The Debate Over Chicago's Abortion Notification Law

I believe upholding Chicago's Abortion Notification Law is the prudent and compassionate thing to do despite the ACLU's arguments to the contrary.

As you may be aware, the law, originally passed in 1984 and updated in 1995, doesn't require parental consent, but it does require that parents, or adult relatives be notified 48 hours before an abortion for a girl 17 or younger. The real issue, however, I believe is about maintaining some form of accountabilty and support within families. While young men and women these days are choosing to have sex in their early teens, most still live at home with their parents who provide them with food, clothing, and shelter because they are not yet adults. Of course parents should be notified if their daughter is considering having an abortion in the same way the parents would be notified if their daughter is going to borrow the family car. It's that simple.

I'm not sure what ground the ACLU's argument against the law has a foundation to stand on. If a young women is considering the difficult decision of ending an unwanted pregnancy - - of course her family should be notified to provide her with emotional, spiritual, and financial support. If you follow the ACLU's argument, then it would follow that parent's are being cruel by setting curfew's for their children, feeding them broccoli, and telling them to turn off the television to do their homework. Without any accountability to parents all of us would be nothing more than wayward children selfishly living each day to fulfill our rights without any responsibilty to our neighbor or loved ones.

In my opinion, our country has forgotten how important the role of parents is to raising children and shaping the morality and values of our society. Is the ACLU going to step in and raise our children? I don't think so. A young woman needs the love and support of her family to navigate the difficult road of teen pregnancy. The ACLU can't provide this kind of support, only a family can.