Proposition 4, which would have required doctors to notify the parents of minors seeking abortions, was voted down yesterday 52.3% to 47.7%. The breakdown in Los Angeles County was 53.6% (no) to 46.4% (yes).
So, in the spirit of making ourselves very clear (thanks, John McCain, for the inspiration: “The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly”), here’s a brief memo to proponents of the initiative.
Jim Holman, Don Sebastiani, Katie Short*, et al.: Well, it’s been three years in a row now that we’ve seen your mugs pop up around election time. You began your attempts to chip away at reproductive rights, via parental notification initiatives, in our lovely state when you introduced Prop 73 in 2005. In addition to forcing pregnant teens into desperate situations, it included language that would have defined a fetus as an unborn child, which you knowingly placed in there to open the door for abortion access to be legislated against in the future. When voters said "no," you tried to trick us into believing that we were voting for something different by changing a few words in the initiative to turn it into Prop 85 in 2006, and doing the same thing to 85 to turn it into this year's Prop 4. You tried to make us believe that you were taking our concerns into consideration, when in fact you were refusing to listen to us not once, but twice.
This year, you brought out the big guns. You tried everything in your arsenal to sell us on Prop 4. You used a scare tactics by falsely claiming that this initiative would do something to stop child predators. Your advertisements took the fear-mongering to a new level (not to mention that they were poorly acted, which we frankly take great issue with here in Los Angeles). You lied about the young woman for whom the initiative was named for (no, we haven’t forgotten that “Sarah” doesn’t exist). You even tried to hide your real agenda with misleading Op-Eds.
Sure enough, these parental notification initiatives have brought out the worst in you. But here’s the bottom line: California won't fall for it. We’ve voted down your misguided, ideological initiative for the third time in a row because the majority of us are more interested in making sure that teens are safe and have access to medical care than in helping you advance your transparent, anti-abortion agenda. In short, you have your answer. My advice to you at this point is to BACK THE F*#& OFF, once and for all. Stop wasting our time and our money. Stop lying to us. And stop trying to shove your extreme agenda down our throats. You lost. Go home.
*Jim Holman of San Diego and Don Sebastiani of Sonoma have been the major funders of all recent parental notification initiatives in California: Props 73, 85 and 4. Katie Short has been a co-author of each initiative and a leading spokeswoman.
Photo by atomicShed via Flickr
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A-FRIGGIN-MEN! I remember being in college when I heard about this thing the first time around. Some guy outside the grocery store asked me to sign a petition supporting legislation that would prevent minors from getting "major surgery" without parental consent. I asked him "What? Like a boob job?" and then he told me what it was REALLY for and I wanted to punch his dick.
WOOOO! Bravo! Couldn't have said that any better myself.
I had confidence in this losing, as CA has rejected the last 2 attempts. Can they please just stop trying now? (Also, this makes me feel a bit better after Prop 8's loss. I think it will be easier to fight for gay rights and the US has slooooowly but surely been heading in the direction of acceptance of the GLBT community, while the right has been chipping away at womens' rights for decades.)
So, that means gay marriage proponents should stop trying too? Don't read too much into what I wrote (I was no on 8) I am just saying.
freakin perfectly written.
Surely there's a better way to spend your large fortune. I mean, people are starving in the world, kids don't have enough textbooks, old people need medicine!
way to attempt to be balanced, somnicide...but let's talk when you're trying to take away rights instead of ensure them. huge difference. don't try to twist my words (to go...against what you believe in, i guess?)
ps, somnicide if you DO start trying to take away rights, i promise to write a rant about you too :)
Not against what I believe in at all, just making a statement against a double standard. I am all for keeping things safe and legal - there should be a choice and that must be safeguarded - more liberty as far as I am concerned - I just don't like it when there is one standard for something in which one believes and another for one in which one disagrees with.
Believe you me, though, if my nefarious plot at world domination comes to pass I will give you plenty to write about! ;-)
> not to mention that they were poorly acted, which we frankly take great issue with here in Los Angeles
ZinG!!! Love that!
I just don't like it when there is one standard for something in which one believes and another for one in which one disagrees with.
Hello.
I remember I had to go through the shameful act, as I walked to the clinic "with my mom" I was scorned by protesters! As if I didn't feel bad enough.I was scared and sad, but I was 16, and it was my choice! I know other friends of mine that it happened to, and if they told their parents, they would have been beat to bloody hell then taken to the clinic and then beaten again! Trying to pass this would just result in more dumpster abandoned babies due to parents out there that abuse their children.I am now blessed with 2 beautiful babies, and with a wonderful father! Im glad I got to wait, and that I was able to have my mom by my side, but I know all girls don't have that kind of relationship with their mom, or some don't even have a female aspect at home. My heart goes out to those girls, and I'm glad it's still a confidential choice, for I know it's a hard decision to make.
Somnicide, if you want to get technical, with your first comment you had no idea how I stood on gay rights, since my post says nothing about it. You assumed there was a double standard because you wanted there to be one; you were looking to be contrary, to make a point and be right.
But, since we’ve now confirmed that we seem to agree on the issues (although by the same token, you haven’t said how you feel about prop 4), I will assume that you’re posting just to hear yourself talk (haha) and arguing just for the sake of argument.
Maybe you only read the last paragraph of my post. When the No on 8 (or whatever number it will be in the future) campaign begins deliberately covering up a different agenda, misleading voters, fear-mongering, and lying (which incidentally, the Yes on 8 campaign did do), and – most importantly, as far as your point is concerned - gets voted down three times in three consecutive elections with near-identical measures, then you’ll have the double standard you’re looking for. At that point and that point only will a “standard” have been set, and will your argument be valid.
If you want to take this up again then, fine.
That goes for you, too, Ugly American.
Good thing that this did not pass.
sad that 8 did not make it though it will in the future.
religion ... always getting in the way of things