Have you ever heard this, “Pro-lifers want 11-year-old girls to be forced to carry their rapist’s baby“? It’s commonly uttered after states pass strong pro-life laws, like in Alabama.  And while it’s a strong emotional argument, it goes far past the basic premise of the laws, which is that all human life has dignity. That situation is horrifying–and thankfully rare, as even now, less than 1% of abortions are due to rape.

But now, the abortion industry actually wants to enable rapists, by removing parental consent laws in Massachusetts. These laws require underage minors to obtain parental permission before obtaining an abortion, although there is an exception for minors who have good reasons to not tell their parents; in those cases, the girl goes to a judge. The purpose is to ensure that an adult is able to at least talk to her before she makes an incredibly consequential decision.

Parental consent laws act as a check in against rape and other forms of abuse, by bringing a responsible adult into a difficult situation. Just recently, Texas convicted a man who was caught trying to bring a 12-year-old girl in for an abortion. In this case, Planned Parenthood actually did turn the case over to law enforcement, but that has not always been the case.  In Connecticut, in 2007, Planned Parenthood failed to notify parents of a teenage girl of her abortion; the girl was being held captive and her abusers had brought her in for an abortion. Ensuring her parents were notified of the abortion would have helped reunite them after she went missing a year prior.

Other states like Illinois are considering repealing parental notification which just requires that parents be told their daughters are seeking an abortion; such laws reduce abortions, because most parents want to help their daughters choose life. It also involves them further in their daughter’s life by helping them find out about who they are dating and the decisions they are making.

You can read more about parental notification and parental consent here.