonproposition73.org/
UPDATE
A couple things that they don't mention on the argument for 73.
73 would require:
A judge who grants a waiver based on evidence of physical, sexual or emotional abuse by a parent or guardian to bring that evidence to the attention of the county child protective agency.
A physician who performs an abortion on a minor to file a report with the state Department of Health Services. The report must include the name of the physician, age of the girl, duration of the pregnancy, date and location of the procedure, and the type of procedure performed. The identity of the girl and the physician would be kept confidential.
Requires each Court to submit to the Judicial Council a report, by judge, on the number of petitions for waivers from the notification requirement that are filed and the number of petitions granted. The reports would be publicly available.
Why on earth they would need a record of minor's abortions screams of the current state of abortion rights in Kansas.
So the young girl doesn't have to tell her parents about the abortion but they could end up locked in jail? Yea that won't make them suspicious of her.
So every time a judge grants a waiver for parental notification they have to make a note of it, so that come re-election time their record can be used against them?
Too many paper trails for my tastes thanks. In states that have implemented this they found many young girls just left and went to different states and got them there, and for girls in San Diego that means going to Mexico.
Thats just what I like to think of, a young girl getting an abortion in Mexico!
6 Comments:
I have to admit that I think parents should be notified if their minor child is going to receive a surgical procedure. Having an abortion is not as simple as having a broken arm set in a cast... it is a surgical procedure that requires anesthesia, and the complications include death. When I had a blighted ovum, I had to have a D&C, and there were severe complications from it. I had to have a second one a week later, and by some stroke of luck or a miracle, I was not rendered sterile as a result. A life-long friend of my sister also needed a D&C to remove the pregnancy matter after a blighted ovum, and even though she followed the post-op care to the letter ,she still developed a blot clot that traveled to her heart and killed her. If my minor child needs a permission slip to go on a class trip, she should absolutely need parental consent to have a surgical procedure of any kind.
If a child isn't willing to tell her parents that she's going to have an abortion, how willing do you think she'd be to follow the post-op care? If she begins to hemmorage, like I did, will she tell her parents then? If she passes out in a pool of her own blood, like I did, will her parents even know what to tell the emergency room, if they even find her?
When one of the complications is death and a much more common one is sterility through infection, I think a minor is not equipped to make that sort of decision. I realize that perhaps mine isn't the "popular" opinion, but I do feel strongly about it. I feel that way for no other reason than the fact that the consquences of an abortion can be life-altering, and life-threatening. I'm not saying that a parent should then be able to force their child to give birth, merely to be informed that she will be going through a surgical procedure. I don't think that abortion should be trivialized as routine. It is not something quick and easy, and the consequences can be extreme. I'm not saying that teenagers should not have access to abortion, just that an adult should be notified. I don't know a single 12 or 14 year old who is mature enough to understand the repercussions of a decision like this, and frankly, if someone performed an abortion on my 12 year old daughter without my knowlege, I'd be out for blood. It's really not the same thing as giving an adult woman the right to choose. Just my opinion.
I agree with J and O (who is often a delightful voice of moderation and thoughtfulness on thorny, devisive topics) that abortion is not a simple in-and-out, problem-free procedure.
However, what do we do about the minors who are engaging in sex to fill a void left by their parents' abuse and neglect? Who are seeking an abortion because those parents would abuse them further and kick them out into the streets if they found out about the pregnancy in the first place?
The 14 year-old girl knocked up by her stepfather, whose mother would blame her for "seducing" the creep and side with him over her?
Like I have said before, there a host of other social ills attached to abortion that need our attention. Since they are difficult to solve and require love and understanding from us all, they will remain.
Let me first of all say that I was lucky enough to have a mother who worked in planned parenthood and made sure I was well prepared when she thought I might be sexually active. I have always been able to tell her anything, and ask her questions.
Not all girls are as lucky as I was, some were abused and others were in a family that while well meaning, was very religious. I agree with you J and O that is its not optimal to have a girl going and getting an abortion alone and without her parents knowing. But if a girl finds herself pregnant and feels that she cannot tell her parents (for any reason) then she is left with the option of a backalley abortion and we all know the risks of those are far greater than that of getting one without parental consent.
If I have a daughter I hope I am able to create an environment where she can come to me for anything (like information and/or birth control) and if she needs to go through something like an abortion that she can let me be there for her.
If that is not possible, I hope she will have access to a safe and legal abortion without being worried that I might find out.
wow, this is malking my head hurt.
i was going to tell you a bunch of personal stuff relating to this topic, but i dont really want to start crying and blubbering on about it. all i can say is, this issue will always be an issue.
If a child hasn't the sense to refrain from engaging in sexual activity without also using protection, should we then just allow that same, immature child to use abortion as the preferred method of birth control? No.
While it is horrendous to think that a child might be pregnant because she was raped by her step-father, the fact remains that far more teens are pregnant by someone other than a family member because they chose to have sex. To me, that argument is along the same lines of the argument presented by people who don't think wearing seat belts should be mandated by law because if they run the car off the bridge, it will be hard to unfasten the seat belt while under water. It happens, yes. But not so often as to make laws based on that particular scenario.
The answer is one that you've addressed in the past, Kitty. We need better sex education in this country, without the crazy stuff they throw in with it. The facts should be presented as they are, not as people want them to be. If a girl knows what an abortion really entails, perhaps she'd think twice. Or perhaps she wouldn't get pregnant in the first place if she had been armed with the knowlege in advance. Access to appropriate birth control shouldn't need parental consent, but access to surgery that could kill you should.
In the cases when a child would be placed in danger by disclosing that information to a parent, then perhaps we should have some sort of advocacy system in place to allow her to seek permission through a surrogate of sorts. The procedure is too serious to allow a kid to just arbitrarily choose an abortion because she doesn't want her parents to know she had sex. That thinking in itself is proof that kids aren't mature enough to make that kind of decision. In all the years I've worked with at-risk teens, both in the school and in the community, including the ones to whom I've been a foster parent, I've not met one who I felt was mature enough to understand the consequences of an abortion. I have met a few who have nightmares for years about killing their unborn babies, and I know one who had to have a complete hysterectomy at 17 because of the damage and rampant infection caused by a legal abortion.
Are there extenuating circumstances sometimes? Yeah. But I'd venture to guess that the majority of girls seeking abortions at a young age are not pregnant by a relative, nor are they abused. I'd bet they're just too afraid to tell their parents that they're having sex in the first place. Every kid I've worked with who decided to have an abortion without telling anyone did it because they didn't want their parents to know they were sexually active. Not one of them was raped by a family member or anyone else.
Again, just my opinion, which is based solely on my personal interaction with girls who have gone through this. I am well aware that other girls have other reasons for abortion. And thanks for the kind words, ubermilf.
i was raped by my aunts boyfriend, got pregnant and DID NOT have an abortion!
i see no reason to ever have one. ever!
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