So I've gotten to the halfway point in The War on Choice...for the most part, what I have read has sat well with me.
That was up until a day or two ago when I came across a few passages concerning the right to abortion for people who are underage. I am seriously conflicted on this one.
I can completely understand the need for parental guidance on this issue, but I'm also not sure if requiring parental permission is crossing the line and infringing on the rights of the young woman who may be forced to bear the child. I am on the fence with this issue. To the point where I've been asking people about it all day, and haven't been able to get it off my mind.
A friend of mine brought up a really interesting point to me, saying that underage teens should actually be required to have their parents' permission to keep the baby. On the grounds that the parents would be the only financially stable people in the infant's life, and should therefore be able to choose whether or not they wish to support the new child...if the parents do not wish to support the child, they can choose to abort it. That argument actually brings up a lot of interesting points that I didn't think about until now. Like, if the pregnant minor is the one who wants to keep the child, but the parents don't, then who has the right to choose?
Whatever. The point being is that this friend of mine thinks the parents should be the deciders of whether their pregnant minor can keep the child or not. Using the above example...if that makes sense. Which it does in a roundabout way.
So people: what are your stances on this very important issue????? I really want to see how others view this topic *although I am not asking to be persuaded...simply asking for input*
Hop to it! Let's see some comments
endpost.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
hello steph, it's danielle. i think one of the most important points feldt tries to make with regards to parental consent and teenage abortion is that these laws are instituted as roadblocks or barriers. they are put in place in order to stop young women from obtaining abortions, not help them. by requiring consent, these women have to go through the tribulations of telling parents, who may be unsupportive or possibly even violent. also, it drags out the pregnancy, which results in later abortion dates and higher fees. the right hopes that these issues will ultimately deter teenagers from seeking the services they originally planned on.
i can definitely see where you are coming from about your confusion.
oh and just thought about this. what about teenagers who do not have stable parental figures in their lives? it would be unfortunate for them to be denied reproductive care due to a personal issue that could be beyond their control.
I am totally listening to 'Papa Don't Preach' as I write this one.
If a minor is seeking to get an abortion, then parents must be legally notified. Teenagers are very much still children. There are very clear cut and defined reasons as to why people under the age of 18 are considered minors under the law. The sections of the brain that deals with decision making and consequences are not fully developed. Therefore, teenagers need the input of their parents in major life decisions, especially surgeries.
However, the American legal systems is designed to protect minorities, and this issue shouldn't be an exception. Since oppressive and dangerous parents do exist the law should not allow the parents to force the child to either abort or keep the embryo through a parental consent clause. They should be legally notified-nothing more. The person bearing the child must have complete legal control as to what to do.
I think this issue just comes down to whether you consider person under the age of 18 a child or adult. If you consider her a child, then parents must be notified. The law must provide roadblocks to prevent a child from making a potentially harmful or life-altering decision. I don't believe in laws that infringe on individual choices of adults, but laws protecting minors are rightfully more regulatory from laws protecting adults.
This is a tough topic, and actually a lot of us young women are choosing to get abortions because we are scared and are not aware of the opportunities they have to take care of the situation other then having an abortion. It is to our benefit as young women to have parental notification, because a lot of times, our parents can see a larger picture, or our mothers could have gone through similar experiences in having to make a choice. I have seen in my friends their desperation and getting abortions because they think that there is no other way out, and the pain of the situation honestly has grown inside of them when maybe informing our moms could have helped a little bit in making wiser choices to help us as women.
Post a Comment