COLUMBUS, OH — In a must-read column for the Washington Post, Kathleen Parker dissects Ohio’s extreme anti-parent amendment, raising concerns about its dangerous implications.

Right off the bat, the amendment will eviscerate parental consent and notification protections for minors.

“Such legal recourse would not be possible under the proposed constitutional amendment, which shields all parties to an abortion from ‘interference,’ stating that ‘every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions on contraception, fertility treatment, continuing one’s own pregnancy, miscarriage care, and abortion.’

“Several phrases here cry out for clarity. ‘Every individual,’ for instance, means minors are free from interference, relegating their parents to a tertiary role without standing or authority. The state becomes the parent, in other words. And ‘but not limited to’ leaves the door parted for other loosely related procedures. ‘Fertility treatment,’ broadly applied, could protect sterilization, as well as transgender alterations, from parental input.”

The extreme amendment will allow minors unfettered access to abortions and medical interventions such as sex-change surgery and sterilization.

“My antennae shot up when I saw that the abortion amendment doesn’t mention women. Ahem, who else gets an abortion? The ‘pregnant patient,’ that’s who. Why bother with such silly wordplay? From my reading, it’s an unsubtle hint that the amendment isn’t wholly intended to protect a woman’s right to choose…

“This isn’t spelled out anywhere, but the Ohio amendment’s language could be extrapolated to protect access to all sorts of medical interventions, including sex-change surgery or sterilization, and not just for adults. Age is never mentioned in the amendment, meaning that children could have unfettered access to surgical procedures, including abortion, without parental interference.”

This dangerous amendment is not “pro-woman” at all. In fact, it will remove existing health and safety standards for women.

“What’s also clear is that these abortion ‘protections’ would remove regulations that are now in place, such as requirements that abortion clinics meet hospital standards for patient care. Or that a hospital be nearby. Or that parental consent be required for minors.”

Even worse, this anti-parent amendment will protect abusers and child predators. Its language explicitly protects third parties who “assist” anyone in obtaining an abortion – meaning abusers can cover their tracks without repercussions. 

“Ohio’s own history provides a cautionary tale. More than a decade ago, a 21-year-old soccer coach impregnated a 14-year-old girl on the team and helped arrange an abortion at Planned Parenthood. Pretending he was the child’s father on the phone, according to court documents, the coach literally dialed it in. That is, his permission for the procedure. The girl’s parents filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood for failing to get parental consent as required by law, for not informing the girl of risks and alternatives, and for not reporting suspected child abuse. The case was later settled, and the coach was found guilty of sexual battery.

“Such legal recourse would not be possible under the proposed constitutional amendment, which shields all parties to an abortion from ‘interference,’ stating that ‘every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions on contraception, fertility treatment, continuing one’s own pregnancy, miscarriage care, and abortion.'”

The amendment will also allow for predatory abortion coercion.

“It would seem that the Ohio amendment allows too much while doing too little to protect women and children from predators and abortion bullies. A survey by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List, found that 3 out of 5 women who had abortions felt pressured to end their pregnancies. Yet the amendment would protect third parties, boyfriends, husbands and others who ‘assist’ in procuring an abortion.”

You can read Kathleen Parker’s full column HERE.

Protect Women Ohio is a coalition of concerned family and life leaders, parents, health and medical experts, and faith leaders in Ohio. Molly Smith, Founding Member of Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio, Aaron Baer, president of Center for Christian Virtue, and Peter Range, CEO of Ohio Right to Life, serve as members of the PWO Board of Directors.

To learn more please visit www.protectwomenohio.com.