Penn State, Paterno, and Planned Parenthood
On November 5 police arrested former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky (pictured right) and charged him with 40 counts of child molestation after the release of a shocking grand jury report alleging he had sexually abused eight children over the course of a decade.
Within days Penn State president Graham Spanier and legendary football coach Joe Paterno were fired for overlooking the alleged crimes, while vice president of business and finance Gary Schultz and athletic director Tim Curley, both also forced out, were criminally charged with failing to notify authorities of the alleged crimes and lying to the grand jury.
These crimes are “alleged” because there is no evidence. There is only testimony from former victims and eye-witnesses.
Yet mainstream media is aghast. According to BleacherReport.com:
[T]he preponderance of evidence against Sandusky in this case arguably makes this the most rational and well-thought-out (not to mention, if true, deserved) tar-and-feathering the national media has ever been part of.
Government officials are also aghast. Only one day after Republican U.S. Congressman Patrick Meehan called for a federal investigation of Penn State for potentially violating mandated reporting laws, the Department of Education announced it was launching just such an investigation.
Progressive comedian Jon Stewart is likewise aghast. In response to rioters protesting Paterno’s ouster, Stewart said:
“See, I get that it’s probably hard for you to believe that this guy [Paterno] you think is infallible and this program you think is sacred could hide such heinous activities, but there is some precedent for that,” Stewart said. He was referring to the Catholic church….
The hypocrisy of the press, the feds, and liberal luminaries is staggering, of course, because there is a pedophile-protecting institution they hold much more sacred than the Catholic Church, and that is Planned Parenthood.
Furthermore, in the case of Planned Parenthood, there is usually evidence, not just allegations, of child sex abuse: pregnancy.
Examples of documented instances of Planned Parenthood’s sex abuse cover-up, compiled by Americans United for Life:
- 1999, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, San Francisco: Although an 11-yr-old girl told staff she had been raped by her 17-yr-old boyfriend, PPGG not only failed to report the suspected child sex abuse to authorities as mandated by law, it featured a note from the girl thanking PPGG for helping keep the crime quiet (click to enlarge)….
- 2001, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England: In a Vermont State House hearing on parental notification it was learned that 12 girls under age 16 had gotten abortions at Planned Parenthood but PP never reported the suspected child abuse. PPNNE CEO Nancy Mosher testified she understood PP had a “legal obligation to report instances of sexual assault” but did not.
- 2002, Planned Parenthood, Santa Clara, California: A 39-yr-old man took his 13-yr-old stepdaughter first for a pregnancy test in the summer and then for an abortion in December. PP failed to report the suspected sex abuse, enabling the perpetrator to resume the crime several more months until the girl’s mother found the medical records.
- 2004, Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio Region: “Jane Roe” filed and settled a civil suit against this PP for aborting her at age 14 after she had been impregnated by her 22-yr-old soccer coach. PP failed to report the suspected abuse to authorities and also failed to notify her parents, both required by law.
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2006, Planned Parenthood, Norwich, Connecticut: Committed three abortions on a 14-yr-old girl impregnated by 21-yr-old Kevon Walker, who was later charged with second degree sexual assault, no thanks to Planned Parenthood, which never reported the abuse to authorities.
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2007, Planned Parenthood, Cincinnati, Ohio: At age 16, Denise Fairbanks was taken this PP for an abortion by her father, who had been sexually abusing her for four years, finally impregnating her. Planned Parenthood never reported the abuse as mandated by law, enabling it to continue another 1-1/2 yrs, as Fairbanks alleged in a civil suit she filed against PP.
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2007, Planned Parenthood, West Hartford, Connecticut: After police discovered 15-yr-old runaway Danielle Cramer locked up under the stairs in the home of 41-yr-old Adam Gault (pictured left) it came to light that Gault had taken Cramer for an abortion at this PP, which never reported the suspected sexual abuse to authorities.
Then there are Live Action’s undercover investigations, which show a willingness on the part of Planned Parenthoods in Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Wisconsin to cover up child sex abuse; and in New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., to cover up underage sex trafficking.
Penn State clearly has nothing on Planned Parenthood.
Cover-up of child sex abuse at Planned Parenthoods is widespread across the U.S. and across decades. Were scenarios matched, state attorneys general and grand juries around the nation would be investigating Planned Parenthoods, as would federal agencies. Planned Parenthood employees even suspected of complicity would be fired, as would affiliate CEOs and the federal CEO, Cecile Richards.
But no.
In April 2011, when LA’s sex trafficking videos were all over the news, Time magazine included Richards in its list of 100 “most influential people in the world”…
Not to be outdone, Huffington Post last month included Richards in its list of top 100 “game changers,” the liberal world’s best and brightest “innovators, visionaries, and leaders.”
Earlier this year President Obama threatened to hold the entire national budget hostage if Republican House members persisted in attempting to defund Planned Parenthood.
And in September Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services did an end run around the State of New Hampshire to award a no-bid contract to the very same Planned Parenthood of Northern New England whose CEO 10 years before had testified it did not report suspected child abuse as mandated by law.
Meanwhile, also during the height of Planned Parenthood’s trafficking scandal this spring, Hollywood elites such as Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kathleen Turner (pictured above) came to the pedophile protector’s defense.
With liberals and abortion supporters it’s not the crime that really matters, it’s who is committing the crime.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
These crimes are “alleged” because there is no evidence. There is only testimony from ormer victims and eye-witnesses.
*from former
Great article. Too true. Also these act aghast at these kids being assaulted, but as a solution they’d recommend killing them before they’re even born. Yeah, because that makes perfect sense.
Yes. Planned Parenthood is made up of thousands of Paternos, grad assistants, and others. WHO JUST LOOKED THE OTHER WAY.
But there will be no outrage, right? Because PP advocates women’s health, see/
I think that marginalizing the victims of Sandusky to make a point about Planned Parenthood is petty. All these crimes are horrific, all these people need to be held responsible.
Um, Jack, really…. which victims are really being marginalized? Sandusky’s or PP’s? Get serious.
No, Jack, you miss the point entirely.
The writer in NO WAY marginalizes Sandusky’s victims because he and Planned Parenhood are both stops on one long continuum, which is to say that there is a direct correlation between victimizing children in as well as outside the womb. We are outraged when some abuse kids, we are not outraged when some don’t, in fact, we give them federal tax dollars so they can do it some more.
Our society has been coarsened and even criminalized by PP’s machine, and yet a coach who rapes 8 boys will get all the media play and outrage. It’s an interesting, albeit disturbing spectacle, what we will and won’t stand for.
Let me be clearer. I am never a fan of articles that bring up one tragedy and say “That ain’t bad, look how much worse this other tragedy is!”. I think it’s not a particularly compassionate way to make a point. Especially if you say that there is “no evidence” for the Sandusky abuse case when there is testimony from the witnesses and victims themselves. There isn’t any physical evidence, but it’s not right to say there is no evidence.
The stuff that PP has gotten away with is hideous, you will never get an argument from me on that. I don’t think even people who are pro-choice should ever be ok with covering up child rape. I have several pro-choice friends who hate the organization entirely based on this fact. I think the way the two cases were compared is wrong, is all I am saying.
These are the kind of posts that make me want to swing the other way. Saying Planned Parenthood is equally responsible for sexual abuse is WRONG WRONG WRONG. The difference is that the events in question HAPPENED AT Penn State programs by Penn State employees – please tell me where this has happened at Planned Parenthood.
Not only that but you are doing a terrible disservice to these CHILDREN by all the snark around “alleged” and “no evidence”. How would you feel if it was your child that was abused? To see a post like this – clearly mocking the victims and comparing their abuse to something entirely different….. I am so disappointed. I’m sure this is just for the page views and self-righteous indignation but this is just disgusting.
Thank you, Jack. I’m sure my comment will be deleted but I appreciate you speaking up.
“These are the kind of posts that make me want to swing the other way. Saying Planned Parenthood is equally responsible for sexual abuse is WRONG WRONG WRONG. The difference is that the events in question HAPPENED AT Penn State programs by Penn State employees – please tell me where this has happened at Planned Parenthood.”
The PP employees that failed in their mandatory reporting duties are just as much to blame for allowing the abuse cases to continue as Paterno et al are in the Sandusky manner. It is illegal for mandatory reporters to fail to report suspected abuse. There are several links to cases in the article. I don’t think the article fails in that regard, I do agree with the rest of your post.
But no child is in danger of being sexually abused when they walk into a Planned Parenthood because of the failure of previous reporting on an employee’s behalf – does that make sense? I agree that failing to report is a crime that should be prosecuted against Planned Parenthood and anyone else but I disagree that it has the same consequences as what happened at Penn State.
“But no child is in danger of being sexually abused when they walk into a Planned Parenthood because of the failure of previous reporting on an employee’s behalf – does that make sense? I agree that failing to report is a crime that should be prosecuted against Planned Parenthood and anyone else but I disagree that it has the same consequences as what happened at Penn State.”
But the child IS in danger of being abused again when they get sent home after an abortion/STD test/birth control appointment, if the employee fails to report. I see that as directly responsible for continuing abuse. Doesn’t that seem equivalent to Penn State Employees ignoring what was going on? Anyone who fails to protect children when they are aware of abuse going on should be liable.
Elizabeth, the thing with PP is institutionalized child abuse. It is happenning in many PPs all across the country. It’s an example of thuggery across the board. Please read Abby Johnson’s book—she is a former PP employee who could no longer do it. Children ARE in danger at PP (especially the unborn ones). People in charge looking the other way, out of money or the current power structure….how is the Penn State situation different than the one at PP?
I enjoy this site. I enjoy the news, information, debate, and people.
I don’t enjoy when those creating the posts take off their thinking caps when they put these posts out.
Elizabeth and Jack sum up my views nicely.
I don’t get it. I thought Planned Parenthood has been pretty up-front about their support of pedophiles:
This should be the lead argument for all pro-lifers while this issue is hot. I just used it on a liberal the other night. He was rightly aghast at the Penn State fiasco, so I reeled him in, asking if he agreed that hiding statutory rape was also bad. He agreed, of course.
Then I outlined all the audio and video evidence against PP and reminded him of all the government funding they receive. He couldn’t have cared less and just tried to change the subject. That’s the face of pro-legalized abortion liberalism.
I am shocked – shocked – that this abuse of children is going on (satire alert). We live in a culture saturated with sexual imagery and our children are sexualized in the fashions they wear and the imagery they are exposed to. And there are even people trying to decriminalize pedophilia (there, if we make it legal, will it be less offensive?). Ever here of the Man-Boy Love Association?
Does anyone really think that Mr. Sandusky was born a pervert? What are the odds he was acclimated to perversion by pornography?
Children will be protected in their innocence when the more people over age 18 start acting like adults.
Neil, that is because PP supporters don’t care if little girls have sex with men. They believe the girls consented.
I bring up PP protection of pedophiles every opportunity I get – along with PP telling kids that they can sneak around behind their parents’ backs. Way to go, Planned Parenthood, subverting families and teaching kids to be dishonest.
Barb, do you really think that porn and other sexual imagery is responsible for pedophilia?
Neil -
Just wondering – is your argument (continued) to strip all funding or shut down planned parenthood then, or prosecute those involved?
“as a solution they’d recommend killing them before they’re even born” – please use this on your placards and such while you are undertaking your activism during your downtime xalisae. I love it when statements like this are made which cause the majority of the population to raise their eyebrows and cross the street to avoid the ‘funny people’.
These crimes are “alleged” because there is no evidence. There is only testimony from former victims and eye-witnesses.
Actually, they’re “alleged” because the accused are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.
Ah, Reality. The trolling continues. You yourself can’t seem to cross the street. Here’s your chance. Shoo.
Ok Reality. Make sure you attack me personally and mention nothing about the point I actually made, which was simply that I’ve heard more times from those on your side that victims of such crimes should’ve been aborted than I care to remember.
Elizabeth wrote: “Saying Planned Parenthood is equally responsible for sexual abuse is WRONG WRONG WRONG. The difference is that the events in question HAPPENED AT Penn State programs by Penn State employees – please tell me where this has happened at Planned Parenthood.”
Elizabeth, are you kidding me? Did you even read my post?
Nah, I don’t need to cross the street Coutnay. I know who I’m dealing with and I’ve spent a bit of time working with a variety of groups of people. And since I don’t actually work in the pro-choice services sector I don’t think I’m likely to get attacked.
Besides, I bring balance.
Or, as someone here said the other day, my presence can actually help the anti-choice case!
“Make sure you attack me personally” – wow, that’s rich! Did you read some of the trash you threw at me in the past day or so?
“I’ve heard more times from those on your side that victims of such crimes should’ve been aborted than I care to remember” – rubbish, I simply don’t believe you. Now you’re just making stuff up.
The balance you offer is that it makes me wonder if I can extend the 100% certainty that the prolife side is absolutely right and righteous to 110%. Surely God can bend the rules of math and physics to describe in adequate terms the delight of his warriors.
rubbish, I simply don’t believe you. Now you’re just making stuff up.
LOL!!! I can direct you to the account of a pro-choice “libertarian” anti-adoption individual on twitter RIGHT NOW who’s said as much to me, and that’s just the first one off the top of my head!
“I’m not listening, I’m not listening, I’m not listening…lalalalalalalalaaaaa” – Reality
Reality, most of the reason I ever started debating abortion in the first place was because I was tired of hearing the “better aborted than abused” and “abortion reduces child abuse” arguments. A LOT of choicers use those arguments.
That’s one xalisae. I can only listen to to as much as you can find to tell me.
Jack, xalsiae said “Also these act aghast at these kids being assaulted, but as a solution they’d recommend killing them before they’re even born.” The topic is about the abuse of individuals within an educational environment by people outside of the family.
There’s a vast difference between the concept of aborting because the potentially ensuing child may be subject to abuse by a parent who doesn’t want them and the concept of aborting because someone in the education system, community groups etc. may abuse children.
Reality, as Jack pointed out, it’s a common tactic. Really. You want to listen? Go to twitter, and you’ll see it all freaking day long.
These kids were in foster care. That gave this man access to those children. I have heard time and time again from pro-legal-aboritonists (and so has Jack, apparently) that these kids in foster care would’ve been better off aborted. Your name must be ironic, since you seem to have a hard time with it.
“A 39-yr-old man took his 13-yr-old stepdaughter first for a pregnancy test in the summer and then for an abortion in December. PP failed to report the suspected sex abuse, enabling the perpetrator to resume the crime several more months until the girl’s mother found the medical records.”
I mean this with all sincerity. How was PP supposed to know in this case and the others it was abuse? Unless the man admitted to it being his baby? Which I doubt. If a girl came to get an abortion with a man old enough to be her father, its a big assumption to assume he’s the father of the baby, and not just her father/ or step father taking her for abortion.
Maybe I’m missing information?
xalisae, read what I said to Jack. I’m not saying people don’t call for abortion rather than have children arrive in abusive family situations. I’m saying that they don’t call for abortion because a child may be abused at school or some other similar environment.
I agree with most of your commenting here, Jack. But remember this post used the Penn State horror as a jumping-off point for reminding us of PP’s similar willful looking the other way. This is a pro-life site, not an anti-pedophile or anti-rape site, in particular. Though of course these topics can intersect.
reality ive read all of your posts and ended up yawning. its just the same old thing again and again talking in a circle using opinion and junk science. im gonna start skipping your posts.
oh these celebs who support abortion. i guess thats why their movies tank. and gwynneth paltrow recently quipped “nobody likes me.” right. i know you.can count me in. i dont like abortion pimps. gwynneth dear…..there isnt a thing to like about you. you cant dance or sing. youre not attractive (just my opinion) and above all if you stopped pimping abortion on ‘mothers day’ perhaps your popularity would pick up. meanwhile shut up and act. at least your half good at that.
oh yeah and one more point about the celebs…….why arent they adopting with their wealth? i keep hearing about how “jenn” aniston is americas sweetheart. no she isnt. she strikes me as an egotistical pro abort. ive read that she wants to reach rita hayworth status as an actress. a friend of mine rented ‘marley and me’ i was bored 15 minutes in. it stunk…….jenn why not adopt a few kids and retire. i for one will never watch another movie you make.
Shannon, the clinic did not need to suspect the stepfather of being the father of the baby. The fact that the girl was pregnant is proof itself that some kind of abuse had gone on, in this case, rape.
“The fact that the girl was pregnant is proof itself that some kind of abuse had gone on, in this case, rape.”
The pro-life movment is obsessed about how PP is not reporting child abuse despite the lack of prosecution by local DA’s regarding this charge – much of it “substantiated” by possibly doctored videos - none of which have been used to bring charges. But if you pro-lifers are that concerned about underage pregnancy being the result of sexual abuse, are you secretly filming and collecting evidence on cases where the child is doing her sacred duty to have the baby. Are private obstetricians and hospitals, where girls give birth, reporting this as child abuse? And if not, shouldn’t you be as obsessed about this as you are about Planned Parenthood?
well based on your post i can only conclude that you must be pro child rape.
CC, we are obsessed with insuring that everone gets a shot at life. The dismantling of PP, when it happens, will help us with our goal.
I have a 13 year old daughter, and she is looking more like a super model every day. If she became pregnant, you better BELIEVE I’d gather every little bit of information on the who, what, why, where and when, and then call the proper authorities. My pointy little finger would also be pointed at me since, obviously, I failed her on some level. The crime done upon her would only be furthered by a decision to kill her child, my grandchild. There’s no healing in that. We know better. (And before you say, “OMG, you’d make her go through birth??? How horrible! I respond with, and I’m doing her favors by letting her kill? PS–see Carla).
When a 13 year old girl gets pregnant, I am sure all sorts of social workers come out of the closet, especially if she decides not to abort, because she’ll actually be carrying around the evidence of abuse for at least 9 months. Nobody needs to talk about abuse if she gets an abortion and her belly was never not flat.
Oh, and don’t think I didn’t catch the “possibly doctored videos: Ha! You wish. Lila has said many times, come look at the raw footage. Vet it all out. Then we’ll see. Your patron saint of death, Kathleen Sebellius? Now THAT’S a woman who can doctor up some evidence.
mods, please delete my last post. I was trying to post from a screwed-up computer while I was fixing it, and that didn’t work out too well. I don’t have time to properly re-type my rebuttal, so I’ll do it later. :)
Reality, I see your point, I just don’t see the moral difference between the two scenarios. Like X said, these abused children were foster children, which is a group I personally have seen choicers argue needs to be reduced by more abortion. Specifics aside, both scenarios still make the argument that some children are better off aborted than being born. I don’t understand how that works. Human rights are not situational, or at least they shouldn’t be. Your right to be alive shouldn’t be subject to termination based on who loves you, who wants you, or what you are able to do, or any other subjective qualifier.
Hans, if Jill wants to bring up Penn State and make comparisons to PP, she of course has that right. I have the right to think her description of the Penn State case was offensive to the victims, and that the comparison is disrespectful.
So, let me get this straight: if a 13 year old is pregnant, she must have consented, and even if the perp is older, it still must be ok, but if a 13 year old boy gets sexually abused, then heads must roll? Just wanna make sure I get my paradigm right, PP supporters.
Yes, Ninek. BECAUSE THE SEX MUST CONTINUE.
Courtney,
13 year olds sometimes have sex with other 13 year olds. Just because a 13 14 15 16 year old comes in pregnant doesn’t mean they were raped! How horribly presumptuous. It’s hardly covering up abuse when the only thing you did was fail to uncover it
Shannon, if any 13 year old comes in pregnant, especially brought in BY A STEPFATHER, you had better start asking questions, demanding answers, and verifying the information. A 13 year old becoming pregnant (or getting someone pregnant) smacks of abuse on a lot of different levels. A 13 year old (and I have one) cannot consent legally to sex, whether it’s a boy or a girl. I don’t think I was being presumptuous at all. But in case like this, if I am a PP worker, shouldn’t I presume an abusive situation first and then try to disprove it? No harm, no foul, and that’s a helluva lot better than just giving her an abortion and letting her walk away. But PP isn’t interested in uncovering abuse. Rather, their interest is in perpetuating abuse. Why?
Follow the money.
Shannon, in California no one under the age of 18 can legally consent to sex in any circumstances.
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/08/sr/statelaws/summary.shtml
When a 13 year old ended up pregnant, the suspected abuse should have been reported and the police could investigate and determine if charges should have been filed. It’s not up to a PP employee to make that determination. Hence mandatory reporting laws.
Well as long as it’s two 13 year olds eh Shannon??
Yeah. Let the kiddoes have their fun!!
Planned Parenthood tries to be a safe space for ANYONE to ask questions, receive contraception, and make decisions about their reproductive health without being judged and I like that! I don’t know where I fall on abortion yet but I do know that when I was 17 and thinking about having sex for the first time with the boy that I loved (also 17) I was happy I had somewhere to go to to find out what my options were. If Planned Parenthood called the authorities every time an underaged girl came to them for condoms or was pregnant without ANY OTHER evidence of coercion or abuse then all those girls would lose their safe place. I understand that your argument is going to be that they shouldn’t be having sex in the first place anyway but I disagree, mostly because just wishing it was so isn’t going to make it happen anytime soon. There’s still going to be teenagers having consensual sex with other teenagers and I’d prefer that they had somewhere to go for protection than having countless unplanned pregnancies or abortions.
Jill, yes, I read the post and I found it extremely offensive and off-putting. What did I miss that might change that?
It is extremely offensive when MANDATED reporters of suspected child sexual abuse look the other way and send a little girl right back to her rapist after killing her child!!
Totally agree, Elizabeth.
I agree with that, Carla. If a mandated reporter sees abuse then it needs to be reported. That was not my problem with this post.
Fans of Planned Parenthood usually do have a problem. With a post, a comment or Jill Stanek.
I’m not the only one that did. I’m really trying to listen and be understanding but sometimes I think I’m just far too progressive to side with the pro-life crowd.
This post is blatantly offensive, Carla. All the quotes around “alleged” and saying there was no evidence… capitalizing on a great tragedy to CHILDREN (who we should be protecting, correct?) and using it to further your agenda even when the comparison is off… maybe when you’re so deep into something it’s hard to see how everyone else sees something but if the gray area between pro-choice and pro-life saw this post I think you’d really send people the other way.
The “safe place” you describe, Elizabeth, is part of their strategy. Listen to what former abortion clinic directors and workers have to say in the trailer below. Your scenario is described in the first few sentences:
Blood Money
Or, in the words of a former PP employee to our Counseling Coordinator, “Why do you guys care about these losers, anyway?”
“you guys” = sidewalk counselors
“these losers” = PP clientele
Seems you think more highly of them than they do of you. As long as we’re on the topic of PP’s willingness to cover-up abuse, please check out the February links (below) and tell me at what point do you see PP staff doing anything BUT bending over backwards to ensure they profit off the continued abuse and explotation of minors?
LiveAction
@ Jack – “Barb, do you really think that porn and other sexual imagery is responsible for pedophilia?”
I am not saying all porn viewers abuse children, I really think that all sexual predators of children view pornography.
Pornography treats the human body as an object solely for pleasure and denies the mutual respect, love and fidelity that two people in an intimate relationship should seek. Porn viewing has damaged so many relationships and adds nothing to a pre-existing good relationship.
I’m not imposing my view when I express a view that porn should be avoided and condemned by all, including health care providers worthy of the title.
“Cover-up of child sex abuse at Planned Parenthoods is widespread across the U.S. and across decades. Were scenarios matched, state attorneys general and grand juries around the nation would be investigating Planned Parenthoods, as would federal agencies. Planned Parenthood employees even suspected of complicity would be fired, as would affiliate CEOs and the federal CEO, Cecile Richards.”
Meaning what? Some clarification is in order here. Is there a nation-wide conspiracy by thousands of local, state, and federal prosecutors and government agencies to cover up alleged criminal mischief by employees of Planned Parenthood and its affiliates? If so, I would like to see the evidence for such an incredible claim. If not, then I would like to request all available information concerning ongoing or successful criminal prosecutions of Planned Parenthood employees.
We should TOTALLY be protecting CHILDREN, Elizabeth.
The preborn we should be protecting from abortion.
And we should be protecting the little girls from their rapists and PP that covers for them.
Amen, Barb.
Why are proaborts always so concerned about us “sending people the other way??”
LOL
“There’s still going to be teenagers having consensual sex with other teenagers and I’d prefer that they had somewhere to go for protection than having countless unplanned pregnancies or abortions.”
There’s still going to be teenagers having consensual pot-smoking parties and I’d prefer that they had somewhere to go for protection and privacy so that they can be enabled to break the law by adults who don’t give a crap about their future and want to make money off of them.
Dear Anon,
You are welcome to pick a moniker and comment. Thanks.
My 13 year old, IF SHE BECOMES PREGNANT, oh my sweet Lord, you better RUN and HIDE and PRAY I don’t find you. Tru THAT.
For those asking if we are as concerned about the underaged girls who give birth, yes. I don’t know if it’s federal or wide spread, but in my home state of Oregon any prenatal care or birth that occures before the age of consent is subject to manatory reporting and each is evaulated for legality. I have known multiple people who fell under this situation and had to answer questions about who the father was and talk to a social worker to verify they were not abuse victims. But then, 9 months is a lot harder to ignore than a brief appointment. Of course ‘girls’ who actually *give birth* are far more protected from possible/real abusers than girls who get cohersed or talked into an abortion!
Unfortunately the reverse situation does rarely occure. Since you have to sign an affidavid (sp?) about who you put down as the father if you aren’t married (in Oregon anyway) I know of 1 over-age female who had an abortion to hide that her boyfriend was under-age (and I’m not talking Romeo and Juliet relationship, she was in her 30’s he was in his teens) because she was afraid her perole officer would know she lied if she put down that she didn’t know who the father was, or would bust her for statutory rape if she put down the father. But, ultimately, I believe that kind of situation is far, far rarer than the 13 year old *actually* impregnanted by another 13 year old.
And, frankly if two 13 year olds are having sex they deserve the embarrassment of being hauled before the police to verify they aren’t in an abusive relationship. Embarrassment is a great social modivator and 13 year old should *not* be having any kind of sexual relationship! Although I am in favor of reduced age of consent laws, even for a late bloomer as myself 18 was 3 years after sexual maturity. The ability to marry of your own accord once you’ve reached sexual maturity makes sense to me (although does not take into account the rapidly declining onset of sexual maturity due to obesity and over exposure to hormones. A 9 year old with a period is *not* an adult. But I think it’s absurd that a 16 year olds *only* option for a sex life is the unhealthy out-of-wedlock sex life currently seen so flargantly in our culture. Excepting the rare parental consent marriage, which only some states allow. Oregon does, and I’ve know several under 18 brides and grooms, some have made it long term, some haven’t, just like over 18 bride and grooms.)