Options

I read an interesting article in the Detroit Free Press this morning by Molly Ivins. The Texas legislature is discussing a proposal to mandate parental consent for the performance of an abortion. There is already a parental notification act in Texas. Ms. Ivins agrees that you would not want your underage daughter getting an abortion without your knowledge, but that there are sometimes exceptions, and they need to be accounted for. I agree with her. She goes on to give several examples of disfunctional families where requiring parental consent would be ludicrous. This article upsets me because I have appalling memories of pregnancy in the sixties and I do not want to revert back to those times. Unwed pregnancies brought disgrace to families. A girl's education was halted when she was sent away to a home to have her baby and often encouraged to give the baby up for adoption. Another alternative was an illegal abortion which was risky to a women's health and exorbitantly expensive. In the late sixties, women could visit a state where abortion was legal. The visits were often done alone without the support of any family members. The third alternative was for the two young people involved to marry. Unwanted pregnancies in this decade was distressing and often life altering. I was also upset in 2001 when I received a letter from my insurance company stating that abortion would no longer be paid for. I wondered in what direction our society was heading. Personally, at this time in my life I would not choose abortion for myself and I hope that Ruth would make the same decision for herself. However, I am ProChoice so I strongly believe I do not have the right to force my opinion on another woman. Everyone should have the right to make their own choices when faced with an unwanted pregnancy and legal abortion should be an option. I hope the Texas legislature decisions are not indicative of a regression back to the conditions in the 1960's.