Here we go again

USA Today is carrying this story about the US Supreme Court hearing oral arguments in the fight over the constitutionality of a hard-fought, and recently enacted law requiring parental notification in cases where unemancipated teens are seeking abortions.

This is personal for me.  As a member of a very prominent Non-Custodial Father's coalition in NH, I was heavily engaged with the NH legislature and the Governor, to see this law through committee and to the floor for a vote.  It was hard fought, bitter and nasty at times, but worth every minute of the long drawn out process.

I was divorced in NH, and through the hostile-to-fathers family law travesty, er I mean, legal system, I lost contact with my 4 children for several years.  After sometimes painful and ultimately joyous reconciliations, I have been blessed with becoming the proud grandfather of 3 beautiful babies.  My wife now, having had 5 of her own children has been blessed with 3 of her own grandchildren...the ultimate yours, mine, and ours story.

One of my daughters considered abortion as part of the emotional phases any young woman goes through when confronted with the knowledge that she has become pregnant.  One of my wife's daughters also made this consideration.  Thankfully, in both cases we were able to participate in the discussion; able to provide support and reassurance, and a little guidance.  We were able to talk through some of the fears that a young woman can convince herself will become reality when no one is there to help her see the upside, the positive, the hopefulness that can be found if she works hard enough to seek it.

In the absence of those discussions, it becomes decidedly easier to see the downside.  Easier to convince yourself the world is ending, the sky is falling, and life is about to cease.  There is a reason parents are responsible for children until they reach a certain age.  However much we may be resisted as authority figures, or "fuddy duddies", or out of touch, we are still needed to bring reason, wisdom, and a little insight about what the future MAY bring to their children's lives.

The liberal factions of this country, along with their media constituents, continue to put up the argument that

Women are going to get abortions no matter what, whether it's legal or illegal, whether they're 13 or whether they're 50. ... Any limitations put on it is heading backward in time,

 and this has successfully scared away state legislatures fearing lost votes.   Sadly, seekers of votes don't get much exposure to the individual stories like mine and so many others, leaving them able to sleep at night with the decisions they make on the floor of the House or Senate.

This issue is just as much about Parental Rights as it is about abortion rights.  The media is only focusing on the abortion side of this.  The parent gets the back seat once again.  

Interestingly enough, if you have the courage and the patience to read through the now-infamous Senate bill (S1042) that drew so much media attention because of the 79-19 vote asking the President for regular status reports on the war, you'll find some very interesting amendments.  These amendments contributed to significant delay of its ultimate passage, and they dealt with Parental Notification rules regarding abortions of unemancipated daughters of GI's deployed overseas.  

I find it interesting that the passage of Parental notification rules can slip through under the media radar, yet tiny little New Hampshire can splash all the media fronts over the same issue...maybe it's because they're rooting for its defeat in New Hampshire while they are satisfied with its existence in US law if the cost of that is a little more anti President/anti Iraq war fodder for future sales and advertising revenue.