Run Ladies Run!

I read about the teens who broke out of their maternity home yesterday in American Fork. It's in the Jan. 19th Salt Lake City Tribune.

Teenage women, pregnant, shipped by their parents from other states to Utah. They would keep up their studies and give up their babies for adoption.

Now - please don't misunderstand me. Adoption and teenage motherhood are loaded topics.

I just feel that everyone should be allowed a choice. No one should be forced back to the bad old days when all unmarried mothers had to give up their babies for adoption.

I believe adoption is a tremendous gesture of love from the birth mother to a child. It's a mother's acknowledgement that for whatever reason, she would not be able to care for that child like she wants to. And infertility is very common. Many couples would be amazing parents if they had the chance.

Obviously there are many societal issues here as well.

I don't advocate knocking out the group home mother, as these three reportedly did. And stealing a van and credit cards. But I'm also not sure I agree with packing up a pregnant teenager and shipping her off to Utah. There isn't an easy answer. I'm sure these issues are much more complex and we don't have the entire story.

There is simply a part of me that understands being trapped in an insane situation. I hope the teens get home safely - and that things turn out for the best.