Yes on Prop 85 - Protect California's Children
Tonight I saw a commercial in opposition to Prop 85, stating that proposition 85 would force a child to tell an abusive parent that she was having an abortion. The implication was that telling the parent could potentially put the child at risk of her parent harming her. The irony of that implication aside, it is frankly untrue. Proponents of the bill simply support abortion on demand, under any circumstances, any age, any time. The interest of the child is not their motive.
The text of the bill is clear.
In the Article "Proposition 85 Parental notification can help stop statutory rape, child molestation" by Edith Black (published online at The Catholic Voice), informs us that
Proposition 85 is sound policy, with provisions to protect children with potentially abusive parents. It is sound policy, and should deserves passage.
Cross Posted at California Conservative
The text of the bill is clear.
Notice shall not be required under this Section if waived pursuant to this subdivision and subdivisions (h) or (i) or (j)Not only does this clearly present that children with abusive parents will be protected, but it goes one step beyond and reports the parents for their abuses! It's clear that this is in the best interest of children.
(h)(2) If the judge finds, by clear and convincing evidence, that notice to a parent or guardian is not in the best interests of the unemancipated minor, the judge shall authorize a waiver of notice. If the finding that notice to a parent or guardian is not in the best interests of the minor is based on evidence of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, the court shall ensure that such evidence is brought to the attention of the appropriate county child protective agency.
In the Article "Proposition 85 Parental notification can help stop statutory rape, child molestation" by Edith Black (published online at The Catholic Voice), informs us that
Yet studies across the country are now showing that most minor teenage pregnancies are the result of girls' sexual activity with adult men, not with their teenage peers. In California a study of 46,000 pregnant teenage girls showed that 71 percent of them were impregnated by adult men whose mean age was 22.6 years. Such sexual predators generally try to cover up their crime by arranging for their victim to have an abortion, sometimes even coercing them.With this in mind, it certainly seems that this proposition, if passed, would protect children by "fishing out" statutory rapists.
Proposition 85 is sound policy, with provisions to protect children with potentially abusive parents. It is sound policy, and should deserves passage.
Cross Posted at California Conservative
posted by The Gentle Cricket at 10:03 PM
3 Comments:
I would have to say that I disagree with your post that proposition 85 is in the best interest for minors. There are statistics in Diana Phillips article "Legal Child Abuse" on Americanprogress.Com in June 2005 where she states that “Texas abortion providers reported that 80-95 percent of minors involved a parent in the decision to terminate a pregnancy. The ones who did not had compelling reasons." This shows that most minors who decide to take the abortion rout, do in fact include a parent, and this law would only be troubling the small percent that didn't. If this law allows for a judicial bypass for the small percent who didn't inform their parents (most likely because of sexual abuse) it is only troubling them more for what could have been easily done without this law passed. Not only would the judicial bypass trouble the minors in abusive homes, but it would make them delay the abortion which could prove to be more harmful to them than benificial. This law only harms the minors in abusive situations and it is best to leave the law as is and not trouble them more.
So, the purpose should be to make abortion as easy, trouble-free, and readily available as possible? And without the need for any adult opinion and counseling? That's a very noble reason, but one I can't agree with.
Thanks for the comment.
how many children that are in the situation of "pregnant and have abusive parents" are going to goto court and wait for a judge to determine if the parents are abusive and the parental notification clause be lifted? the time it takes to make a court date and 'investigate' could mean the difference between getting an early term abortion in say the first trimester or letting things slide to the second or third trimester, where things become ethically hazy, more emotionally involved, and more dangerous to the mother.
again, this is more to protect children (who for whatever reason are pregnant at a young age) from abusive parents, a small percentage of cases. if the parents are abusive, most likely you don't want an opinion from them. you will also get an opinion and counseling from your physician in the first place.
by ignoring that non-parental informers are a small percentage of minors terminating pregnancies you distort the point of the proposition to become what you said, an easy, trouble-free, and readily available route to an abortion. abortion is not easy or trouble-free in any case, whether it be physical or mental.
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