Parental notification a common sense issue for Alaskans

In a time of such caution that parents have to sign off on whether a child can go on a field trip, have their photograph taken or be given medication at school, or not be allowed to have a pocketknife in their pocket, it’s odd that some people think parents shouldn’t be told if their daughter wants to have an abortion.

Obviously, there are parents out there who shouldn’t be parents. There are circumstances in which a child would not want her parents to know because she might worry she would be harmed. Or worse, she could be carrying the child of a relative.

Given those rare circumstances, she should be counseled by an adult she trusts to help her make a good decision.

Barring those extreme cases, parents who care for their children should be told of her pregnancy so they can help her make a decision that is good for her, her family and future family, if that’s the decision.

This isn’t an issue of reproductive rights. This an issue about parents being active in their children’s lives into adulthood. As many of us can attest, even in adulthood we can’t escape the caring attention of our parents.

At some point, young women should and can make their own decisions. It’s hard to say when that time comes, but as a nation we’ve made age determinations for voting, military service, driving, drinking and other aspects of life.

It seems like parents should be involved with their daughter’s life-altering decisions until she is at least 18 or living on her own.

People who think parents should be notified have filed a petition with some 47,000 signatures that would indicate the issue of notification would go to a vote of the people.

That’s probably the fair way to decide in a democracy, but even at that, parents are at the will of strangers to make decisions that should be left behind the closed doors of a family dealing with a difficult circumstance.

If the issue does come to a vote, think clearly about how you would want your daughter to come to a solid decision. Her and her doctor. Or her, you and her doctor.

On the other hand

For those who may have a different point of view, or just want to listen to another point of view, the Mat-Su College chapter of National Organization for Women is having a discussion about reproductive rights on campus Thursday at noon.