Dear editor,

Pro-choice or pro-life, responsible parents should want to be aware of and involved with their minor child's pregnancy or any other serious issue. The Register editorial of Oct. 24 stated, "Though it is clear that young people benefit from consulting their parents on all major decisions, a strong parent-child bond cannot be legislated into existence and it is not clear the government's role in the decision-making process is appropriate."

I agree that most young people greatly benefit when they go to their parents with life's most difficult and challenging problems. The pros and cons of the state legislating a parent-child bond into existence could be debated, but without a doubt the state has legislated a serious and damaging separation of the bond between parents and minor children. Most adolescents who have done something wrong or against their parents' beliefs or values will look for a way not to tell their parents. The current laws give them a way out. Often a family crisis, even though loaded with extreme emotions, will bring children and parents closer. Some of life's most difficult circumstances teach us life's most important lessons. And as for the government's role, appropriate or not, it has been involved in the whole process for many years.

Our legislators who passed the current laws and organizations like Planned Parenthood, who lobbied for these laws, are arrogant in the extreme. They believe they know better how to deal with any problem than parents do. If your minor child wants birth control items and drugs, or is pregnant, or has a sexually transmitted disease, they want first access.

Our legislators also use the public schools to promote the separation of the parent-child bond. At the beginning of each school year every parent is required to sign and return an "acknowledgment" form that contains more than 40 items of California Education Code sections. The section that pertains to the issue at hand states, "Confidential Medical Services; Excuse to Obtain Without Consent of Parent or Guardian; Notice to Pupils and Parents. The governing board of each school district shall, each academic year, notify pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, and the parents or guardians of all pupils enrolled in the district, that school authorities may excuse any pupil from the school for the purpose of obtaining confidential medical services. Section 46010.1."

With our child entering middle school this year, we wished to "opt out" and not have this information presented to our child. After some checking, I was referred to Stan Smart, head of student services for Napa Valley Unified School District. As when I have talked to Mr. Smart in the past, he was very straightforward, patient and helpful. Mr. Smart stated that I could send him a letter stating we wished to "opt out" our child from being presented this information and he would send it to our child's school. Mr. Smart said that when this information was being presented to students, our child would be able to go to the library or other appropriate place.

I strongly recommend a yes vote on Proposition 73 as a way for responsible parents to regain some of their parental authority that has been taken away by the state.

Paul McCluskey

Napa