Pregnant Teen-agers and Their Rights to Abortion
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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.
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