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Thursday, January 05, 2006

Disturbing referrals
Posted by Jill | 7:11 AM

As all bloggers know, it's kind of fun to look at the Google searches people use to find one's blog. A good percentage of OUR referrals come from some permutation of the words Marc Maron Danny Goldberg Morning Sedition, but occasionally we do get our share of "sex with mules" referrals.

We have one this morning, however, that to my mind is emblematic of what we can expect in the post-Roe era, after Sammy the Stem Cell Alito is confirmed to the Supreme Court:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=pregnant%20get%20an%20abortion%20without%20your%20parents%20knowing%20florida

The person who came to us via this search visited at 3:20 this morning.

I don't think this is someone just idly searching. This sounds like there is a kid in Florida who's pregnant, doesn't want to be, and doesn't want her parents to know -- and was up in the wee hours trying to get information. Is she from an abusive home? Are her parents Christofascist zombies who will force her to "wear the mark of her shame" by carrying the pregnancy to term? Is she just your average kid from your average nice family who doesn't want to disappoint her parents?

Think about this girl for a few minutes, especially if you oppose a woman's right to an abortion, or if you think parental notification should be codified into law. Put yourself in her shoes for a minute:

You're an intelligent girl, and you know what it means that your period is two weeks late. You spent the entire Christmas season with a nagging, gnawing fear. Every time you felt a twinge from eating too much Christmas candy, you ran to the bathroom hoping to find the spotting that meant your period had come. Oh, sure, you went out with your friends New Year's Eve, but you couldn't have a good time, because you knew what's waiting for you in the new year. You've had plenty of time -- weeks, in fact -- to think about your predicament and what you want to do.

Let's assume that our visitor is just a nice girl from an average family. She has a boyfriend whom she loves, but she has plans for college and a career. Maybe her plans involve this boy, maybe they don't. Her grades are good, but she's not a stellar student. She works hard at school to get the grades she does. Her parents are proud of her, because she's a good student and has nice friends. They like her boyfriend, though they do worry about them spending so much time together. All their hopes and dreams for the future are embodied in their children. They want her to have an entire world of opportunity open to her. They will be crushed with disappointment if they find out that she's made such a terrible mistake. Their opinion of her will be changed forever.

At least that's what she's thinking. Perhaps she's right. Perhaps she isn't. But she knows better than we do. So she's sitting in her room, alone, awake at 3:20 AM, doing research on the internet as to whether she can take the action that's right for her without risking her relationship with her parents.

My heart hurts for this girl.

If you are reading this and you are the girl who visited us early this morning, alas, I can't give you information about the laws in Florida, especially with the Christofascists working overtime to change laws as quickly as they can. I would, however, suggest that you call your local Planned Parenthood and ask for a consultation. They will discuss your legal and medical options with you. You can still go for counseling without your parents' permission, I believe.

If you are reading this and you are not this girl, think about this country after abortion is no longer an option. Then imagine you are her. How do you feel?
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