Liberal Paper: Conservative Endorsement

I write for my school newspaper, the Oak Leaf. Like every other classroom on campus, the students and teacher are predominantly liberal. As a conservative, I am far outnumbered. However, being able to articulate my viewpoints has gained me the respect of my peers as both a writer and a thinker. Because I present my views in a logical manner, as versus a rash diatribe, the Oak Leaf has printed some very conservative opinion articles that I have written. Last week, the editorial staff discussed some articles on the seven propositions facing California citizens on November 8. I willingly wrote opinion pieces on each of them, submitting the package as a conservative column. To my surprise, my editors agreed with my position on Proposition 73, the parental notification initiative.

The result: the Oak Leaf is going to endorse Proposition 73 with the following article that I authored.

Common Sense Lawmaking: An Editorial Endorsement

By Jonathan Krive

In another example of absurd lawmaking in California, a child needs a parent'’s permission to visit a tanning salon, get a tattoo, or have her teeth cleaned. But, an older boyfriend or school employee can take a child to have an abortion performed on her without either of her parents even knowing.

Proposition 73 restores common sense parental rights by requiring a physician to notify the parents of any minor who requests an abortion, except in medical emergency or with judicial waiver. A young girl who is pregnant needs the support of her parents, not a stranger who profits from abortions.

Parents cannot provide the necessary follow-up care when they don't know their 13-year-old daughter had an abortion. If a child has any type of surgery, parents are key to healthy recovery. Yet, with no knowledge of the abortion, a parent cannot help a child with its many medical side effects, which include: abdominal pain and cramping, spotting and bleeding, sometimes even placental, uteral, or cervical infection or rupture. Post-abortion situations can be life threatening, and only if a parent knows about the cause of these problems can they take steps to save their own daughter‚’s life.

Abortion is a traumatic experience. It is not a simple medical procedure; it is an extremely invasive supposedly last resort operation that can often devastate a girl emotionally. In a study of post-abortion patients only 8 weeks after their abortion, researchers found that over 30% of women surveyed felt deep emotional depression.. (‚“The Psychosocial Outcome of Induced Abortion", British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.) It requires a parent to help cope with feelings such as those. Without knowledge of an abortion, a parent may mistake post-abortion depression or suicidal emotions as non-life threatening. If suicidal depression threatens a daughterÂ’s life, a parent needs to know about the abortion.

This law has been enacted in over 30 states. Those state’s' experience proves that parental involvement laws reduce the number of pregnancies and abortions without harm to minors. Keep in mind this is not parental consent, only parental notification. The United States Supreme Court has approved this type of proposition in the past; it does not violate the so-called "“right to privacy."” But it does restore parental rights to protect their own children. We say yes on Proposition 73.