Another piece of legislation that addresses the issue of teen pregnancy...

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/...&en=3daef959e7313759&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Taking a teenager across state lines to get an abortion without a parent's knowledge would become a crime punishable by prison under a bill that headed toward Senate passage Tuesday.

Nice. Hey, grandma, you're going to jail.

And apparently some of the big brains in the Republican party have the answer:

Abstinence is the best way to prevent teenage pregnancy, responded Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.

''How many people really think it's in the best interest of young people to be sexually active outside of marriage? Does anything positive ever come from that?'' Coburn asked.

Words fail me.

 

Heh heh. Heh heh. {/Beavis}

 

Maybe. Or, perhaps, hey sexual predator, you're going to jail.

I generally consider myself pro-choice, but I've never understood the controversy in requiring a 14-year-old girl to notify (not ask permission, merely notify) her parent(s) before getting an abortion.

And, yes, Coburn's quote does show a severe detachment from reality.

 

Just to, you know, speak for everybody ... umm ... everywhere:

Yes. Being sexually active outside of marriage has been in my best interests and it's been very positive for me. Very positive.

;D

 

Sorry, I'm not sure how sexual predators fit into the equation.

Look, this is a difficult situation but this legislation does nothing to address the situation.

Teenagers are sexually active. That's a given. Rather than punitive legislation such as this--which may encourage backroom abortions--kids should have knowledge of and access to birth control.

 

It's not realistic, but it's an option that many kids aren't given in today's white trash, "fuck trophy" world.

 

Agreed, but they also should be given the knowledge that going out and fucking bears a price, too.

 

Fuck Trophy is my new favorite phrase. Thank you, Cadet. ;D

 

14-year-old girl meets 24-year-old "boyfriend" on AOL. Gets pregnant. Panics that her parents will find out about their secret affair. "Boyfriend" arranges for girl to get an abortion without parents' knowledge.

That's equally if not more plausible than the "grandmother" scenario.

 

I'm just going to say it and face the wrath: 14-year-old girls should NOT be having sex.

 

How about "girl has sex with boyfriend and gets pregnant and to avoid daddy beating her with a rubber hose goes to grandma who decides she'll take care of her grandchild"?

More plausible but neither scenario addresses the issue of teen pregnancy.

Either one is a red herring

 

Irrelevant.

They do--and have been since Christ was a cowboy.

So how are you going to deal with it?

Moralistic trumpeting won't solve the problem.