At this time, if a girl under the age of 18 who is not legally married is currently serving in the United States armed forces, or has not been legally declared free from her parents' or guardians' custody and control seeks an abortion, she must wait at least forty-eight hours for an abortion. In that time, a physician, assumably the one that would perform said abortion, or his/her legal representative must notify the parent or guardian of the girl seeking the operation. In special cases, especially those where child abuse is concerned and this fear is warranted, another family member, over the age of 21, may be contacted instead. In cases where abuse is feared and another family member is contacted, the operating physician would be required to include a letter informing the proxy-guardian adult of the allegation or threat of abuse.
This notification could be mailed or be in the form of a personally written notice. It should not be mistaken: the physician has merely to notify the parent or guardian and wait the mandated time; the girl seeking the operation and thus the physician does not have to receive consent for the operation to be performed.
A “Yes” vote means that a doctor would be required to notify a minor's parent or guardian at least 48 hours before an abortion is performed on a minor.
- The notification laws in thirty other states have decreased teen pregnancy and helped prevent sexually transmitted infections; California could have this same benefit.
- Sexual predators may rethink their decisions to harm young girls, knowing the minor cannot keep a pregnancy from her parents.
- Imropove communication between children and parents.
A “No” vote means that there would be no law requiring doctors to inform a parent or guardian if a minor will be having an abortion.
- Governments govern better when they govern less. It should not act as a moral compass and a pregnancy watchdog.
- Allowing families to deal with sensitive issues such as abortion without intervention reduces bureaucratic red tape.
- Decreased birth rates and court costs in lower-classed communities, saving the state over 2 billion dollars annually.
Comments
Not every parent is as wonderful as the next.
I love how parents use the argument that this [abortion] is something that is "psychologically traumatizing to go through" , and "I definitely think a parent should know about an abortion!"
Fact is, while you may feel that way about your, and that a teen girl should go to her parents; other mothers may not be so understanding. Some teen girls don't have mothers. Some teen girls only have Uncle Mike who sexually abuses them every Wednesday when he gets home from the bar. I'm not saying that all teen girls are in that situation, I'm plainly saying that some girls may not have that loving and supporting family.
Now if you are a family that is loving and supporting to your daughter and you make her feel as though she can come to you in a crisis, you don't really have anything to worry about if No on 4 passes.
But what about the other teen girls who don't have that? Who's going to be there for them?
I do feel as well that an abortion is a physically and psychologically traumatic thing to go through. Which is why I feel people should support Planned Parenthood more. That is what they are there for. But I also do believe that even though she is a teenager, it is HER body, HER baby if she chooses to keep it. This is something that will affect her for the rest of her life and therefore she should be able to choose her life and her outcome.
I believe a woman should have the right to chose for herself, no matter what her age.
What the?
"Decreased birth rates and court costs in lower-classed communities, saving the state over 2 billion dollars annually."
Isn't this the lunatic fringe's perennial refrain on why MORE abortion among minorities might help the economy?
Personal Vs Political
Parents not only have the responsibility of protecting their children but also that line of accountability rest with them. There aren't any other medical procedures CHILDREN can authorize without parental consent. We parents are to exercise good judgment concerning the lives of our kids and the law mandates we act prudently in our responsibilities. Yet some adults are deceived into thinking abortion is so minor of a procedure it has NO life threatening risks at all to our precious daughters. Should this procedure (abortion) take an UNexpecturn turn and the girl's life is now at risk or should be lost (God forbid), how would you feel getting a call from a clinic or hospital saying your daughter's life is in grave jeopardy and you thought she was in class??? Parents who vote No on Prop 4 are basically giving away their right to counter with an investigation, law suit or any other remedy should things go horribly wrong. Your vote of NO transfers your parental responsibility onto the shoulders of your emotional teen mom and a health practioner/agency that has NO vested interest in her having a future. Do you really want to live with such a burden IF things went wrong with YOUR daughter? Nah... Didn't think so! Make sure your vote is personal and not just political... Daughters are worth the courtesy of a simple notification and 48 hrs for a reply. Mine is and I pray you think yours is too. Vote YES on Prop 4!
You can't save her life, but you can give her an abortion!?!
A doctor cannot remove my child's appendix, tonsils, or do anything else without my permission, but they can perform an abortion without it? That makes no sense!! Prop 4 is about ensuring the physical and psychological health and safety of my child.
One of the cons states "Allowing families to deal with sensitive issues such as abortion..." yet those people desire to leave the family out of it. They want to continue to allow children to make these life altering decisions on there own, without the support, guidance, and help of their parents!
Teens need an adult to
Teens need an adult to accompany them to a Rated R movie (forbidden to view X rated movies), are restricted from certain websites and video games, from getting a job and a driver's license and can't even get dental work done without parent PERMISSION let alone NOTIFICATION. Do families matter so little in today's society that you would leave them out of such a heart-wrenching, psychologically impacting decision?
This is a serious medical procedure and yet no one seems to genuinely care for the fact that these teens in crisis need genuine loving guidance. Will the doctor, and/or the boyfriend (or whomever else takes the teen to the clinic) be there for her years from now when the guilt pangs tug at the teen's conscience? No, but the parents will be. Don't leave them out of the support role that the VAST majority of parents serve in such a crisis.
I'm still amazed !
It is gut wrenching to deal with the fact that so many groups, in this day and age, still want to control the behavior and dictate the moral standards of others through initiatives such as prop 4 and 8. There is no doubt that legislation is shoved down out throats through deceptive and malicious campaigns praying on the ignorance of our population and driven by unfounded fears. That's why I say let's read and inform ourselves well and pass that knowledge to those who lack it so they can make an informed and positive vote. And let's keep goverment out of our lives.
Prop 4
This proposition has nothing to do with child predators. IN fact, if one thinks logically, this law will be more dangerous to sexually abused teens. Sexually abused teens are scared and traumatized. If they have the support they need formt their parents, of course they will to turn to their parents.but some teens do not have that option. they will be beaten or abused, regardless of the cause of pregnancy-sometimes its even someone in the family. Those teens need safe medical care as soon as possible, and support from places like Planned Parenthood, who will provide options counseling.
No law can mandate family communication.
Join the CA nurses association, and the CA teachers association, and
VOTE NO ON 4.
Creepy Ad
I hate the Vote Yes on Prop 4 commercial currently playing in So. Cal. It shows a guy who has sex with underage teens, get's them pregnant, forces they to have an abortion and makes the state pay for it. It's repulsive. It' makes me want to vote NO just because I hate the commercial (and I'm voting NO anyways.) This is worse than the Pro-Prop 8 commercials.
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