Opponents push for "real teen safety"

Many of Proposition 85's challengers worry that the initiative is the first step at chipping away at Roe v. Wade.

By Jessica Lane
The Daily Gazette

Opponents of Prop. 85 gather at Dolores Park in San Francisco. Photo: inbay.org
Memebers of the Southern California ACLU rally at a no on 85 house party. Photo: aclu-sc.org

Opponents of Proposition 85 are looking far beyond Election Day and into the future.They see this initiative as the first step to taking away a woman’s right to choose.

“This is definitely part of a larger agenda. The way I know that is because backers of Proposition 85 all have one thing in common and that is that they want to outlaw abortion in all cases for women of all ages,” said Miriam Zerade of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. She is not alone in her feelings.

Sara Dunaj of the University of Southern California College Democrats agrees that this proposition is an attempt to cut back at the progress made by Roe v. Wade.

“People who are able to tell their parents about their pregnancy will and they’ll be able to get guidance from their parents. However, teens who do not tend to have a valid reason for it and those teens should have access to counseling services rather then having to tell their parents and putting themselves in a dangerous situation,” she said. Dunaj is not the only college student concerned about the issue.

Different student organizations gathered at The University of Southern California to garner support against Proposition 85. “It can be so confusing as to what each proposition is. Am I voting yes, am I voting no? So we are really just trying to make sure people get in their head to vote no on Proposition 85,” said Sarah Lambeth, director of the Womens Student Assembly. Lambeth and other volunteers promoted their agenda at a rally to teach people about what they consider to be a dangerous proposition.