Texans need to get their heads out of clouds and think

Well, Texas has passed a law that forbids doctors to perform abortions on minors without parental permission, except in cases where there may be abuse, in which case the minor must go before the judge and prove her case to get permission.

I am opposed to this law. I do understand that parents should know what their children are doing, especially considering the possibility of medical complications. However, I do have issues regarding the abuse aspect. (1) How is a child who is being abused going to be able to get legal representation and be able to take time off from school in order to get permission from a judge without her parents finding out? (2) What if the pregnancy is a product of the abuse and she does not want, at the time, to deal with the implications of going before a judge and discussing this in addition to dealing with a pregnancy? Beside the fact that, per capita, few abortions are taking place now then when abortion was illegal.

Another problem I have is the fact that Texas teaches abstinence without discussing birth control. I feel this is entirely irresponsible. Yes, I understand that parents may want to exercise their control over what their children are learning, so teach them at home or send them to private school. This is not just a matter of religious preferences, but it's also a matter of public health. If a minor chooses (and I'm not condoning the behavior) to have a physical relationship, at least give them the tools and knowledge to be responsible for their behavior. It's the parents responsibility to instill the moral values into their children so that they can make the decision. That's what the parents need to be concerned about. If parents are taking the time to teach their children morality, then it won't matter if their children know what a condom is or what birth control pills are for. What happens when they move away from home and are faced with such a decision? What decision can someone make without practical information?

I know my parents (college educated, nurse & doctor) never told me about the birds and the bees. Of course, I never bothered to ask them, either. I learned from Catholic school doctrine, public school doctrine, and my friends. Catholic school teaches you that you will go crazy if you get an abortion and that you will spend the rest of your time on earth in morbid depression, crying your eyes out every time you see a child. At least if you're female. They never say anything about the father. I'm not saying that there are no emotional side effects to abortion. Quite the contrary. The women I know who have had them do still think about the child that might have been, but they also recognize that they were not in positions to take care of the child properly. (I know I'm digressing, but until all the unwanted and neglected children in this world are cared for, I don't think there should be a law banning abortion. I have not seen all of the activists offering to adopt all the kids at the orphanages, or taking in a houseful of foster children, or getting involved when they see abuse and neglect.)

In retrospect, I think it would have been helpful to hear about not only the aspect of birth control, but also concepts of respect for your body and the consequences of behavior. If bringing up birth control, then bring up the possibility of pregnancy and the PARENTAL and FINANCIAL issues that both partners may have to face. I believe we should give our kids knowledge so that they can protect themselves now and in the future. Isn't education supposed to be about giving our children knowledge to prepare themselves for the FUTURE.

If we are responsible about teaching our kids then the law that was passed by Texas would not be necessary. I don't believe teens are running about willy nilly getting abortions. And if a teen is that frightened by what they have done to own up and take responsibility, how great of a parent are they going to be anyway? Who is going to take care of the baby finacially? The grandparents? The State and Medicaid? How effective of a parent will a 15 or 16 year old make? Should she drop out of school and get a job and pay for daycare like the rest of the working world? What is going to happen to the baby?

Granted, if my daughter became pregnant, I would want to know if she had an abortion. However, I hope that I teach her well enough to have enough respect for herself and her body to wait to have sex and to use protection in the future when she's an adult. The same goes for my sons. I hope to teach them to have respect for their bodies and for the girls they date. I'm not about to stick my head in the sand and assume that none of them will have a physical relationship before they get married, but I at least hope that they will be responsible enough to wait until they are adult enough to handle adult consequences.