Opinion on Women's Issues
Parental Consent Laws:
A Growing Concern
by Ruth McD^d
In 1988 there was a tragedy in our
nation, but few people know of it. A
sevenieen-year-old girl lost her life. Her
death could have been prevented. In
1990 the Supreme Court seized the
opportunity to insure that other young
women would not suffer the same fate
which took the life this young woman.
What killed Becky BelP She died of
septic abortion. Indiana law PL-IO6 took
her life.
The Indiana law states that minors
seeking abortion must have the consent
of at least one parent. Becky did not tell
her parents about her pregnancy because
she was afraid of their reaction. She was
so afraid that, in desperation, she sought
an illegal abortion which resulted in
massive Infection and finally, death.
Laws that require the consent of
one or both parents are now enforced in
fourteen states. Supporters of these laws
suggest that the purpose of the law is to
improve communication between
parents and children. They say that
parents should be involved in decisions
when a minor is faced with an unwanted
pregnancy. Sadly, not all minors have
caring and supportive parents who will
help them deal with this type of crisis.
Many young women fear physical abuse
if they share their ordeal with their
parents. Some have even become
pregnant as a result of incest Parental
consent laws do not help, only harm,
these young women.
What has happened in states where
these laws are enforced? In Mirmesota,
minors are required to inform both
biological parents if they wish to seek
an abortion. The Minnesota law allows
a judicial bypass, which gives minors
who do not wish to inform both parents
the opportunity to present their case to
a judge, who has the power to issue a
waiver of the law. Many of Minnesota's
judges are against abortion and some
now admit that the judicial bypass does
network. The law does not help minors;
it causes many of them to seek second
trimester abortions or continue an
unwanted pregnancy.
The Feminist Majority Foundation
and the North Carolina Coalition for
Choice follows consent laws and the
resulting effects on abortion. Since the
parental consent law went into effect in
Mirmesota, the teen birth rate in that
state has risen 38.4%. The implications
for the health of teens are horrifying.
Adolescents are 200% more likely to die
in childbirth than women in their
twenties; for those under the age of 15
the ri^ of death in childbirth is one
thousand times greater.
Since Mirmesota’s law went into
effea the amount of second trimester
abortions has also risen dramatically.
Second trimester abortions are more
dangerous than those performed in the
first trimester and, due to risk of
complications, often must be performed
in a hospital rather than a clinic. In the
United States, only 8% of abortions are
performed in the second trimester. In
Mirmesota the rate of second trimester
abortion rose by 26.5% after its parental
consent law took efFea. Delays in the
judicial bypass system and complicating
factors of the parental consent law can
be attributed to this inaease.
What did that Supreme Court decide
in the summer of 1990? The majority
opinion stated that parental corxsent
laws did not present an undue burden
teen-age women. It is do’-:btful that
Becky Bell's parents woula agree.
In North Carolina there is a growing
move to enaa parental consent laws.
Please exercise your power as a voter to
prevent enactment of this type of law.
Call or write your state representatives.
They need to hear from you!
Before you put pen to paper...
by Alyson Honeycutt
Thesis, development, organization.
If you've been to the Writing Center,
you may have noticed these words
pinned up like a creed over each tutor’s
desk. They are kept there there to
remind the tutors of their purpose—to
help students buQd good writing skills
from the ground up.
Meredith’s Writing Center opened
in the fall of 1987 under the direction of
Nan Miller. It is staffed by a group of
Meredith students who have teen
trained, not just to spot problems with
student writing, but to help students
discover ways to improve their writing.
Like other writing centers In colleges
aaoss the couniry, Meredith’s center
operates on the principle that when
students discuss their writing with peer
tutors, the student gains ii^ights and
ideas they’ve not had working alone.
Collaborative learning does not involve
collaborative writing. A constructive
tutor/student relationship has the
student, at some point, acquiring the
skill to evaluate and improve her writing
independently.
Whatexactly does the WritingCenter
offer? Mostly students receive free, one-
on-one tutoring for all levels of writers
who seek help with a varieiy of subjects
and assignments. Tutoring in French
and Spanish is available, and help is
offered to students for whom English is
a second language. T'utc.)v.v a.;sist with
library research, word processing, and
with writing resumes and essays for
graduate school. Student writers can
take advantage of both group and
individual tutoring in grammar and
grammar worksheets that a student can
work and chedc at her won pace. A
series of workshops ead) semester help
English 111 students prepare for the
competency test Because tutors have
had many of the same courses and
professors as students come to the
center, they can often answer students’
question about subject matter or about
professors’ expectations. And finally,
comfort and encouragement are a
mainstay of the center.
Whatexactly does the WritingCenter
not offer? It's not a proofreading service
or a fbc-it shop. Nor can it guarantee
better grades. Although one*time visits
can be helpful, tutors are seldom able to
work a miracle in a single 30-minute
session. Experience shows that those
who benefit most from the service are
those who make regular appointments.
Interested? You can make an
appointment at the Writing Center by
signing up on the sheet posted outside
the Writing Center entrance at 122 Jones
Hall, by coming by when the center is
open, or by calling829'2800 and leaving
a message on the recorder. It's best to
sign up a week in advance and to bring
a draft or some notes to your
appointment Last semester tutors held
^5 consultations and will offer at least
that numter again this semester. Hours
are as follows:
Simday 68pm
Monday l-5pm, 8-lOpm
Tuesday noon-2pm, 3t30-5:30pm,
7-9pm
Wednesday 1-Spm
Thursday lO-rwon, 3:30-5:30pm
Friday noon-lpm (Spanish only)
This semester’s tutors hope you'll
join those ^oVe discovered the benefits
of peer tutoring in a relaxed, congenial
atmosphere. Come visit the Writing
Center!
Alyson Honeycutt is a 3rd year
Writitig Center Tutor
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