The Stoopid, It Burns

Even though these news are a few days old they are still a beautiful sign of human stupidity.  From North Carolina:

The House Health and Human Services Committee approved a bill earlier this month that would require teenagers to present a notarized parental consent form in order to access sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment, mental health counseling, pregnancy care or substance abuse treatment.

What on earth could go wrong with that? 

It would have little but bureaucratic impact on teenagers who have good relationships with their parents.  On the other hand, it would give teenagers not in those happy circumstances a great incentive to keep any sexually transmitted disease untreated, possibly leading to serious future complications (and ready to be passed on!).

And if there is, say, abuse within the family, the teenager suffering from that cannot get mental health counseling without the express permission from the person who might be the abuser.