Texas teen sues parents to stop them from forcing her abortion [Updated]

[SierraSonic]

It's her body, so her decision. She felt she was old enough to have sex, so it's her responsibility to deal with the consequences.

HER responsibility... Check.

Judging by her taking this decision to stop her parents, I'd say she HAS decided to shoulder the responsibility. She's not begging for anyone to make decisions for her, or look after the kid. She's trying to stop her parents from forcing her to do something she doesn't want to do.

HER decision not theirs... Check.

No parent deserving of that title would do that.

Their requirement.... wait what..... she made/is making a bad choice, she wants to live with it and cant take care of it, the parents are against it, yet are required to look out for the daughter, not the daughters child. They don't want it, they don't want her to have it, but they will be bad parents if they don't...

So basically, according to you, those who don't want it, and didn't make the mistake, are going to be required to take care of it. No, no I say.

If the daughter legally wins this, she won the right to be a free adult, that means the daughter shouldn't be considered a child by the state, meaning the parents shouldn't be required to take care of her. Now ofcourse this will make them seem like bad parents, but IMO this whole situation just proves how bad the daugther is, almost literally screwing the family.

Either way, if she wins the right to not be forced to abort, you know the parents will just force adoption. You know if the child lives, it will be a burden on someone. Unless the daughter, while taking care of the kid and gets a job, and could support it, while still legally being required to go to school.

But yes, what we need is more sympethy for these kinds of situations, just so we can have more familes that cannot take care themselves.

[HawkMan]

As to the us, if I go to America and get hurt. I get the same treatment over there as your richest of the rich with the best possible insurance.

But for actual surgery, I would much rather get my surgeries over here where I trust the docs, than over there

[briangw]

America ranks 36th in the world in healthcare. Pretty much every single country above it has universal healthcare.

So, what are the statistics in which type of care is being used more?

[Mr. Gibs]

Very few doesn't mean everyone, and from this, she sounds like a determine and capable young lady. More capable than most parents twice her age. But of course none of us now here, so we can't judge her, only she can device what's right for her, not me, not you, not her parents who try to illegally force here to potentially ruin her body.

That's why I ALSO said that the parents should sit down and talk to her properly. Make sure she knows what she's getting herself into.

So, what are the statistics in which type of care is being used more?

Common sense would tell you universal healthcare is used more? I lived in HK for most of my life (a country with universal healthcare) and my parents and I still had health insurance (it was free through my dads job so it would be stupid not to take it). Most of our medical care and two surgeries were done at public hospitals for free but when my mum was giving birth to my brother she wanted to do it at a private hospital where she was friends with the doctor so insurance covered that. The two systems can work quite well together, they don't have to be mutually exclusive.

You can claim that people take out health insurance, and yes they do but that is by choice. In the US its not really a choice, you don't have insurance and you get hit with a heart attack you'll be bankrupt.

[FloatingFatMan]

FFM: or the calculations that the NHS makes based on a persons age amongst other factors to see whether a person can actually get an operation (whether they are justified/viable).

Goes both ways :woot:

Last year my dad had life saving surgery on the NHS to remove most of his large intestine and install a colostomy bag. He's 76. There goes your age argument. ;)

The same type of healthcare I'm hearing about in other countries that suck so bad, people choose to buy privatized insurance. OoooooK . :rolleyes:

What you "hear" is a far cry from reality.

Are NHS systems perfect? Of course not. Where humans organise, humans can error. No system is perfect, but an imperfect system is far better than NO system other than your barely functional medicaid.

[FloatingFatMan]

HER responsibility... Check.

HER decision not theirs... Check.

Their requirement.... wait what..... she made/is making a bad choice, she wants to live with it and cant take care of it, the parents are against it, yet are required to look out for the daughter, not the daughters child. They don't want it, they don't want her to have it, but they will be bad parents if they don't...

It's quite possible to be emotionally supportive of your childs' decisions and NOT having to be financially responsible as well. Or at least, it's possible outside of the US. :p

[SierraSonic]

It's quite possible to be emotionally supportive of your childs' decisions and NOT having to be financially responsible as well. Or at least, it's possible outside of the US. :p

So... "We think its OK if you keep the baby... just don't send this family into financial ruin, which we cant avoid since we are going to be legally held responsible for your child."

[FloatingFatMan]

So... "We think its OK if you keep the baby... just don't send this family into financial ruin, which we cant avoid since we are going to be legally held responsible for your child."

Why would they be legally responsible? It's not their child, it's their daughters. SHE'S the one legally responsible for it.

[Xilo]

It's quite possible to be emotionally supportive of your childs' decisions and NOT having to be financially responsible as well. Or at least, it's possible outside of the US. :p

Lets see here.

1) Girl lives at home

2) Girl is still going through high school

3) In order for them to not be financially responsible, girl will need a job

4) Decent jobs require education or at least a high school diploma/GED which she isn't close to getting

5) Having a job requires a baby sitter that costs money.

So yes, it's almost impossible for them to not be financially responsible.

[SierraSonic]

Why would they be legally responsible? It's not their child, it's their daughters. SHE'S the one legally responsible for it.

A dependent of a dependent is still dependent on someone aren't they? In this case, the parents, who apparently wont get a say.

In this case the girl is arguing like this: "My vagina, your money" and the courts may give it to her.

[FloatingFatMan]

And all that is a reason to take an innocent life?

I think not.

She made the choice to have sex, it's her body, her responsibility If she's going to have a completely pants life because of her choices, well. That's what responsibility is all about. Don't take it out on the baby.

[ncoday]

You guarantee that do you? Based on a short article, with no knowledge of the girls personality or life or anything at all? But still, you guarantee it?

Man, I can smell the BS from here, and I'm 1000's of miles away from you. :p

Have you ever dealt with teens who are pregnant?

Do some actual research on the subject and you'll find it is literally true about 99% of the time.

The fact that there is no mention of the father tells me he is not present and that I am guaranteed of being right.

[SierraSonic]

And all that is a reason to take an innocent life?

I think not.

She made the choice to have sex, it's her body, her responsibility If she's going to have a completely pants life because of her choices, well. That's what responsibility is all about. Don't take it out on the baby.

So you are perfectly OK with this child coming into a life of potential misery and almost no hope for a successful life, and most likely want this self sustaining family to get government support further straining the economy?

This is the most likely cause the child, if it wont be aborted, will for sure be put up for adoption, pretty much raised a a child of a the state. and what are some fun facts about our adoption system...

[FloatingFatMan]

Have you ever dealt with teens who are pregnant?

Do some actual research on the subject and you'll find it is literally true about 99% of the time.

The fact that there is no mention of the father tells me he is not present and that I am guaranteed of being right.

So you are perfectly OK with this child coming into a life of potential misery and almost no hope for a successful life, and most likely want this self sustaining family to get government support further straining the economy?

You're both making huge presumptions based on zero data. That's generally called hyperbole, you know.

[SierraSonic]

You're both making huge presumptions based on zero data. That's generally called hyperbole, you know.

You are assuming the family is well off, and that the bf stayed, which itself is the very thing you are calling us on.

I am giving the most likely scenario of a middle class family today.

[Mr. Gibs]

You're both making huge presumptions based on zero data. That's generally called hyperbole, you know.

Except there is data.

The statistics for kids who are born to underage girls, or people who with no education or people with no jobs or single parents generally paint a pretty bleak picture. This girl has pretty much everything going against her, even her parents are against her.

Sure she could beat all those odds and become an excellent parent but why take that risk? Why not just wait till you're older and then have a baby? This isn't a once in a lifetime thing, and she'll be just as likely to get kids when she's older and more mature.

At the very least the parents need to talk to her and be supportive. They might not like her decision to keep the baby, but for the sake of that baby they should be helpful. Yelling at her and trying to slip her abortion pills isn't the right way to do things, not by a long long shot.

[FloatingFatMan]

You are assuming the family is well off, and that the bf stayed, which itself is the very thing you are calling us on.

I am giving the most likely scenario of a middle class family today.

Actually, No. I'm not making any assumptions at all, nor am I suggesting what kind of life she will face. You're the ones doing all that, and imagining others are doing the same. I suggest you learn to read the words I actually post and ignore what your imagination replaces them with.

[SierraSonic]

Actually, No. I'm not making any assumptions at all, nor am I suggesting what kind of life she will face. You're the ones doing all that, and imagining others are doing the same. I suggest you learn to read the words I actually post and ignore what your imagination replaces them with.

Actually you are assuming the child will be taken care of... but without support it wont. FACT!

:/ The parents of the dependent won't support it. These are facts given by the article. Sure, no where does it state anything about adoption, but it very clearly states the parents of the dependent don't want it. You have one option if abortion is eliminated and that's... adoption.

I feel I do not need to state the facts about adoption in this case.

[briangw]

Last year my dad had life saving surgery on the NHS to remove most of his large intestine and install a colostomy bag. He's 76. There goes your age argument. ;)

What you "hear" is a far cry from reality.

Are NHS systems perfect? Of course not. Where humans organise, humans can error. No system is perfect, but an imperfect system is far better than NO system other than your barely functional medicaid.

Heh, if you read the bill, there are questionable areas in it for seniors such as fewer plan choices, less access to physicians, more medicare payment cuts, and higher taxes. NHS is not all rosy.

Thankfully, serving in the military gives me healthcare later but even I'll be skeptical later in life with both of these options.

[Mr. Gibs]

Heh, if you read the bill, there are questionable areas in it for seniors such as fewer plan choices, less access to physicians, more medicare payment cuts, and higher taxes. NHS is not all rosy.

You're talking about Obama's healthcare plan, not the NHS...

[briangw]

You're talking about Obama's healthcare plan, not the NHS...

Yes, that's what I meant, sorry.

[Growled Member]

It's her body, so her decision. She felt she was old enough to have sex, so it's her responsibility to deal with the consequences.

That is true. However she needs her parents to support her and her baby. That's going to really uncomfortable if they are totally against the baby.

[LaP]

That is true. However she needs her parents to support her and her baby. That's going to really uncomfortable if they are totally against the baby.

Yeah but on another hand forcing your child to abort can be uncomfortable too.

It reminds me a movie i've seen. Mother and Child with the awesome Naomi Watts http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1121977/. I realise it's a movie but i think the relation between the mother and the daughter was fairly realistic.

If she really doesn't want to abort she might feel guilt about it his whole life and might not forgive her parent for forcing her to do it.

I understand that as a parent having an un-wanted grandchild to take care of can be hard to swallow. But who said life is easy and fair ? Things like that is sadly part of having kids. It happens. The parent should be the mature ones in the story and support their daughter in her choice imo.

[chrisj1968]

Man this is a touchy subject. We have a daughter who, wants to defend herself from being forced into doing something she doesn't believe or agree with.Parents as such, probably don't want her to ruin her life or alter it, by adding a baby into the mix which life changes drastically.

This will depend on the States view about whose decision it is. What bothers me about the abortion debate is, on the one hand, we have a group in the US that it's aweful and tragic we send peoples sons and daughters to war or killing innocent people abroad while, they have no qualms about killing an unborn fetus.. Some pretty jacked up moral compasses.

I would think that, as happened to my daughter, I was ****ed beyond belief but can't kill the baby. The best the parents can do is just accept that this happened and support their girl BUT, make her care for the baby herself when not in school.

I understand that both sides of this matter but what is practical? what is sane? killing the baby isn't the answer.

[chrisj1968]

That is true. However she needs her parents to support her and her baby. That's going to really uncomfortable if they are totally against the baby.

I agree to a point. I as the "Parent" was in this situation against my daughter having the baby SOLELY because I knew from having kids myself that, her chances of getting around in life to where she would want to would be hampered. But being in a small house, My dad, the great grandpa has custody of my grandson since he lives in that area.

But damn, my grandson is a awesome little guy.