You would, if you'd raised a couple, lol. Both my daughters are mature, stable, and level headed, NOW, but when they were 17? I wouldn't have counted on it....
Regardless if I rasied kids or not it is a political position I take on the rights and freedoms of individuals.
Denying a pregnant teen the option to terminate the pregnancy would guarantee a whole lot of children with unfit mothers - no matter how many swear they will place the baby for adoption, few can actually do it once the baby is a reality. [DAM those billboards!]
The best we can do is try to avoid unwanted pregnancies, especially among teens. They have enough hormonal issues already, at that age.
Denying a pregnant teenager her 'rights' is not really her right, she is not an adult and has no real rights until she is emancipated. BUT that's not the point. The point is that if one can terminate a pregancy, then I can sell a kidney. The right of controlling one's body goes both ways without the idea that gender or age or the reason why should play a factor into this.
You may not I see a huge difference. Regardless of what you would like to believe facts are teens or at least the huge majority are not ready to make this type of decision. The fact that the teen in the article sold his to buy a laptop and ipod proves that point.
Well guess what bucky, we make serious decisions every day as individuals that can cost us our lives or affect them to the point that we will suffer. It isn't up to me or you to tall him what he can or can't do and shouldn't be - it is his body. It would be the same as standing outside a clinic and telling them they can't do something because it benefits them financially.
The excuse that is used to "protect" us is actually causing us a lot of problems and suffering. The justification is causing suffering in individuals who can make those choices with the information they have or the situation they are in.
There is a problem when the FDA doesn't allow new drugs to be tested on terminally ill patents or we are not allowed to use drugs that can help us when we are sick and can die. Where is the outcry for this? I mean even if the drug kills the person, they are terminal and it is their decision to try it to see if it helps.
There is no difference between any of these things, the right of the individual should always be first and foremost over the right of society to control the individual medical condition or allow them to make medical decisions their way.