Pregnant Teen-agers and Their Rights to Abortion
In your Feb. 17 “Political Briefings,” you referred to my dispute with the National Women’s Political Caucus and indicated that while I am pro-choice, I “have reservations about allowing teen-agers to get abortions without parental consent.”
Since this is such an important and potentially divisive issue, I feel it is imperative that my views be specifically and accurately reported.
What I said in my letter to the NWPC was that I had “some reservations about permitting children to have an abortion without parental notification; “ that “I see a difference based on the age of the child, the level of sophistication of the child, and the child’s relationship with her parents. As a parent, I would want to know so that I could be supportive of my child.”
And I indicated that “the notion is extremely worrisome that a very small group of pro-choice leaders have blackballed me for honestly expressing my reservations about whether or not a 12-year-old girl ought to decide without any support or guidance from a loving and concerned parent whether or not to have an abortion. The paramount concern should be the special needs of that particular child.”
LEA PURWIN D’AGOSTINO
Los Angeles
D’Agostino is a candidate for the Los Angeles City Council.
More to Read
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
