Proposition 4

Another measure on the California ballot this year is Proposition 4, which will require physicians to notify parents of unemancipated minors at least 48 hours prior to performing an abortion. This measure was also on the ballot of the wonderfully successful "Special Elections" in 2005. The measure failed that year, and I believe it will fail this year, but I would still like to talk about it now. It hasn't received nearly as much press as Proposition 8, so I won't delve into it that deeply.

If Proposition 4 passes, no one under the age of 18 in California will be able to obtain a safe abortion without the doctor notifying the child's parents or legal guardian. While the measure will not require the parent's permission in order to proceed with the abortion, privacy is still a fundamentally important right which should not be infringed upon.

Now, there are good points both in favor and against this proposition. Many will say that parents should indeed be informed of these kinds of things. I agree that parents, if they are supportive and caring, should know if their daughter is having an abortion. However, I also know that there are parents who would not be supportive if their daughter attempted to have an abortion. The repurcussions could be quite serious. Yes, there will be exceptions to the law, including notification waivers for medical emergencies or abusive parents. However, the child must go through the court system in order to obtain a waiver. If a girl lives in a broken home, needs an abortion, and can't tell her parents, she now has to file a claim in court. How simple is that going to be for her? And if she doesn't go to court, what is her alternative besides notifying an abusive father? She can go have an illegal and unsafe abortion somewhere.

I like to simplify this measure and think of it like this. If parents are good, their children will tell them if they want to have an abortion. If parents are abusive and unforgiving, the child will not tell them. If this measure passes, a waiver can be issued for abusive parents. But, as I said, children will tell their parents if the parents deserve to know. To me, this measure does no good but to put teenagers in an even more difficult position than they are already in if they have to make a decision like having an abortion.