June 16, 2005

Stop the ACLU! Blogburst - Teens and Abortion

From the ACLU's website:

BOISE, ID -- The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood Federation of America argued in court today that Idaho’s third attempt at enforcing a dangerous measure restricting teenagers’ access to abortion should be enjoined.

"The safety of Idaho’s most vulnerable teens should be our first concern," said Rebecca Poedy, President of Planned Parenthood of Idaho. "Putting politics before health care, the state persists in its efforts to enforce a law that would harm teenagers, especially those in need of emergency abortions."

How about putting life before death?  How about allowing parents to be responsible for their children versus enabling children to go behind their backs for medical procedures?  More from the ACLU's website:

The law in question prevents teens under 18 from having an abortion unless they receive the written consent of a parent or a court waiver of that requirement. Although slightly modified from two earlier versions already struck down by the courts, the law at issue in today’s case suffers from two flaws previously declared unconstitutional: It compromises the confidentiality of teens who need emergency abortions, and of teens seeking waiver of the parental consent requirement.

I'm sorry, but as a parent, I am responsible for my child's welfare until they are an adult - age 18.  If my child had a problem with their appendix, a physician and the hospital would require my consent for surgery.  While significant moral issues exist around abortion, let's take them out of the equation for a moment.  Abortion is a medical procedure.  Why should a parent not be allowed to give consent and be informed?  If a parent isn't allowed to know that their daughter went and got an abortion, how will they know to make sure she is okay?  How will they be able to respond effectively if something goes wrong medically? 

Okay, now I have to put the moral issues back into the equation.  I should be able to help my child work through life-altering events such as pregnancy - it is my obligation and responsibility as a parent to teach my children right from wrong, to share my beliefs and other life lessons and to help them weigh all sides when making decisions that will impact them the rest of their lives.  If I am not given an opportunity to know about a pregnancy, and my daughter elected to have an abortion, how can I possibly support her emotional needs and speak to the guilt that typically accompanies the decision to kill an unborn child?  Why am I, the parent of this minor, the excluded party here?  Should my daughter make the mistake of getting into the situation of an unplanned pregnancy, my involvement is invaluable - I have raised her and should know how to reach her and help her come to a decision on what to do next. 

There's more to "solving" an unplanned pregnancy than medical equipment.  I truly do not believe A-C-L-U spells Mom or Dad...or God, for that matter.

Please visit Stop the ACLU! and also visit other sites participating in the Stop the ACLU! Blogburst - you'll see rather quickly that the ACLU truly doesn't care about the welfare of children and minors - they only care about their sick, twisted agenda.