"Proposition 4, or the Abortion Waiting Period and Parental Notification Initiative, also known to its supporters as Sarah's Law, is an initiated amendment that will appear on the November 4, 2008 ballot in California. It proposes a new amendment to the California Constitution.
The initiative would prohibit abortion for unemancipated minors until 48 hours after physician notifies minor’s parent, legal guardian or, if parental abuse has been reported, an alternative adult family member."
(http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_4_(2008))
The fact that anyone actually considers this a good idea makes me so fucking mad.
Honestly, with all the stupid ideas the government has, I try to at least see both sides, even if I'm highly opposed to one or another. But this one upsets me the most because it directly involves me. Yeah, I know how incredibly selfish that sounds, but I mean more that it hits more close to home. I still think that other ideas are equally & more fucked up than this, obviously. But until two years from now, me, & a lot of the people I know could potentially be royally fucked over by this.
I'm not so up to date on political matters. Really, I try to have a good argument for what I believe in, & somewhat attempt to sound like I know my shit, but generally, I don't. I always feel like politics start fights between people. I know that it should be worth the fight, it's fighting for our future. But it's hard. My best friend has the complete opposite religious & political views than I do, & it's incredibly difficult to cope with. I love her, & want to respect what she believes in. Yet some of it is just such nonsense to me that it makes me want to shake her, & I really do not enjoy that feeling.
Back to my point, there is no way in hell I could support this.
It's not like anyone WANTS an abortion. Like oh, I'm going to go have sex with someone, & get prganant, than get an abortion for the fun of it! Right. Obviously if you're getting an abortion, you're not so thrilled about getting pregnant. & if you didn't tell your parents, there's probably a reason. So, let's make the choice more difficult & painful. Good idea.
You can't make adolescents and parents to communicate. Forcing it on them isn't going to do shit. Then the parents will know that if their kid tells them, it was probably only because a secretary at Planned Parenthood was going to be making that call within the next 48 hours. & if the nurse does it first...talk about tension. If a kid wants to let their parent in on what they're handling, I'm all for it. Having an open relationship with your parents is awesome. Point is, it should be their choice.
Also, families can be fucked up. Kids get kicked out of their houses, beaten up & worse everyday over things like this. My summer school teacher told our class a story about a girl she taught. When she was fourteen she was raped by her brother, & got pregnant. Her family was devout Christian & forced her to keep the baby, otherwise she would no longer be part of their family. Some kind of family that is. & how much do you believe that utterly scarred her. Not only was she raped, she was raped by her fucking brother. & not only was she raped by her brother, she had to give birth to his child at age forteen. & was she raped by her brother & gave birth to her child, that four year old is a constant reminder of what happened to her. How will she tell her child when she's older that her daddy is her brother? How can they live with it...it's just so messed up.
Beyond being forced out of it by your parents, what if dreading telling them makes you not get the abortion at all? You'd imagine hiding a pregnancy would be insanely difficult. Yet you hear stories of thirteen year old girls who pull it off, then dump their babies in dumpsters. It's crazy what people will do when they're scared, & too young to know what to do.
& c'mon. Adolescents have so few rights as is. How about we not take away another.
Not to mention a right of a women.
This really worries me.
