Yes I am right, the author of the article at KOS does not know the state of the law. And as regards to your point #1, you seem to be unable to read the law either. She has the legal option of going to a judge. Although you finally seemed to have noticed the right to go to a judge when you get to pt #2.
How far the PP centers are is irrelevent to the state of the law.
How she is to get there is irrelevent to the state of the law.
Her ability to do any of this is irrelevent to the state of the law.
So, I found a website about judicial bypass. I'll post the link, of course, so that way you can find a new argument to weasel your way out of what I'm going to point out. From said website...
Getting a judges permission to have an abortion without telling your parents can be complicated. The process is slightly different in each state. The first step is to contact the clinic where you will have your abortion and ask them for information about getting a “judicial bypass.”
My emphasis, in case you wanted to know. So, the first step for this thirteen year old, who probably had no access to law textbooks or even thought that the law could possibly help her, since you know, everyone knows that you need parental consent in the state, would be to contact a local abortion center. In a religious area, doing Google searches on computers in a public venue for such things is just a no-no. So, maybe her parents gave her a personal computer. She's probably pretty paranoid Mommy and Daddy are going to walk in while she's jotting down local PP addresses. But, again, you credit this child with a mental faculty well beyond her years, so let's say she were to jot them all down. Then she has to contact them and ask for help.
Help is necessary in all abortion cases, whether you live in a state of consent or not. It's not an easy response or the first thought a woman has going through her head. However, a scared thirteen-year-old who probably feels very lost, very abandoned, very scared--oh, wait. I forgot. She's a strong-willed little bitch. She can do this. So, she contacts PP and asks how to circumnavigate the parental consent law.
Second, call a lawyer who will help you with the process. You have the right to a free lawyer appointed by the court to help you get the judge’s approval for your abortion.
Eek. Now she has to think about lawyers and court. That's a scary experience for a rational adult, but again, you've given this kid some really big brass balls, so she's not scared. She opens up her local phone book and finds a local lawyer who will do her case pro-bono. That way, she doesn't have to wait for the court to appoint one for her.
Third, fill out the application form for permission for an abortion. The clinic or the court should provide you with the form. Once you have filed your form, you will have your hearing before the judge very quickly, within three business days at the latest.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, my gosh, let me just wipe the hysterical tears from my eyes. Look at that emphasis that I put down. Three. Business. Days. Has anyone ever had any luck with getting a quick trial in an overused and archaic law system we have in effect? I mean, I've only had brushes with the law system in MA, but let me tell you... if a pressing rape case can take over a year and a half before it is brought before the court system, then, I think it may be a little hard for three whole days to go by before a judge says yea or nay to the abortion application. And according to
this website here PA does have a time restriction on viable abortions: "...laws prohibiting abortion after a certain number of weeks' gestation, usually 20 or 24." (That was found near the bottom of the page, if you want to look for yourself. I know how much you like to read the information provided.
)
Now, as a woman who has had a child, it took me two and a half months before it dawned on me that I was pregnant. I had a normal period the first month and it didn't really signify when I had a light period the next month. It was only after the changes in my body started to manifest (I'd tell you with what, but you probably don't want to hear the details) that I thought about my odd period the previous month. I was 24 at the time of my pregnancy. A thirteen-year-old isn't nearly as in tune with her body and depending on the state of the health classes she has been given in her school, it may be as many as three months before it dawns on her. That means she has two months-ish to get the decision handed down. As long as their legal system isn't backed up the way it is up here, then she should be fine.
But, let's get down to the pressing part of the Judicial Bypass website that I found:
The judge must answer one question: Is this young woman mature enough to make her own decision? If the answer is yes, the judge must give you permission for the abortion regardless of how he or she feels about it. If the judge decides that you are not mature, the judge must then consider a second question: Would an abortion be in this young woman’s best interests? If the answer is yes, the judge must give you permission for the abortion regardless of his or her personal feelings.
That is the primary question that the judge must decide. Yes, s/he must also decide if it is entirely in their best interest and for a thirteen-year-old rape victim, then by-golly-lolly that judge should say yes. But, maybe she gets sidled up with a judge with some personal, conservative, convictions. He's just going to say that she isn't mature enough to make that decision. Say she appeals, and gets a different judge. This one is a man, too, but he's more liberal. Still, he cannot take it into his conscience to give this young lady an abortion. The emotional ramifications of the procedure are pretty difficult for a full-fledged adult, never mind a kid.
Oh, wait. I forgot again. You like to make this kid out to be super human so, of course, she'll be fine. Moving on then.
Let's just say that the second judge denies the request. She's petitioned twice already and who knows how far along she is at this point? She has a limited time to get this done. And let me tell you, as a woman who counted down the SECONDS to the birth of her son, time is a very important concern to a pregnant woman. It's probably even more important to a kid who wants to abort at 13.
But, let's just say that this judge instead of denying it, says yes. She still has to find a way to get there. That's a pretty big problem for a kid that age. You think she has a 17-year-old friend she can trust with the details? When I was 13, I told my best friend that I was wearing shorty shorts to school in the late spring, and she told my mother. True, we were the same age, but man, I got my ass handed to me on that. Do you think that she would have a wise enough, true enough friend that she would be able to get there, get through the hours of waiting/going through the procedure/post-op waiting, and getting her home?
And you know what, to be honest, I've had an abortion. It was the right decision at the time. As someone who has had one, let me tell you that even if this courageous thirteen-year-old had gotten a judicial bypass and had gotten the procedure done without anyone there to support her except this mythic friend that took her there and back... her parents would have noticed something was wrong with her after the fact. You are sore. You are achy. You are dealing with emotions that you didn't know would appear after the fact. You have to deal with your own personal politics:
did I or did I not take a life? If her parents are crack addicts, they wouldn't notice or care. But I have a feeling that this girl's parents would notice and would care.
Never mind the amount of pads she would go through in a short period of time.
But, you know what? Your argument is based entirely on the letter of the law. The words on a piece of paper are bullshit because (A) most people don't know what the law specifically states and (B) most people don't care. Those who do know are a minority: lawyers, law-makers, officials. It's the little people who have to know that law, but most of them have lives to lead and things to do. Learning every little nuance of a specific law isn't top priority... for anyone. So, here you are. You are arguing
the letter of the law.
But who the fuck cares about that shit? It's the
intent of the law that is significant. The intent of the fucking law is to bar people who are under the age of eighteen from make a decision that they feel they can make. And you know what I say? LET 'EM. Do you know what prolonged abortions can do? They can make it so that your uterus is so fucking scarred that they cannot have children. That, to me, may be a good thing. If someone can have, f'ex, five abortions and still be having unprotected sex, well... that's just idiocy on their part. Or, you know what else they can? They can make it so that when you DO get pregnant, the pregnancy is a high-risk pregnancy. The placenta will implant on a clean wall, but with numerous abortions, scarring (as I mentioned) is prevalent. If the placenta implants above the cervix, well, that's considered a high-risk pregnancy, don'ch'ya know?
But you know what would really help in these situations, whether some guy is flaming the web to incite a riot or not: education. Proper sexual education in every context. I'm talking about rolling condoms on bananas. I'm talking about discussing birth control methods like the pill, the shot, the dental dam, what the hell ever. I'm talk about telling these kids what could potentially happen to them if/when they decide to have an abortion. I'm talking about telling these kids what could potentially happen to them if/when they take RU-486.
But, what really is scary about all of these laws going into effect? Do you know how many women had self-abortions or back-alley abortions before Roe vs. Wade? I don't know, either, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it was a hell of a fucking lot. Every single one of those women was really, really lucky that they survived intact, never mind was able to have kids with her proper husband later on. I've heard stories from old-timers about having friends shove you down the stairs and jumping off a high-flying swing to land on your stomach. If you want more historical information on pre-abortion stuff, hit me up via PM. I'm your gal for history and abortion is a hot-button issue with me, as you can gather from this long-winded response.
Just one more thing: you see things as black and white, like what they are printed on a piece of paper. Everything is shades of gray, my friend, just like when human emotions/intentions/ideals murk up the black-and-white writing on that piece of paper.
There's your website. I'm done.
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