As the Texas legislature moves closer to passing a parental notification bill, critics mount a desperate campaign to defeat it. Pro-abortion advocates talk of kids crossing state lines to get an abortion or seeking a back alley abortion. And even though the likelihood of this taking place is slim, stories like this may sway a few legislators.
But there are other stories that often don't get as much attention. Consider the story of Jill, a licensed nurse whose 15-year-old woke up with morning sickness. Reluctantly, her daughter confirmed Jill's suspicions: She was pregnant.
Jill got her daughter to a doctor, all the while thinking of the disappointment she felt. But then she decided, "Well, this is not the end of the world." But a few weeks later things changed. Her daughter's boyfriend and mother felt differently. They picked her up one Saturday, took her to an abortionist, and paid for the abortion. Jill knew nothing of it.
Today her daughter is 20 and doesn't even want to talk about the ordeal. She has long ago regretted her impulsive decision to go along with an abortion.
That is why this bill needs to become law. Jill was left out of the rash decision by her daughter and her boyfriend and boyfriend's mother. At a time when Jill had to give permission for her daughter to take driver's training, Jill wasn't even consulted about a decision that will affect her daughter for the rest of her life.
So the next time you hear lobbyists criticize the idea of parental notification, don't forget the story of Jill and her daughter. She regrets her rash decision to abort her child pushed on her by a boyfriend and the boyfriend's mother. That's why we need this law.
I'm Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries, and that's my opinion.