In the emotionally charged debate over the right to have an
abortion, it is important to be clear when talking about proposed
new laws that affect that right. Too often good-faith discussions
of the merits of related issues get sidetracked by spurious
allegations, faulty premises or misleading assumptions.
In the emotionally charged debate over the right to have an abortion, it is important to be clear when talking about proposed new laws that affect that right. Too often good-faith discussions of the merits of related issues get sidetracked by spurious allegations, faulty premises or misleading assumptions.
Proposition 73 is straightforward: It would require a waiting period and parental notification from the doctor when a girl seeks to have an abortion. It provides for legal procedures to avoid notification when there is a well-found fear of abuse. It does not require parental permission to have an abortion.
We grant that there are many objections to this proposition. There are many families where a discussion of this kind would be very difficult, and there exists the real possibility of fear and intimidation, even abuse. In this, we trust that the provisions of the law allowing the child – and we are talking about pregnant children here – to avoid notification will work as intended.
Some say Proposition 73 betrays a class bias, assuming middle class values will prevail in circumstances where a girl does not necessarily enjoy a secure home environment and might be more at risk, even from her own male relatives.
We reject this notion as having a built-in bias of its own, assuming that love and understanding are less possible among the less well off.
Our endorsement of Proposition 73 has nothing to do with being pro-choice or pro-life. We simply believe it is not a defensible position to deny a parent the right to know when their daughter is considering an abortion.
In that regard, Proposition 73 can be said to accomplish one very important goal: It sets a model for good parenting. Just as its provisions require a girl must think carefully about the consequences before engaging in risky behavior, it also encourages parents to build the kind of home life that fosters such responsibility.
Until now, mutual ignorance has worked for many. Parents who, previously, may not have wanted to know if their daughter was pregnant and seeking an abortion, will now be forced to confront honestly that knowledge – and possibly their own role in failing that daughter.
And finally, there is a fundamental issue of fairness. We wouldn’t want our daughters getting an appendectomy or piercing her ears without telling us. How, in the end, can we justify allowing secret abortions?
