posted
I'm sure most of you have heard about the new law that has passed in attempt to prevent a minor from being taken across state lines for an abortion without her parents' consent. I strongly disagree with this law, and sent the following letter, through NARAL, to my senator :
This is the letter I sent:
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
As your constituent I urge you to oppose the so-called Child Custody Protection Act, which could place some young women at risk.
This legislation would make it a federal crime for any adult other than a parent, including a grandparent, adult sibling, or religious counselor to accompany a young woman across state lines to obtain an abortion if the minor did not comply with the parental consent or notification law of her home state.
We all agree that it's always best for parents to be involved in a young woman's reproductive health decisions, and most parents are. Unfortunately some young women may need the help of another responsible adult because of the threat of violence at home, or if they have been raped or a victim of incest.
Major medical associations - including the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians, and the American Public Health Association - have longstanding policies opposing mandatory parental involvement laws because of the dangers they pose to young women and the need for confidential access to physicians.
I strongly urge you to vote against the Child Custody Protection Act in order to protect the health and lives of young women in your state.
This was his reply:
Dear Ms. <removed>:
Thank you for contacting me regarding S. 8, the "Child Custody Protection Act." I appreciate hearing from you.
S. 8 was introduced on January 24, 2005, and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. You will be pleased to know that on January 25, 2005, I joined my colleagues and became a cosponsor of this important legislation.
As a father, I believe that a parent's advisement and approval are inherent when it comes to the safety and health of their child. At no time should a minor's health and medical decisions be in the hands of anyone other than a parent, legal guardian or trained medical professional. S. 8 requires parental involvement in a minor's abortion decision and prohibits transporting a minor across a state line to obtain an abortion, thus eliminating the right of a parent under a law in force in the state where the minor resides.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. As always, I appreciate hearing from my constituents. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance to you in the future. In the meantime, if you would like to receive timely e-mail alerts regarding the latest congressional actions and my weekly e- newsletter, please sign up via my web site at: www.chambliss.senate.gov.
My letter obviously wasn't worth reading, and my opinion is obviously completely invalid to those who passed the law. No one cared to take into consideration thousands of cases of incest, rape, and abuse that would leave a young woman pregnant, with a child she could not/had no intentions of caring for, or even dead.
-------------------- "You owe me two lifetimes and a pair of perfect blue eyes." Posts: 407 | From: Georgia | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
Congratulations on writing that letter-- it was extremely well articulated, and made your point very well. And I'm sorry that you got such a crappy response.
For all the reasons you brought up in your letter, this legislation is terrible, and I honestly think that it's scary combined with the whole "pre-pregnant" thing that's also going around-- I can see this as the top of a slippery slope whereby young women's (or even all women's) movements are restricted based on her potential to be fertile.
Posts: 2710 | From: Australia | Registered: Jun 2000
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