The News-Gazette.com Weblog

Against the tide

How many anti-parent laws does it take to become a nanny state?

Posted by: Rhonda Robinson

Tuesday, April 10, 2007 11:16 AM

First, House Bill 317 will allow an adolescent girl to have the right to an abortion without the consent or knowledge of her parents. The bill states that it "Repeals the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995 and re-repeals the Illinois Abortion Parental Consent Act of 1977 and the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1983."

Translation, "We don't want parents who could potentially stop the abortion to interfere." Is there not a grandchild involved here?

They would rather let a young girl (a minor) go through a mentally and physically excruciating experience alone.

They hide behind the smoke screen that the baby could have been conceived in a sexually abusive or incestuous relationship. In that case, the parents not only should be notified, but arrests made.

Crimes aside, in the real world where most of us are trying to raise our families, we understand that teenagers (especially adolescent girls) are notorious for underestimating the love and understanding of their parents.

For most American teenage girls, an unwanted pregnancy is the first real adult crisis they have had to face. It makes me furious that there is an entire industry waiting to pounce on these girls in their most vulnerable time. Telling them they can make the problem go away, and their parents will never have to know.

I remember sitting in my high school classroom, when a woman from Planned Parenthood came to talk to us. She assured us that they were there for us, our parents would not have to know, and that an abortion is as simple as "picking a flower."

I see the abortion industry as nothing more than a bunch of vultures claiming to be saviors, waiting to swoop down on the wounded and devour the helpless.

Dennis Byrne asks the question, "How much power should the government have in telling parents how to raise their children? Or the reverse: How much power should the government have to prevent parents from raising their children as they see fit?"

Very little, is my answer to both questions.

And however, "very little" is also the answer to how much power is left within our parental rights here in the ever growing nanny state of Illinois.

Call me what you want, but my 15 year-old birth mother along with her parents, chose life--and my daughters, grand daughters, and I are alive to thank them.

Comments

Instead passing the bill about not informing the parents about abortion, why don't they promote adoption. There are so many loving couples who are not able to have children andare spending thousands of dollars to adopt over seas because it is too hard to adopt in the US. There are too many children growing up in poverty because the girl and her parents were not given enough information on how the adoption process works. I was adopted as a baby and I am so glad that my biological mother was able to make that loving unselfish act to give me a better life. I also gave up my daughter for adoption when I was 19 because I knew I could not give her the life that she needed. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make, but I needed to think of her future and what would be the best for her. I would like to see more money going into adoption education and less money going out to single parents who keep having children to get more money and benefits. I am now a single parent and work full time and I do not get any assistance from the state. I brought these children into the this world and it is my responsibility to provide for them. It is not the tax payers responsibility to take care of my children. I believe if you are not able to provide for your children let somebody who can, give them a good home. There are open adoptions that will let you keep in contact with the parents who adopted your child. Please understand I am not against single teenage parents but think about what is best for your baby. I did and so did my biological mother, and I am so thankful for that. I have met her and knowing what kind of life she had I am so thankful that she was able to make the right decision to give me a better life.

Posted by snoopy on April 10, 2007 at 2:49 PM

Well, three shining examples showing the power of abstinence-only education -- "very little".

Perhaps we should teach "if you don't want children, then abstaining is best until marriage, and here's how to use birth control once you're married"

If we're going to turn a blind eye to raging teenage hormones overriding what they're taught on Sunday, then we can also turn a blind eye and assume they'll also only have a need to use contraception once they're married (and therefore should be properly educated how to use it).

Even though your own personal experiences show otherwise.

Teaching how to properly use birth control and making it easily accessible to anyone of age to procreate would also reduce the numbers of abortions in the United States.

But I've a feeling you would also consider this to be nannying by the state and a violation of parental rights? Birth control is inarguably safer than an abortion -- as the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention...

Posted by dw on April 20, 2007 at 2:22 AM

snoopy,

I couldnt agree with you more. Perhaps if those of us who have survived the pro-choice movement spoke up and said, Hey adoption is a good choice! we would have more adoptions and fewer abortions.

Posted by Rhonda on April 20, 2007 at 3:08 PM

dw,

Birth control is widely available. The school I attended all taught about birth control, we had Planned Parenthood in as guest speakers. Last I heard some schools today pass out condoms before the prom.

There is no lack of information about sex for our youth today, they are inundated with it.

What they don't hear is that when there is a crisis (unplanned baby) that is precisely when we need our family the most.

A child of 14 can hardly comprehend what impact her decisions will make on her life at age 28--to her that is a lifetime away.

And although teens at home are in the midst of struggling to be their own person, what they do affects the entire family.

No teen is an island.

Posted by Rhonda on April 20, 2007 at 3:40 PM

Actually,dw, it is three shinning examples of self-sacrifice, and putting a child's need for a stable home with a mother and a father first and foremost--at great personal cost. Rare indeed.

Posted by Rhonda on April 22, 2007 at 8:54 PM

The bill provides three specific cases in which a minor can receive an abortion without notice to parents or clergy. They aren't enacting a policy whereby any woman can walk in and have an abortion without at least considering the alternatives.

One is in case of a medical emergency, a situation where they are trying to save a life.

Another is in situations of abuse by the very people they would be notifying. I'm not sure that notifying those parents would be beneficial to the woman in question.

The last is by going through objective counseling, discussing involving family, "alternative choices for managing the pregnancy", explaining that they can withdraw their decision to have an abortion, and discuss any questions about pregnancy, adoption, child care, or abortion.

As with all decisions in life, the best way to manage them is by looking at all the choices available and making the one that you feel is best.

Posted by jbr on April 24, 2007 at 11:21 AM

At face value jbr, what you write sounds reasonable. However, as I said, I am a mother of six girls, young women really, and a grandmother. I can't imagine any of them going through such crisis, without being notified. What if there were complications?

It seems to me, this type of legislation is more about circumventing parents who might interfere, than actually helping a young girl in trouble.

But then again, I also deeply believe that abortion is never a good answer.

Posted by Rhonda on April 24, 2007 at 3:18 PM