‘Tattoo' bill should include other parental consent

Friday, Feb. 27, 2009

I appreciate hearing about proposed legislation, but I disagree with the reporter's last paragraph that states, "The bill now moves to the House floor, where an effort to tack abortion onto the legislation could be used in an attempt to defeat the measure."

Pro-life people are not interested in denying parents the right to be consulted and have approval of someone making a permanent, invasive procedure on their minor child.

Pro-life people only want the same respect for their parental rights to be consulted and give consent for their minor daughters to have an abortion which is even more invasive and life-threatening.

It is good that Delegate Kullen can understand that "we have some very upset parents when kids come home with tattoos when some friend gave permission and not the parent."

What is truly a tragedy is that Del. Kullen and many of the legislators of her party cannot understand — or don't care — that a parent would be very upset to find out that his or her 14-year-old or 16-year-old daughter had an abortion without his or her knowledge, advice or consent.

However, if that abortion leads to an infection, injury, mental depression or death of the minor daughter, the state expects that parent to pay the cost of treatment, even though the state has taken away the parental right to even know about the procedure before it happens.

So, Del. Kullen how about a little "equal treatment under the law" for procedures to minors that are: 1) invasive; 2) cause a permanent result; and, 3) could lead to infections that could be life-threatening?

Let's amend HB 45 to include the right of parents to be consulted and give written approval for abortions to minors.

Parents should have the right to advise and protect their minor children.

They should have the right to say "Yes" or "No" to body piercing, tattooing and abortion.

It is a sad state of affairs that legislators care about tattoos and not human life.

Ella Ennis, Port Republic