I find it interesting that during an era where parents have less and less time with their kids and those kids are encouraged to be more and more independent, that parents want more and more control over their child's decisions. It's like saying, I'm too busy to actually be there for you and guide you on the path to maturity but I'm never too busy to take decisional control over your body to ensure my beliefs are honored regardless of what yours are. I don't like the idea that kids are getting pregnant, I don't like the idea that parents sometimes aren't even aware of these circumstances, but let's get real, it's not the parent that's gonna raise this kid for the next 18 years, it's not the parent that may be potentially risking their health to carry the child to term, and it's not the parent that will have to deal with the attending social stigma. By all means, allow the parents to be part of the decision process, but the final decision is for the female actually pregnant. By the logic of Palin, she could yank a kidney out of her kids in order to save the life of someone else with no regard for the donor's decision. And it's easy to say, "I choose life" until you actually come up against such a situation. It doesn't come off as spiritual, but rather smug and vapid.

I agree that the final decision should not be solely in the hands of the minor's parents. Let's say a 17 year old girl accidentally gets pregnant and her parents force her to keep the child against her will. They could then turn around in a year, when she turns 18, and kick her out on her own with a baby she didn't want.

Do not know where you live, but where I am from kids are more sheltered and protected with less resposibility. They get to watch shows with all kinds of sex and violence though. Not a good combination. We think kids are so grown up but there is a reason they are called adolesence. This is not about a parent forcing a child to have an abortion or not this is about the parents right to know about it. Parents are legally responsible for this child they need to know an abortion is not a risk free proceedure.