Maryland Requires Parental Permission for Body Piercing but Not Abortion

How interesting, really, that for many many years now schools can't give a student a Tylenol without a written parental consent but abortion could be done without parental consent. Just as pathetic is Maryland:

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Parental Consent Required For Tattoos in Maryland, But Not For Abortion

By Thaddeus M. Baklinski

BALTIMORE, February 26, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Maryland House of Delegates has unanimously approved a proposal to require "parental consent" for tattoos and body piercings done on minors. However, the state still only requires that one parent be notified that a minor is going to have an abortion, with no need for the parent's consent.

Republicans in the House tried and failed to amend the "tattoos and body piercing" measure to include parental consent for abortion when Del. Gail H. Bates, a Howard County Republican, asked to have the measure include parental consent for "other invasive surgical procedures."

However, House Speaker Michael E. Busch declined to consider the proposed amendment, arguing that it changed the purpose of the bill and was, therefore, out of order, according to a Baltimore Sun report.

Maryland's Parental Notification for Abortion Law (Article 20-103) requires that one parent or guardian be notified before a minor has an abortion. The parent/guardian does not need to consent to or agree with the minor's choice, but does need to know the minor is planning to have an abortion.

Maryland's parental notification law also says specifically that no notification is required if, in the judgment of the doctor performing the abortion: the minor is mature and capable of giving her informed consent to the procedure, or notification would not be in the minor's best interest, or notice may lead to physical or emotional abuse of the minor, or the minor patient does not live with her parent or guardian, or a reasonable effort to give notice has been unsuccessful.

Scott Davis of National Pro-Life Radio commented that the Maryland parental notification law is so full of loopholes that it is rendered practically meaningless.

"This gives the abortionist sole and unreviewable discretion in regards to parental rights," Davis explained.

"The physician may perform the abortion, without notice to a parent or guardian of a minor if, in the professional judgment of the physician, notification would not be in the interest of the minor.

"So a teenage girl's parents could be kept in the dark about an abortion, a medical procedure with grave physical and psychological risks, simply because the abortion provider thinks it's a good idea."

Davis also pointed out that each year approximately 22.6% of Maryland abortions are performed on girls 16 and under.

Seven States Have Launched Efforts for Personhood Rights for Pre-born - More Expected

Seven States Have Launched Efforts for Personhood Rights for Pre-born - More Expected

DENVER, February 18, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Personhood USA has announced that since the beginning of the new year, seven different states have started efforts in support of the personhood of pre-born children. In addition, Rep. Duncan Hunter has introduced H.R. 881, the Right to Life Act, on the federal level, propelling the personhood movement forward.

Five States have now introduced bills affirming the personhood rights of pre-born humans from the moment of fertilization, including:

Maryland - HB925 - Delegate Don Dwyer
North Dakota - H.R. 1572 - Rep. Dan Ruby
Montana - SB 406 - Sen. Daniel W McGee
South Carolina - H.3526 - Rep. Liston Barfield
Alabama - SB-335 - Sen. Hank Erwin

Oregon has also begun a personhood amendment petition drive, and Mississippi's personhood amendment petition drive is expected to launch within weeks.

The common thread among all of these efforts is the goal to fill what is becoming known as the "Blackmun Hole" in Roe v. Wade. This is where Justice Blackmun implied in the Roe v. Wade decision that if the case were established that the pre-born human being was a person, the argument for abortion collapses. In Roe v Wade, it is acknowledged that the "fetus" is fully human, but the decision did not grant the rights of "persons" until birth.

"Personhood USA is standing with strong support for all of these efforts. We are committed to working tirelessly to establish personhood in every State, because this is the only way to restore dignity to the humans most vulnerable among us," stated Cal Zastrow of Personhood USA.

"Personhood efforts raise the standard of what it is to be pro-life. We expect that as the understanding that all humans are people spreads, the injustice of abortion will end," continued Keith Mason of Personhood USA.

Personhood USA is a grassroots Christian organization founded to establish personhood efforts across America to create protection for every child.