AirTalk Blog
AirTalk for Wednesday, Sept. 17
Budget, budget, do we have a budget? Gov. Schwarzenegger plans to the veto the long awaited state budget calling it irresponsible. What do you think? Then, do parents have the right to be notified before an abortion is performed on their minor daughter? That’s the question being posed to California voters for the third time since 2005. Larry and his guests discuss Prop. 4. And, have we hit the economic bottom yet? Larry and his guests talk about the ramifications of the Government’s loan to AIG. And finally, a look back at the 1910 bombing of the LA Times building. Larry talks with Howard Blum about his new book American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, The Birth of Hollywood and The Crime of the Century.
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- September 16, 2008 5:17 PM by Linda Othenin-Girard
- Comments (26)
- Categories: Business/Economy, Criminal Justice, Health, History, Politics/Public Affairs, Society/Culture
26 Comments
I was over 21 when I was considering to have an abortion. It was not the rigth timing. I spoke to my OBYN and he said to me " it's never the rigth time". I broke down in tears and understood. I have two wonderful children. I am glad my doctor had the time to talk to us. I would not go to my mother with this issue. She is open minded and would of supported me either way but there are some things you do not want to discuss with your parents. As a parent I would like to know but being on the other side I did not talk to her.I strongly feel that women should talk to a pshycologist instead of the parental notice before having an abortion; then women can make a decision that we can live with for the rest of our lives.
I am pro-choice and a parent. I believe that having a child or terminating a pregnancy is a decision to be made by the mother. As much as I would respect my daughter's wish or need to keep her decision private it is my responsibility, as a parent of a minor to give permission for her to have an abortion.
Current California law allows a minor to seek and receive medical and dental care without parental permission only if the minor meets all the definitions of legal emancipation. It seems that this propostion has no legal foundation, is confusing the status of being a minor with those of being legally emancipated and may actually be inadvertantly condoning illegal medical care by allowing the parent simply to be informed in lieu of accepting the role of being a parent.
The "stalemate" in the reforming the budget process is purely political, and has nothing to do with the budget itself. The governor has decided that he wants to solve the budget management problem on the back of this particular piece of budget legislation, no matter what the harm. The procedural failures of the process of budgeting could, if the governor wanted, be addressed separately and apart from the actual budget itself - during the rest of the year. Instead, and purely by choice, the governor has decided to hold the rest of the state hostage based upon a false perception that linkage of this budget to wanted reforms is necessary. This a political lie, and a political move that is not working. Both the governor and the legislature are too proud and politically weak to admit that there is no direct relationship between the two goals - a budget now and reform.
This is obviously an end run around Roe v. Wade; the health issue is just a ruse. It's part of the rights' master plan to slowly erode women's rights until they are defacto gone. No on Prop 4!
This issue is simple. If a parent has given up control of their child's sexual activities, they have also given up control of whether to abort or not. Parents rightfully want to be involved, but once they have relinquished control, it is up to the child to defer to the parent. If parents can't control their children, why should the goverment force children to yield control to parents who have demonstrated ineptitude?
Generally, anti-abortion advocates also claim to believe in teaching abstinance to teenagers.
Presumably the reason for teaching abstinance is because society considers teenagers too young and too immature to be mothers.
Pro-abortion people believe exactly the same thing.
So why don't we all get together and agree that sub-18 teens should not be having babies, and simply make abortion MANDATORY for any sub-18 teen who becomes pregnant?
Thanks!
The proponent of Prop 4 keeps mentioning how this law would protect girls from sexual predators. How will a parental notification law do this?
The same people who support this proposition do not want to pay taxes to support the babies when they are born. They are republican christian fanatics who want to make abortion illegal. Killing babies is bad but bad Iraqis and Afghans is okay. Ignore these fanatics.
RE: court waiver. The bill both expect the child to be irresponsible and unable to make adult decision, and then, to get a waiver, she has to behave like an adult to go to court to get a waiver. Seems illogical.
To the yes on 4 camp: Nice dodge!
If the young people having sex are inept enough not to use birth control, how can we expect them to navigate the legal system to opt out of the parental notification requirement? Doesn't Prop 4 just push those girls into back alley abortions? How does that make our children safer?
The termination of an unwanted pregnancy is a MEDICAL PROCEDURE and is a decision that is made by a patient, in consultation with a physician, regardless of the age of the patient, if the patient is capable of giving an informed consent for such a procedure. I really find that all of these pro-life well-intentioned, but equally misguided individuals would just allow a physician and a patient to decide what is the best course to pursue with respect to an unwanted pregnancy, rather than impose their moral viewpoints into an otherwise very private and very personal discussion between a patient and her physician.
Studies have shown women who get abortions are no more likely to suffer psychological problems than the general population, and may be less likely to suffer psychological problems than women who carried unwanted pregnancies to term. Why is the host validating claims that abortions have a detrimental effect on mental health?
I am an obstetrician. Last week I delivered a 13 year old child of her first baby. Her parents where aware thst she was sexually involved with the 35 year old father of the baby. The child was placed in fostercare only after the child's pregnancy became apparent to a caring teaher. Not all parents are have the kind of good judgement we would hope for. We must not allow ourselves to forget that powerful reality.
I'm a mother and I have made SURE that my 14yo daughter knows that she can come to me with ANYTHING- but I also know that some teens just can't go to their parents, for tons of reasons, and that they are likely to do crazy things when they're scared- like getting an illegal abortion.
I want my daughter to come to me, but if she couldn't, I woudl want to know that she is being taken care of in a safe environment with a doctor- not in some back alley somewhere. Think about it, complications from a back-alley abortion- that's often death.
Of course parents should be involved, but what do you say to the teen who lives in fear of her stepfather? Who doesn't have a relationship with her parents and has been bouncing between foster homes? Who comes from a deeply religious family that she knows will kick her out or disown her if they find out? Or even the teen who's so desperate to not disappoint her parents that she's rather travel out of state than have them be notified? This is not a perfect world and our policies need to be realistic enogh to protect ALL teens--not just the ones lucky enough to have "Ozzy & Harriet" homes.
No on Prop 4:
No on Prop 4 Endorsements:
http://www.noonprop4.org/about/endorsement/
The diminishing of the Times and its staff has been disturbing to me.
The only thing that keeps me from canceling my subscription in protest is my respect and affection for the Times reporters and columnists.
More respect now for Mr. Neil.
JW
I can't believe that your guest just differentiated between THEIR culture and OUR culture. and that she even brought up democracy! How arrogant! Middle eastern Americans are part of the American culture. Thank you Larry for reminding her this point.
This is exactly the mentality of the people behind this proposition. They are only thinking about one kind of family: a "perfect" all-American family! They are discounting all the real life situations that exist. In a "perfect" supportive and caring family that's involved int heir daughter's life, the teen would tell the parents about this pregnancy herself.
This proposition hurts girls. It does not protect them. And shame on these people for trying to force it on people of California for the third time. We have already said NO!
On the state budget bill and the governor's impending veto:
I find it irresponsible that Gov. Schwarzenegger refused to garner support from his republican colleagues in the legislature (SOMETHING THAT EVERY GOVERNOR IN THE PAST HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO) to pass the previous budget that he and the Dems. actually agreed to.
Instead, he let them battle it out, and when they came to a compromise without him, now suddenly he wants to get involved.
@sara: Amen! I'm with you, nothing more to be said :)
I have a question for the Chief.
I was in Echo Park a couple of weeks ago and saw two patrol cars pull up beside each other at the light on Sunset at Logan. The driver and passengers exchanged comments and then laughed. When the light changed, the two cars gunned their engines and appeared to drag race to the next light.
How should I have reported this incident?
Thanks,
Joshua
I called in with the question about helicopter surveillance in MidWilshire area at night. I didn't have a chance to ask the question WHY THIS EXCESSIVE HELICOPTOR SURVEILLANCE IN THIS PARTICULAL AREA? IS the Wilshire/Western area a particularly high crimes area? Last year, I lived by Lafayette Park, which seemed just as crime filled to me, and the helicoptor surveillance only appeared occassionally on saturday nights.
So please clarify, IS Wilshire/Western A HIGH CRIMES AREA?
It speaks to the integrity of the people supporting prop 4 that their website contains several recorded phone conversations of dubious legality. I listened to several "secret tapes" and NONE included any type of beep or statement to notify both parties that the call was to be recorded. Interestingly, Planned Parenthood states that "calls may be recorded for quality assurances," but I'm fairly sure yes on 4 did't get the recordings from Planned Parenthood. Recording phone calls without consent of both parties IS A CRIME in California.
I would like to thank Larry Mantle for hosting today's Q & A on Prop 4.
As a volunteer on the Yes on 4 campaign, this was my first foray into the media and I must admit, I was extremely nervous. The opposition was represented by a media professional with a long history as Communications Director of Planned Parenthood of New York and Los Angeles.
Accusations regarding "culture" and arrogance are unfortunate since I truly misunderstood the question and trying to wrap my head around how the Middle East cultures that impose strict sanctions on women would affect California law. Finally, with Larry's help, it became clear the caller was concerned about the girl from a family that would culturally impose such sanctions here in California. Once that became clear to me, I finally explained the option of judicial waiver is available to that girl. Judicial waiver is a process that has proven to work well in other states. Data from all 35 parental involvement states show of anywhere from 2%-12% of pregnant teens use judicial bypass. I apologize for any offense I may have caused due to my misunderstanding.
For those who desperate teens whose home lives are so horrible, I would like an explanation why returning those teens to such abusive homes after the secret abortion a better option than simply informing authorities?
Finally, regarding the accusations Prop 4 is a threat to women's rights or hidden pro-life agenda: The truth is, for the past 20 years abortion rights have not changed in the 30 states with Parental Involvement/Notification Laws in effect. Finally Prop 4 supporters are pro-choice, pro-life, religious, secular, married, single, young, old,- all races,- all walks of life.
Vote Yes on 4.
I say a pox on both your houses. There is no greater evidence of the complete corruption of the two-party system as the financial industry bailout. Both parties have abdicated their responsibility to govern wisely.
I cannot wait for the stampeding and blurring of the religious movement
to end with Bush- good bye to them all
we are a country of laws and medical ethics
no one person has the right to decide
on law
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