Position Paper

Position Paper

A few years ago, I watched a terrifying story on ABC's 20/20. It was a story about a teenage girl who had gotten pregnant. She successfully managed to keep her pregnancy from everyone, even her immediate family. She secretly gave birth to a baby girl--by herself-- in the basement of her house. Out of fear, she covered the baby with a blanket and the baby died. There was an investigation and trial on the teenage girl, as to whether she should be convicted of murder or not.

Every year, more than one million teenagers become pregnant. 84% of them are unintended pregnancies. About half of those seek abortion. Many teenagers who seek abortion come from dysfunctional, abusive, or single parent family. In 38 states, a minor must have a parental consent in order to go through with an abortion. This is a problem because the law pushes these young women to choose more dangerous options such as: running away, attempt to suicide, or unsafe abortion. In some cases, such as the case I saw on 20/20, some teens even end up killing their newborn or "trashing" their babies in garbage cans. The law "only punishes those girls who come from dysfunctional families," whose parents are not so supportive.

In a lengthy article of CQ Researcher, Clark points out some very crucial points and important facts as a person who opposes the law requiring parental consent. The vast majority of America is in "favor" of parental involvement in this matter. However, this idea is sometimes "impossible". The law, which forces a minor to tell her parents, induces violence. Parents almost always react violently and the young women have to pay an abusive consequence.

Clark's article was very helpful. He gave national statistics and pointed out that every year, more than one million young women under the age of twenty, become pregnant. Eighty-four percent of these pregnancies are unwanted pregnancies, and about forty-two percent of them are aborted. He also adds that many girls who choose abortion come from an abusive, dysfunctional, or single parent family.

The first thing to do is differentiate the idea of involving parents in minor abortion and the anti-abortion belief. In Clark's article, he points out "most of the lobbying for parental involvement laws is done by anti-abortion activists". He also presents the common idea shared by American Psychological Association, American Civil Liberties Union's Reproductive Freedom Project, and Feminist Majority; "It's all a secondary strategy to banning abortion". If a person is pro-life, then he/she will never approve of the minor abortion.

Some advocates of parental involvement law say that such crisis "forces communication" and ultimately causes the family to come together. Although "two-thirds of the family has been found to be supportive," it is the initial reaction that induces violence. It is evident that even the supportive family will often react violently to a teenager's confession.

Sol Gordon's article from September issue of Humanist offered some very important facts. The majority of the teenagers who chooses abortion live with a single parent and "as many as 25% de not know who their father was". Many of the teenagers also come from dysfunctional families or abusive background. Teenagers who have a close relationship with their parents end up telling their parents. "This law does nothing for the functional families" he said. The law only "punishes the daughters of dysfunctional families" and leaves them to face the abusive and cruel parents and "further cruelty and abuse". This article with Clark's article emphasize the inadequate background of some pregnant teens.

This law pushes young women to the edge and forces them to seek far more dangerous options: running away, suicide attempt, and unsafe abortion. Telling their parents that they are pregnant is admitting to their sexual behavior and sexual misconduct. Most teenagers are more afraid of their parents' initial reaction than their pregnancy itself. This brings