Propaganda
Say NO on proposition 85!
It is very true that "while all parent rightly want to be involved in their teenage daughters' lives, good family communication cannot be imposed by government."
(For those of you who are eligible to vote, these people need your attention. For those of you who aren't, there are other ways to get involved.)
"Parental Notification" initiative a bad use of resources
Mercury News Editorial
California voters will decide no fewer than 13 initiatives this November, including Round 2 of what has been called the most contentious debate today in the public health arena: parental notification for minors seeking an abortion.
A nearly identical initiative, Proposition 73, which we opposed, was defeated by 53-47 percent in 2005. The countless hours and millions of dollars both sides will invest in the issue over the next four months would be better spent working to continue to improve California's record for preventing teen pregnancies. By working together, government and private agencies have cut the number of teen pregnancies in the state by 40 percent over the past 10 years, which makes California one of the nation's leaders in preventing teen pregnancies.
The initiative would require parents to be notified 48 hours before their minor child had an abortion, unless the parents or a judge waived the requirement.
The need for a parental notification law is overstated. Studies show that more than three out of every five teens already tell their parents before deciding whether to have an abortion. Further studies show that most who don't have a very good reason: fear for their own safety. These are the teen-agers who risk being thrown out of their homes, or worse, face a violent response. They are also the girls who may be victims of incest or rape and may consider more extreme, dangerous measures if forced to notify their parents, such as running away, heading for other states without parental notification laws or taking matters into their own hands..
There is little doubt that proponents of parental notification care intensely about this issue and believe they have the best interests of teens in mind. But California voters should also understand that this debate over a relatively small number of girls is also part of a larger strategy to chip away at legalized abortion in the United States.
A better strategy would be to direct those efforts toward further reducing the need for girls and women to seek abortions. Approximately half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended. Continued efforts to improve sex education and provide more widespread access to birth control -- especially in rural areas -- are proven effective strategies for reducing teen pregnancies.
Keeping girls healthy and safe should be the first priority.
Posted on Wed, Jul. 12, 2006
It is very true that "while all parent rightly want to be involved in their teenage daughters' lives, good family communication cannot be imposed by government."
(For those of you who are eligible to vote, these people need your attention. For those of you who aren't, there are other ways to get involved.)
"Parental Notification" initiative a bad use of resources
Mercury News Editorial
California voters will decide no fewer than 13 initiatives this November, including Round 2 of what has been called the most contentious debate today in the public health arena: parental notification for minors seeking an abortion.
A nearly identical initiative, Proposition 73, which we opposed, was defeated by 53-47 percent in 2005. The countless hours and millions of dollars both sides will invest in the issue over the next four months would be better spent working to continue to improve California's record for preventing teen pregnancies. By working together, government and private agencies have cut the number of teen pregnancies in the state by 40 percent over the past 10 years, which makes California one of the nation's leaders in preventing teen pregnancies.
The initiative would require parents to be notified 48 hours before their minor child had an abortion, unless the parents or a judge waived the requirement.
The need for a parental notification law is overstated. Studies show that more than three out of every five teens already tell their parents before deciding whether to have an abortion. Further studies show that most who don't have a very good reason: fear for their own safety. These are the teen-agers who risk being thrown out of their homes, or worse, face a violent response. They are also the girls who may be victims of incest or rape and may consider more extreme, dangerous measures if forced to notify their parents, such as running away, heading for other states without parental notification laws or taking matters into their own hands..
There is little doubt that proponents of parental notification care intensely about this issue and believe they have the best interests of teens in mind. But California voters should also understand that this debate over a relatively small number of girls is also part of a larger strategy to chip away at legalized abortion in the United States.
A better strategy would be to direct those efforts toward further reducing the need for girls and women to seek abortions. Approximately half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended. Continued efforts to improve sex education and provide more widespread access to birth control -- especially in rural areas -- are proven effective strategies for reducing teen pregnancies.
Keeping girls healthy and safe should be the first priority.
Posted on Wed, Jul. 12, 2006
Comments