Okay, this may offend some of you and if it does, well, too bad.
There was an article on CNN's Belief Blog today that I whole-heartily, 100% agree with. Here it is.
I am pro-choice. I firmly believe that nobody has the right to tell me what to do with my body. There was a Minnesota (I think) senator who made a speech about gay marriage where he said something to the effect of "I'm Jewish and I don't eat certain things. But I'm not going to turn to someone who's not Jewish and say because my religion mandates that I eat this way, you have to eat this way too. Even though you aren't Jewish." It may have been a speech about gay marriage, but it applies to so many other things in our world today.
I am also very pro-adoption. 1) I think it's a very eco-friendly thing to do. Think of all the diapers you've saved yourself by not having a baby. Of course, you'll spend twice as much, if not more, in adoption fees, but you've saved the production of diapers. 2) My youngest siblings are adopted. They will be here five years (!!!!) this summer and it amazes me how well they've adapted (they weren't babies; he was 9, she was 7) to everything. I can still vividly recall meeting them the first time at the amusement park in my hometown and my younger sister just clinging to me the entire time. They were the oldest in their family, but they have quickly learned how much fun (and profitable) it can be to have older siblings.
I've also seen the issues that come along with adoption and I will not hide them from people who ask me about them. My brother has some very serious issues that deal with living in an orphanage. This is partly why I am pro-choice. I've always been pro-choice, I've always felt it was my body, but now I also see it as a way to prevent a child from feeling unwanted, unloved, and generally feeling like they don't belong anywhere. That is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. I look around at all the pictures I have of my younger brother and sister and I am so thankful that they are in my life - I would have a naked refrigarator if it weren't for my little sister. But there are children out there who aren't as lucky as my siblings are.
I also don't understand the need some people have, when discussing adoption, to claim that they want "their own child." To me, that just doesn't make sense. How often do teenage girls claim that this person is their "sister," when they have no blood relation to each other? How is adopting a child really any different? You find a child and you fall in love with them. You bring them into your home and they become yours. It's the same with best friends. You meet them, fall in love with them, and suddenly they're yours and it's like you've never been without them.
I think more people need to really examine how they feel about it - are you really willing to let even just one child sit in a room and feel unloved because you want a child that's "from your body."
I feel like I haven't properly explained myself and it's turned into one big ramble fest anyways, but I also feel like I've made my point. Adopting is just as important an issue as any other in family matters and needs to be discussed. By everyone.
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