Molly Ivins: Horror Stories

I have been observing the flappette over the sexist remarks of Harvard's president, Larry Summers, with some amusement. Initially, it was hard to sort out whether we had a case of an educator trying to provoke an interesting discussion, or one of those hoo-hahs where political correctness runs amok, or just another dimwitted sexist being ignorant. Turns out to be all three.

I would worry more about this -- I so enjoy being part of our national intellectual discourse -- except the Texas legislature is in session again, so I have to keep my indignation dry for the real thing. It is a source of constant wonder to me that the Lege, bad as I have known it to be all these years, is yet capable of becoming eternally worse. Among the nasty horrors awaiting us is H.B. 1212, mandating parental consent for the performance of an abortion.

We already have a parental notification requirement in Texas, so how much different can consent be? Of course you don't want your underage daughter getting an abortion without your knowledge, what parent would?

But there are those occasional horrible exceptions, which is why the judicial bypass exists. If a minor can go before a court and prove she either cannot or clearly should not notify her parents, a judge can grant her exemption from the requirement. The system barely works now, and the new bill would make it all but impossible for most girls by limiting venue to the girls' county of residence and those neighboring it, and other changes. There are 254 counties in Texas, and as surveys have shown, most of the county clerks don't even know there is such a procedure, much less how to file one ("Honey, I have no idea," is the classic response). The problems of small-town application should be apparent to all.

more...

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=18616

of their proposals and plans. They can't get enough godless Americans to agree to let the religious right have its way, so they just whittle away at their little issues, step by step, until they achieve their objectives. This little consent requirement doesn't sound dangerous enough to alarm the average person, so they can get away with such things, one at a time, until it is too late. And not just this issue, but school prayer, school vouchers, anti-homosexual agenda, etc, etc, etc,.

Issue us women of childbearing age burkas and chastity belts. That should take care of us.