According to WebMD’s Medscape, in Oregon a pregnant teen of any age can obtain an abortion (medical treatment) without informing her parents. Nonetheless, a dying teenage boy (age 16) is not permitted to consent to or decline medical treatment. If he does decline, then his parents are sent to prison for negligent homicide.

This is insanity. Either a teenager (who must be covered by his or her parent’s medical insurance) has a right to self-determination with regard to his or her body or not.

What if a teenage girl in Oregon is pregnant, but carrying the fetus to term will threaten her health or even kill her? Can her parents force her to have an abortion? What if abortion is against her religion or she and her parents refuse to give her one? Will her parents be charged with negligent homicide if she dies?

I’m not advocating anti-science, anti-medicine religions. I’m not advocating one opinion or the other in the debate over parental consent to abortions. I’m simply advocating self-consistency, logic, the Kantian categorical imperative.

You can’t have it both ways and be in the right both ways.