Vote Yes on Proposition 4 to Protect our Daughters

Teenagers are generally wise and capable of making important decisions with good judgment and without the knowledge or involvement of their parents.

Most people would disagree with this statement. We understand that while teenagers' bodies may be mature, emotionally and cognitively they are still immature and do not always demonstrate wisdom and good judgment. That is why we don't allow teenagers to choose whether to go to school, to get their bodies pierced or tattooed, or to use a tanning salon without parental permission. Teenagers aren't allowed to drive after 11 p.m. or with other teenage passengers. A teenager is not permitted to self-administer cold medication at school or go off campus for lunch. Why then do we allow children to have abortions without the knowledge of their parents? A 13 year old girl can get an abortion without her parents even being informed - no questions asked. It is as ridiculous a double standard as I can imagine!

Proposition 4 would require a parent to be notified when a child is seeking an abortion. It does not require parental permission, and it provides safeguards and alternatives in cases where a girl might be at risk. Opponents say it's a matter of personal choice, but as the examples above clearly demonstrate, as a society we don't allow children to make decisions, not even about their own bodies, without parental input. A child needs her parents' input and protection when she is facing a monumental choice that could have immediate and long term physical and emotional consequences. It is just common sense.

Imagine a young girl, as young as 13 years old, who is pregnant. She is scared. She probably doesn't know anything about pregnancy or the development of the baby inside her. She doesn't know the physical risks of abortion or the emotional impacts she will face. Her 18 year old boyfriend tells her he will "take care of the problem" and nobody needs to know. That sounds good to the girl who may be embarrassed or ashamed. She doesn't want to lose the "love" of her boyfriend. It sounds easier than facing her parents - even though they are good parents who she has a pretty good relationship with. So she keeps her secret and her boyfriend takes her to the clinic to make the problem go away.

Now imagine the possible consequences. The young man gets away with statutory rape because no one reports the child abuse. Due to complications the girl gets and infection or loses blood, but her parents don't take her to the hospital because they don't know she's had a surgical procedure. In the worst case scenario she could die. There are emotional and relationship consequences. When her boyfriend leaves her anyway, the girl feels devastated and alone. She withdraws further from her parents because she can't tell her secret. She begins using drugs or alcohol to forget and dull the pain. She continues being sexually active, but her parents don't know and haven't helped her get birth control. Her parents love her, but don't know how to help, because she's keeping her pain and problems a secret.

Proposition 4 is not an issue of choice, it is an issue protecting the physical and emotional health and safety of our children. It doesn't matter if you are pro-choice or pro-life. A parent that has been notified may support the decision of abortion and be there to help the child through the process. Or a parent may help the child think through other alternatives such as adoption. But, the thought that we would let our vulnerable daughters to make such a monumental choice without even allowing the parents to know is unconscionable. Parents are not the enemy. Parents have loved and nurtured and worried about their daughters every day since they were born, and parents have a right and a responsibility to help their children through all life's important decisions.

I have a special needs daughter (11), and I would be so upset if she were ever to have an abortion without my notification.

She has epilepsy, and she’s learning about it, but she doesn’t know as much as I do.

Pregnancy & hormones effects epilepsy in many ways. Also, there are certain drugs to be avoided. She needs to be monitored.

She has seizures in her sleep, so anything that makes her at risk for having seizures (like being sick) means she needs to be monitored more closely.

(Now, I doubt she’ll get pregnant while she’s a teen because we monitor her like a hawk because of the epilepsy. She’ll never be left at home alone, drive alone, etc.)

I despise the way that the left takes advantages of peoples fear. Most teenagers believe ‘My dad will kill me if he finds out’, I know there are things I kept from my parents which, looking back as a parent myself, I now know would have elicited a soft loving lecture.

NOW has convinced teen girls that they will be beaten and disowned if they get pregnant and and in a small number of cases that is the the truth but not in most. The left has always demonized the parents (especially the father) as some sort of beasts so that kids will go to them..

My first action would be to calm the girl down to make her feel safe and loved. I would talk about the options (not including abortion) of adoption or keeping the baby. I would work with my wife to find child care so my daughter could continue school and give her a crash course in home-ec so she could start to be a mother.

Bravo! Bravo! I love every word of this. Your a great Dad that si for sure.

Lord willing Ill never have to find out how I would handle this. There are allot of things I thought I would be better at as a father but you learn as you go.

Thank you for the compliment but I am a only decent father (I am working up to great) as *most* men would handle this situation in a similar way and its only our exposure to popular media that makes dads into either laughable simps or angry cold meanies.

How anyone, even a lib, could be against this I have no idea. I mean, it would have a wonder side effect of lowering teen pregnancy rates. If a teenage girl KNOWS her parents will find out, she’ll be less likely to make a foolish decision ie: not having sex at all (i would hope) , or at least making sure protection was used.

Then again, abortion is a multi-million dollar business.....

I think I just answered my own question.

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