A recent newspaper article in the Winston-Salem Journal, titled Proper Instructions, tells us about a new bill the North Carolina House Education Committee will soon meet to discuss. This new bill deals with the legal abandonment of newborn babies, known to most as safe haven laws.

The North Carolina Education Committee is proposing to implement a plan that will teach students about legally abandoning a baby, the time frame of legal abandonment, and where they can legally leave a legally abandoned baby.

While I understand the need for safe haven laws, I’m still not fond of them. I am glad that it saves babies but I think it is much better if the mother were to legally surrender her baby instead of legally abandoning him or her. But if the options are to legally abandon or to neglect a baby or leave the baby somewhere that results in death of the baby, then obviously, I’m in favor of legal abandonment.

But why should we bring this into our schools? Why should we teach our children (ninth through twelfth grade is what the bill proposes) that it’s ok to legally abandon a baby? This is a lot like teaching abstinence. In theory, it’s practical, but in today’s day and age, does it really work? Does it really benefit our children?

Instead I believe, we should be teaching our children how to prevent unplanned pregnancies and what to do should they become unexpectedly pregnant. We should give them resources and people they can turn to should they become pregnant, not just teach them how to abandon a baby.

Not only should we be teaching our children about contraception as a preventive method for unplanned pregnancy, but as a way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases which many teenagers who are sexually active are at risk for.

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Safe Haven or Baby Dump?
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