"Pro. But abortion would be illegal, so this would not be applicable."

Aug. 11, 2008 Chuck Baldwin

"...[D]espite the fact that 23 States require a minor to receive parental consent prior to obtaining an abortion, these important laws are being violated. Today, minors, with the assistance of adults who are not their parents, are being transported across State lines to receive abortions without obtaining parental consent. We must end this circumvention of State laws and, more importantly, the consequences such actions have on life."

Sep. 29, 2005 John McCain

"...I signed a bill requiring minors to obtain parental consent before getting an abortion. It was amazing to me that minors were required to get parental consent before getting ears pierced or a tattoo, but they were allowed to have this major surgical procedure without their parents having any say whatsoever."

Jan. 18, 2005 Mike Huckabee

"From a medical standpoint, abortion is normally a non-emergency, elective procedure. I know of no other non-emergency, elective medical procedure in which it is considered controversial to ascribe authority -- and responsibility -- to parents when the patient is a minor. Schools won't dispense aspirin to students without parental consent. A teenager can't get an ear pierced unless mom or dad signs off. No medical doctor who wanted to remain licensed would perform liposuction or non-emergency heart surgery on a minor before getting parental consent. Children's parents make these decisions for them. That's how it works, and I don't see why abortion should be an exception.

That said, I think that we do need to reconsider the very definition of 'minor.' The laws vary from state to state, but in general you can drive at 16, vote and get drafted at 18, but you can't drink until you're 21. There's no sensible argument for this -- it's like we pulled numbers out of a hat or something. Instead of assigning arbitrary ages for the exercise of adult prerogatives, we should recognize people as adults when they assume responsibility for their lives. This might be a formal process (such a process already exists, and courts already 'emancipate' teens from their parents occasionally), or it might be informal but contestible (there's a procedure in place for contesting it as well -- see Britney Spears' situation for a recent and well-known example)."
Feb. 22, 2008 Steve Kubby

"Absolutely, positively and without exception. If there are parents responsible for the care and welfare of a minor this must be their decision. I also believe this is a right which must be established by the states. If not, then the minor's legal guardians would be responsible for making these decisions."
Feb. 28, 2008 Frank McEnulty

"Yes."
Feb. 27, 2008 Christine Smith