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| With teenage abortions - there are no "do overs". |
The abortion procedure in itself is the voluntary murder of an "underage child".
The Age of Consent
So, who actually are these underage children? States differ in what they consider the "age of consent", for example - In Florida, the age of consent is 18, In Missouri it's age 17, and in Delaware it's age 16. These "ages of consent" mean that the laws of the state uphold a persons right to have sex with whomever they please as long as they have reached the age of consent.
For a person to have sex with a person under the age of consent would mean that person has violated a state law, either sexual assault, statutory rape, sexual misconduct with a child, or some other law by another name. In a situation where criminal charges were filed, the parents would most certainly be involved.
Parental Consent Is Required
Most children under the age of 16 are:
(1) living at home
(2) in school
(3) unemployed
These children are totally dependent on their parents for food, clothing, shelter and just about any other aspect of living. These kids require parental consent to even go on a field trip with their class at school. These kids require parental consent to even get their ears pierced. Parental consent is required for a child under age 16 to have medical treatment or any type of surgical procedure. Since the abortion procedure is normally a "surgical procedure", why should it be treated any differently?
The Responsibility Issue
Most 16 or 17 year-olds are just starting to drive with a permit, which means that a responsible driver, like Mom or Dad must always be in the vehicle with them. National statistics show that most teen drivers are just not responsible drivers. Do we feel that a 16-year-old girl is responsible enough to make the sole decision on killing an unborn baby?
The input from a concerned and responsible parent is critical, not only to the future of the unborn baby, but to the physical and psychological well being of the teenager, as well as, the rest of the family.
If the baby is allowed to have life, who do you suppose will be charged in caring for it the majority of the time? My guess would be the parents.
A Quick Fix
Children can be reared in the best homes in the world and taught everything possible about contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and every other "right" and "wrong" of life, but still some teenagers are going to be sexually active, no matter how well they have been counseled or educated by their parents.
If a teenager were allowed to have an abortion on demand, without parental consent, would that in some way promote sexual activity and the chance for acquiring some sexually transmitted disease. Could if give them the attitude - "Well, if I get pregnant, I'll just get an abortion".
There are cases in violent abusive relationships where the abuser gets the victim pregnant and just arranges for her to have an abortion. Could requiring parental consent possibly even put an end to some of the domestic violence incidents?
Our children need to feel secure in the fact that we, as parents, are always there for them in the good times, as well as, the bad times. They must know that they can talk with us about any situation, including pregnancy, without the judgmental attitude. Respect is not a right, it must be earned.
Our children need to be taught that killing an unborn baby is wrong and that if we think we are responsible enough to have sex with someone, we must be responsible enough to deal with the consequences.
Allowing a child to kill another child without the parents even being aware of the situation is sending the wrong message to all teenagers. These kids must fully understand that this decision is one with which they will have to live for the rest of their lives. There are no "do overs".
I realize there are other ideas and opinions on this topic. That's what makes this country so great. Please join me on LinkedIn and Google+.
As a freelance writer, I write on many other topics outside government and politics. If you need some help writing those high quality blog posts, you can get in touch over here. - Ken
