Abortion
proposition seeks to protect minors
Ashley Thomas
In California, like many states, there are many restrictions placed upon minors.
Teenagers under the age of 17 must abide by curfew law. Teenagers under the age
of 16 cannot drive a car. Teen girls cannot get their ears pierced or go to a
tanning salon unless they have parental consent.
Yet, a child as young as 12 years of age can walk into a woman’s clinic
and have an abortion without first informing a parent. But that might change
with the passing of Proposition 73, “Parents’ Right to Know and Child
Protection,” which will require a doctor notifying a parent or guardian
in writing 48 hours prior performing an abortion on a minor.
This initiative, to appear on the Nov. 8 special election, was not proposed by
California legislatures. According to The
San Diego Union-Tribune, over 1 million signatures from California citizens were
obtained.
A parent spends the entire life of their child teaching and nurturing them, while
caring for their physical, psychological and emotional needs. It is an outrage
these same parents who give everything to their child are not being notified
when their daughter is undergoing a major medical procedure that can have fatal
consequences.
However, Proposition 73 is not an absolute. It has been recognized there are
some situations where abuse is present in the home. According to yeson73.net, “Proposition
73 allows a minor girl to petition the juvenile court for a waiver. In a confidential
proceeding, she can ask the court to find she is sufficiently mature to make
her own decision about an abortion or that notifying a parent or guardian is
not in her best interests.
Proposition 73 provides that the juvenile court judge report evidence of physical,
sexual or emotional abuse to the appropriate child protection agency, so that
the girl can be protected and not just undergo an abortion and then return to
the abusive situation.”
Proposition 73 will result in an improvement of medical care for minor girls
in three ways.
(1) By informing parents their child is going to have an abortion, it allows
them to consent to her choice of an abortion and help her seek care from a qualified
and competent practitioner. The San Diego Union-Tribune said, “Medical
Board records show that many doctors who end up working in abortion clinics have
had their licenses suspended and/or placed on probation.”
(2) The parent who is informed will be able to provide an accurate medical history
of his or her daughter to help reduce the risk of complication.
(3) It makes sure parents have accurate knowledge of their daughters’ recent
surgery that allows them to recognize a complication and properly respond to
such an event.
Under current law that allows minors to seek abortion without parent consent,
many rapists and sex offenders are able to hide. Because of the secret abortions
these young girls are getting, sex offenders and rapists are not being turned
in and prosecuted for their crimes. Teenage girls who have been raped and become
pregnant think they are able to seek emotional asylum by receiving an abortion.
But when they don’t report the man who raped them and seek proper counseling,
they are becoming a part of the abusive cycle.
Although those on the opposing side may say Proposition 73 threatens the safety
of minors, the experience of over 30 other states proves this wrong. The Rev.
Lucas Thumma said, “Of the 34 states that currently have parental involvement
laws in place, 100 percent have seen a reduction in abortions performed on minors.”
I urge you vote “yes” on Proposition 73 and help restore some of
the rights lost to parents. Your vote can help protect the medical safety of
these young girls and make sure they receive adequate health care.
Ashley Thomas is a freshman electrical engineering major.
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