Posted on 10/27/2006 7:33:37 AM PDT by MockTurtle
FRIEND'S ADVICE TO PREGNANT TEEN TAKES A TRAGIC TURN
DEAR ABBY: I am extremely shaken by a recent experience, and I want to share this with other parents who may one day find themselves in a similar situation. My daughter, "Mary," is almost 18 and in the 12th grade. We have always had a close relationship. She has always come to me to talk about what's going on in her life -- friends, crushes, school, just about everything. A few months ago, Mary told me about a terrible situation concerning one of her classmates. "Jill" had just learned that she was pregnant and was frantic. She told Mary that she couldn't tell her parents because she was afraid of a violent reaction.
Mary was so worried about Jill that she came to me for help. After hearing the story, I encouraged my daughter to tell Jill to talk to her parents. I never imagined what would happen next.
I knew from things Mary had said that Jill's parents were hard on her, but I didn't know the extent of her problems at home. When Jill took my advice and told her parents she was pregnant, her father beat her so badly she ended up in the hospital and lost the baby.
Abby, you can't imagine how terrible I feel about this. Jill will never be the same, and I feel I am to blame. I wish I had known how to protect her from a dangerous and violent situation at home.
I hope you will share this letter with other concerned parents and give your thoughts on this heart-wrenching problem. -- SHOCKED AND SADDENED IN SHERMAN OAKS, CALIF.
DEAR SHOCKED: Please stop being so hard on yourself. You advised your daughter's friend to do what most other parents would have. What you failed to take into consideration was the fact that many teens live in homes where there is violence, abuse, drug problems and incest
A year ago here in California, there was an attempt to legislate "parental notification" into law. Fortunately, it was voted down. It's teens like your daughter's friend who would have been harmed by this kind of law. They certainly cannot go to their parents -- and I have never believed that the law can successfully force this kind of communication with the home.
Of course parents want their children -- regardless of age -- to come to them if there is a crisis. And I am told that seven out of 10 teens who find themselves pregnant do exactly that. However, those who don't usually have a good reason for not doing so. Teens like the girl in your letter need counseling and care, not laws forcing them to face abusive parents. I'm glad you wrote to me. Your sad story is a lesson for other well-meaning adults.
If Abigail Van Buren is going to write colums like this - she should be on the Editorial page.
(This was in my local paper this morning, but not on the paper's website, so I pulled it from uexpress.com.)
This letter is probably a set up. If this father had done this, he would be in jail.
This statement is just absurd.
And I'm guessing a phony letter to boot.
Yep. A man that would beat his daughter to death doesn't need a reason. He just needs a cult to justify it.
I'm smelling bullsh!t. This is geared for the voters in CA concerning Prop 85.
FAKE LETTER!!!!
If this is true, Dear Abby should advise the woman to call the police. Someone has been murdered. Dear Abby also has a responsibility to call the police herself. She is covering up a murder.
The letter, like most of her letters, is fabricated.
Fake letter ping
Perhaps Jill's real name was Arwa or Jawwad. She might wanted to have taken that into account.
Owl_Eagle
If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.
How so?
Yep. My reaction too.
I believe Abigail Van Buren is now dead. Her articlers are mostly recycled. I may be wrong.
Someone needs to call her on it. I don't know who is the syndicated publisher but they should be called to task on this.
SOMEONE HAS BEEN MURDERED!
Begin quote: AppyPappy wrote:
Yep. A man that would beat his daughter to death doesn't need a reason. He just needs a cult to justify it. End quote.
The man, according to the set-up letter, beat the daughter to the extent she was alive, in the hospital, but lost the baby. The girl is alive, according to the probably totally fake bravo sierra letter.
Yes on 85
http://yeson85.net/pr-85certified.aspx
If this really happened in this country it would have been all over the internet. Sorry, this sounds fake.
What Country do you live in, may I ask? If you don't think this is true, you're either deaf, dumb or blind.
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