I wrote this article back in February of 2008 the day after Tennessee knocked off #1 ranked Memphis, and assumed the #1 spot in both the coaches, and AP polls. I thought it a fitting tribute to the legacy left behind by Coach Bruce Pearl...it goes as a tribute to all Pearl accomplished in his tenure as the floor general for the mighty Vols and showed the Big Orange nation that Tennessee Basketball could be relevant on the national stage.
Coach Pearl, you will be missed by all fans and I we wish you nothing but the best. Thank you for all you contributed to Tennessee Basketball, and the East Tennessee community both on and off the court. I was proud to call you "coach."
ALL ALONE AT THE TOP
On a night when Chris Lofton played only 27 minutes, and hit only 2 field goals, neither of them treys;
On a night JaJuan Smith played only 27 minutes and scored only 9 points;
On a night when Tennessee had more turnovers than their opponent;
On a night when Tennessee was playing in the most hostile environment it may have ever seen;
On a night when the pressure was undoubtedly greater than it's ever been;
On a night when Memphis was shooting for 48 straight home wins;
On a night when Memphis was shooting for 27 wins in a row;
On a night when Tennessee hit only 6 three pointers, and Memphis hit eight in the first half;
On a night when everyone was talking about the elusive undefeated season in store for Memphis;
On a night when Memphis had 5 more steals than Tennessee;
On a night when Memphis blocked 9 shots and Tennessee blocked only 3;
On a night when Tennessee turned the ball over more than it's opponent;
On a night when the world was watching;
On a late, star filled February night at Fed Ex Forum against the number one ranked and undefeated Memphis Tigers on their own home court;
On a night when most people thought it was all too much for Tennessee to overcome...
Tennessee Overcame.
Tennessee showed the whole country that they could beat anybody.
Tennessee showed they could do it even if Chris [Lofton] had a bad shooting night;
Tennessee showed resolve.
Tennessee hit crucial free throws down the stretch.
Tennessee showed grit;
Tennessee showed heart;
Tennessee showed pride;
Tennessee showed determination.
Tennessee stood tall;
The Vols painted a solid blue city orange.
The Vols painted the whole state orange.
Tennessee had done what no other team could do on Memphis' home court since 2006;
Tennessee did what no other team has been able to do this season;
Tennessee showed that the city of Memphis, is still in the state of Tennessee. Tennessee won.
When I woke up yesterday morning, Tennessee was the 2nd best team in the country. When I went to bed last night, Tennessee was the number 1 ranked team in the country.
On a beautiful Tennessee night in late February, there were no Blue Devils. There were no Tar Heels. There were no Jayhawks. There were no Bruins.
There were only Volunteers. Clad in orange, they were all alone. For the first time. At the top.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
An Unexpected Message
Each night before we put Kyden to bed, we always let him sit in our lap and we read him a Bible story from his Children's Bible Devotional book. It's a neat little book, that starts in Genesis and goes all the way through the Bible start to finish, telling Bible stories with messages geared to toward children. It's been such a blessing, as Olivia and I both take turns reading to him, and he in turn loves to hear us read, and likes to point at the colorful pictures.
Last night, as it turned out, it was my turn to read to him and I don't know if he learned anything or not, but I'm pretty sure last nights message wasn't meant for him. It was meant for me. Leave it to God to speak to me, an adult, through a children's Bible story. And by saying "speak to me", I really mean that God slapped me in the face. You see...for the past couple of weeks, I've really not been reading my Bible and doing my devotions like I should. I guess this was Gods way of saying "Philip, if you're not going to come to me about this, I'm going to find a way to come to you." Must be important huh?
Check this out...
The story I was reading to Kyden last night was about the Israelites and how God provided food for them as they were wondering in the desert, but they were not thankful. Here is the passage that really hit me square in the chin...
"It made God angry that the Israelites kept on complaining. When they moaned all the time, they showed that they didn't really believe the Lord would take care of them. The Lord wants us to be satisfied with what we have. He will make sure that we get what we need."
You see, lately that has been me. There have been some trials in my life, and rather than take them to God, I've opted to complain and moan. By doing so, I've done exactly what the Israelites did in this story. I've failed to put my faith in God, and instead, tried to fix all my problems on my own. It's not that I don't know the Lord will take care of me, it's just that in my own selfish skin, I think I can handle it on my own. It ends up bringing me down, not to mention the rest of my family who has to put up with listening to me be a grumpy bear all the time. It just goes to show that my faith is a long way from where it needs to be.
My favorite Bible character is Abraham - always has been. I've always looked up to him because of one thing...his faith. There are not many people in the Bible who had the faith that Abraham had. Think about it...God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son on an alter. What did Abraham do? He followed Gods command. He didn't know why, and didn't understand why God would ask him to do such a thing, especially since Isaac was the son he'd prayed God would give him for many years. You see, Abraham had enough faith to know that even though he might not understand Gods plan, God still knew what was best. He didn't gripe, or complain, he just set out to do what God had asked of him. When God saw Abraham's faith, he provided a replacement for the sacrifice in the form of a lamb. What a great picture of a great faith, and what a great story this foretold, as God himself would send his own son to die as a replacement sacrifice for us.
Many years ago, I made it a goal in my life to always strive to have a faith like that of Abraham. As I read Kyden's Bible story last night, I realized that somewhere along this road of life, I'd lost sight of my faith. I'd placed God closer to the back seat of my life rather than give up the drivers seat. In doing so, I've tried and failed greatly to handle life's problems on my own, griping and complaining the entire way, much like the Israelites in the Bible. The things God gave them were the things they needed, yet they still griped and complained. Rather than see how God was meeting their immediate needs, they chose to complain about whatever inconveniences life threw their way ignoring the fact that God had been taking care of them the whole time. For me, this hits home because much like the Israelites, I have my own problems. Things don't always go the way we want them to, and nobodies life is perfect. But rather than give thanks to God for what he's provided, I'd chosen to gripe, and complain about every problem that has come my way, each time asking God "why?" The whole time, God has been trying to ask me the same thing..."Why...why have you not given you're problems to me? Why have you not put your faith in me to take care of you?" Well...Point taken...right square on the chin (right where it needed to be), in the form of a children's Bible story.
The Lord works, and speaks to us in many strange and wonderful ways. Sometimes it's in ways and places we'd expect God to speak to us, but sometimes He speaks when and where we least expect it...and last night, about the last thing I expected was to get pretty firm slap in the face courtesy of God, while reading my little boy his bedtime Bible story...so much for those neat little "life applications" geared toward children. As I sat there, my little man in my lap, a tear rolled down my cheek as I thought about what I'd just read. If I'm going to be the daddy to him that God wants me to be, and if I'm going to be the daddy to him that he needs, I'm going to have to lead by example...a change that starts today.
Friends, always remember that even if we might sometimes "forget" even for a moment that God is there with us always, He'll never forget we're here. We may face tough times, and go through trials in life, but never forget that God has a plan. We may not know that plan, nor understand it, but the least we can do is have enough faith to trust that God knows what he's doing...after all, he is...God.
And one more thing...if God has something he wants to tell you, and you don't come to him...He'll find a way to come to you. Trust me.
God bless.
Last night, as it turned out, it was my turn to read to him and I don't know if he learned anything or not, but I'm pretty sure last nights message wasn't meant for him. It was meant for me. Leave it to God to speak to me, an adult, through a children's Bible story. And by saying "speak to me", I really mean that God slapped me in the face. You see...for the past couple of weeks, I've really not been reading my Bible and doing my devotions like I should. I guess this was Gods way of saying "Philip, if you're not going to come to me about this, I'm going to find a way to come to you." Must be important huh?
Check this out...
The story I was reading to Kyden last night was about the Israelites and how God provided food for them as they were wondering in the desert, but they were not thankful. Here is the passage that really hit me square in the chin...
"It made God angry that the Israelites kept on complaining. When they moaned all the time, they showed that they didn't really believe the Lord would take care of them. The Lord wants us to be satisfied with what we have. He will make sure that we get what we need."
You see, lately that has been me. There have been some trials in my life, and rather than take them to God, I've opted to complain and moan. By doing so, I've done exactly what the Israelites did in this story. I've failed to put my faith in God, and instead, tried to fix all my problems on my own. It's not that I don't know the Lord will take care of me, it's just that in my own selfish skin, I think I can handle it on my own. It ends up bringing me down, not to mention the rest of my family who has to put up with listening to me be a grumpy bear all the time. It just goes to show that my faith is a long way from where it needs to be.
My favorite Bible character is Abraham - always has been. I've always looked up to him because of one thing...his faith. There are not many people in the Bible who had the faith that Abraham had. Think about it...God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son on an alter. What did Abraham do? He followed Gods command. He didn't know why, and didn't understand why God would ask him to do such a thing, especially since Isaac was the son he'd prayed God would give him for many years. You see, Abraham had enough faith to know that even though he might not understand Gods plan, God still knew what was best. He didn't gripe, or complain, he just set out to do what God had asked of him. When God saw Abraham's faith, he provided a replacement for the sacrifice in the form of a lamb. What a great picture of a great faith, and what a great story this foretold, as God himself would send his own son to die as a replacement sacrifice for us.
Many years ago, I made it a goal in my life to always strive to have a faith like that of Abraham. As I read Kyden's Bible story last night, I realized that somewhere along this road of life, I'd lost sight of my faith. I'd placed God closer to the back seat of my life rather than give up the drivers seat. In doing so, I've tried and failed greatly to handle life's problems on my own, griping and complaining the entire way, much like the Israelites in the Bible. The things God gave them were the things they needed, yet they still griped and complained. Rather than see how God was meeting their immediate needs, they chose to complain about whatever inconveniences life threw their way ignoring the fact that God had been taking care of them the whole time. For me, this hits home because much like the Israelites, I have my own problems. Things don't always go the way we want them to, and nobodies life is perfect. But rather than give thanks to God for what he's provided, I'd chosen to gripe, and complain about every problem that has come my way, each time asking God "why?" The whole time, God has been trying to ask me the same thing..."Why...why have you not given you're problems to me? Why have you not put your faith in me to take care of you?" Well...Point taken...right square on the chin (right where it needed to be), in the form of a children's Bible story.
The Lord works, and speaks to us in many strange and wonderful ways. Sometimes it's in ways and places we'd expect God to speak to us, but sometimes He speaks when and where we least expect it...and last night, about the last thing I expected was to get pretty firm slap in the face courtesy of God, while reading my little boy his bedtime Bible story...so much for those neat little "life applications" geared toward children. As I sat there, my little man in my lap, a tear rolled down my cheek as I thought about what I'd just read. If I'm going to be the daddy to him that God wants me to be, and if I'm going to be the daddy to him that he needs, I'm going to have to lead by example...a change that starts today.
Friends, always remember that even if we might sometimes "forget" even for a moment that God is there with us always, He'll never forget we're here. We may face tough times, and go through trials in life, but never forget that God has a plan. We may not know that plan, nor understand it, but the least we can do is have enough faith to trust that God knows what he's doing...after all, he is...God.
And one more thing...if God has something he wants to tell you, and you don't come to him...He'll find a way to come to you. Trust me.
God bless.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Lighthearted Thoughts from the Emergency Room
Between my wife and myself, two trips to the ER were made this past week. (Yes, we are both feeling better). While there, I had some thoughts...
I noticed that going to the ER was much like getting an oil change. You know...you take your car for an oil change, and they change their oil, and rather than sending you on your way, they decide they want to check out the rest of your car, for things it doesn't need. Upselling is what they call it..."Mr. Parker, we got your oil changed, and we checked everything else just in case....we noticed you may need to have your timing belt replaced, and it looks like your fly wheel could use and adjustment. We also want to go ahead and run a full diagnostic test to make sure everything else is running smoothly...total it'll be about $45 extra...that ok?" To which I always promptly reply "No thanks...just the oil change." Same concept must apply in the Emergency Room. Olivia went in for breathing problems due to Bronchitis. Then the Dr. came in and said "Well, we are going to go ahead and send you over to ultrasound to check your legs for blood clots." WHAT? I didn't object seeing as how insurance was paying the bill, but an oil change is what I thought of...selling you something completely different from what you came for. It would be like me coming a runny nose, and them checking me for ingrown toenails. Just makes one shake their head...I guess it's their way of "upselling..."
I also noticed that in some places in ER, the rooms are situated horribly wrong. HORRIBLY. How? Well, let me just say this...I had to go to the end of the hallway to get out of the ER. The room at the end of the hallway near the exit, has a bed directly in front of the door, with the patients feet facing the door. Door was open. Patient had on a hospital gown. Patient had legs propped up. Patient had on no underware. Patient was at least 95 years old. Let that simmer.
Last of all, I wondered about the magazines in the ER waiting room. Lots of good ones, which made everything so difficult...I mean...is it ok to read those? The people that come to the ER are all very sick with various viruses and fevers, and you know those things have to be crawling with germs. But the wait is soooo long sometimes. (We waited almost 2 hours one visit) I held off as long as I could, but after an hour of looking at a Super Bowl edition Sports Illustrated, and Entertainment Weekly magazines, I had to read them. Of course, I took a bath in hand sanitizer afterwords, but that is just cruel...I mean...how do you fix that problem? I don't guess you do...
So, interesting trips to the ER. These thoughts were mostly from Olivia's visit and not mine, because I wasn't really aware of the world around me during my visit. I did sneak away with a couple pairs of rubber gloves though...after all, who knows when they might come in handy seeing as how there is a new baby on the way next month...
I noticed that going to the ER was much like getting an oil change. You know...you take your car for an oil change, and they change their oil, and rather than sending you on your way, they decide they want to check out the rest of your car, for things it doesn't need. Upselling is what they call it..."Mr. Parker, we got your oil changed, and we checked everything else just in case....we noticed you may need to have your timing belt replaced, and it looks like your fly wheel could use and adjustment. We also want to go ahead and run a full diagnostic test to make sure everything else is running smoothly...total it'll be about $45 extra...that ok?" To which I always promptly reply "No thanks...just the oil change." Same concept must apply in the Emergency Room. Olivia went in for breathing problems due to Bronchitis. Then the Dr. came in and said "Well, we are going to go ahead and send you over to ultrasound to check your legs for blood clots." WHAT? I didn't object seeing as how insurance was paying the bill, but an oil change is what I thought of...selling you something completely different from what you came for. It would be like me coming a runny nose, and them checking me for ingrown toenails. Just makes one shake their head...I guess it's their way of "upselling..."
I also noticed that in some places in ER, the rooms are situated horribly wrong. HORRIBLY. How? Well, let me just say this...I had to go to the end of the hallway to get out of the ER. The room at the end of the hallway near the exit, has a bed directly in front of the door, with the patients feet facing the door. Door was open. Patient had on a hospital gown. Patient had legs propped up. Patient had on no underware. Patient was at least 95 years old. Let that simmer.
Last of all, I wondered about the magazines in the ER waiting room. Lots of good ones, which made everything so difficult...I mean...is it ok to read those? The people that come to the ER are all very sick with various viruses and fevers, and you know those things have to be crawling with germs. But the wait is soooo long sometimes. (We waited almost 2 hours one visit) I held off as long as I could, but after an hour of looking at a Super Bowl edition Sports Illustrated, and Entertainment Weekly magazines, I had to read them. Of course, I took a bath in hand sanitizer afterwords, but that is just cruel...I mean...how do you fix that problem? I don't guess you do...
So, interesting trips to the ER. These thoughts were mostly from Olivia's visit and not mine, because I wasn't really aware of the world around me during my visit. I did sneak away with a couple pairs of rubber gloves though...after all, who knows when they might come in handy seeing as how there is a new baby on the way next month...
Friday, December 3, 2010
My Thoughts on Adoption
Take a moment to put yourself in the following scenario:
You were born to a single mother who died giving birth to you. There were no family members to take you in, so you were put in foster care 1 week after you were born.
For 5 years, you were in and out of foster care, never spending longer than a year with the same foster parents.
Each and every time you move to a new home, you watch the children in the neighborhood around you come and go from their home, where their mother makes their lunch for them ever day, tells them stories and cleans their scrapes and cuts, and their father takes them fishing, or camping, or just tosses a ball back and forth with them in the yard. You watch the hugs they get from their parents after a long day at work or school, and you see the relationship they have with their siblings. It makes you sad, as you often wonder what it's like to have "real" parents who love you and don't just throw you back into the system whenever they please. You wonder what it's like to have parents who would take care of you not just because they are getting extra money from the state to do so, but because they love you. You hold on to a glimmer of hope that one day, a man and a woman might come and choose you to be their child...to love, to tell stories to, to throw the ball with. "One day it will happen" you think to yourself as you stare down at your torn shoes.
One day, a visitor from the state shows up, and advises that there is a couple who are interested in adoption. They are interested in spending some time with you to see if there is a chance you could be the one they need to complete their family. You are overcome with joy...so much so you could almost shout. You spend the days leading up to the visit, not being able to sleep, or think about anything else other than the thought of having an actual family who will love you and care for you. You are beside yourself with excitement. The big day comes, and your social worker picks you up, and lets you know that you will be spending the day at the house of the couple who are interested.
You are nervous...and excited. You are nervous because you are worried you won't make a good enough impression on them, and excited at the possibilities that lay ahead. You arrive, and experience something you've never felt before. The family treats you like their own. You have conversations with them, telling them all your likes, and dislikes, and how much you want a mommy and daddy who love you. The woman tells you stories, and her husband takes you out back to toss the ball...it's everything you've ever wanted, and it is right there within your grasp. Before you know it, you're fun filled day of excitement is over, and the social worker is back to pick you up and take you back to your foster home. She tells you that there is something that the family is working out, but that you should know something within a few days, and if all goes well, hopefully you will move in with them and finally become part of a new family.
The next few days go by slower than any days you have ever experienced. Again, you are excited, and nervous all at the same time. Then comes the phone call. The social worker is calling to let you know that the family has chosen to pass on you and that you'll be staying in foster care. "Why?" you ask shocked and rejected, wondering what might be wrong with you. The social worker then explains that the "thing" the family was trying to work out was actually a decision on whether or not to adopt you, or adopt an orphan from another country. They chose the latter, choosing instead to adopt a child from Indonesia.
Now, if you were the child in this story, how might you be feeling right now? Hurt? Rejected? Angry? Sad? Depressed? Hopeless?
Unfortunately this is becoming a more and more common occurrence. When Hollywood got involved (see: Angelina Jolie among others), adopting a foreign child started becoming more popular, not only in Hollywood, but in mainstream America as well. You started seeing people adopt foreign born children, and treat them more like an accessory than an actual child. Having an adopted child from another country has even become somewhat of a status symbol, with many people trying to brag about what "good and compassionate" people they are because they "rescued" this foreign child. It gives them a chance to snub their noses at everyone else as if to say "look at me...look what I did." A sure sign that it is more of a fad than anything else, is a conversation I had with a girl I once knew. She was in college, and every time I was around her, she wanted to point out to everyone in the room that when she got out of college and got married, she was going to adopt, but that she wasn't going to adopt just "any baby"...she was going to adopt an Asian baby. When asked why she wanted an Asian baby, her only response was that she just thought it would be "neat" to have an Asian baby.
Now...nothing against Asian children, or Indonesian children, or any other child for that matter, but my point is, that there are too many orphaned children in America for people to adopt foreign children. While the "fad" of adopting a foreign child as an "accessory" seems to be all the rage, especially in Hollywood, people need to realize that millions of American children are sitting helplessly with no one to love them. They would do anything...ANYTHING for a loving family and it's a travesty that some people would rather ignore them for a child in another country. Whats worse, is that those adopting foreign children are in many instances the same ones who are screaming about how America needs to take care of it's own less fortunate instead of worrying about giving aid to people in other countries. Talk about speaking from both sides of your mouth. They want to scream and yell about how we aren't taking care of our own down and out, but then they turn around and spend their money on adopting a foreign child, with which they will essentially use as nothing but a status symbol or fashion accessory, all the while ignoring the orphaned children in their own country...as if a child from another country is somehow "better."
Now, and I saying that all foreign adoptions are bad? No. I believe there are some instances where it is an acceptable practice, however for the most part, as long as there are neglected, unloved and orphaned children in America, they need to be our priority when we think about adoption. Not only do I believe that they need to be our priority, I believe it's the right thing to do. Always have...always will-reason being is because I myself was adopted. My parents could have chosen a child from overseas, and if they would have, who knows where I may have ended up. Fact of the matter is, they didn't choose that route. They chose to adopt a child...an American child...and because of that decision, at least one American orphan received a loving home, that he didn't have to begin with, for whatever reason that may have been.
For those of you considering adoption, please at least take this into consideration when making your choice. I've heard some people say that one reason people choose to adopt from another country is because it's easier than adopting a child in America. Well, there are alot of easier ways to go about lots of things, but the easy way is not always the right way. Would it not be worth it for the extra effort to rescue an American child from a life of growing up in the system, and never knowing what "real love" really is? I think it is well worth it.
Will this post anger some people? Yea...I'm sure it will. Will I lose some friends because of my viewpoint on this? I hope not, but I guess if I lose a friend over it, it wasn't that good of a friend to begin with. But I'm ok with that. I make no apologies for my strong feelings on this matter. If you disagree, fine...we can just agree to disagree because I will not argue with someone on why adopting a foreign child might be better than adopting an American child. If there were a small amount of children in America that were orphaned, It would be different, but as long as there are as many as there are, there is no argument that will sway me. You wanna say something about taking care of our own as a country? Put your money where your mouth is.
You were born to a single mother who died giving birth to you. There were no family members to take you in, so you were put in foster care 1 week after you were born.
For 5 years, you were in and out of foster care, never spending longer than a year with the same foster parents.
Each and every time you move to a new home, you watch the children in the neighborhood around you come and go from their home, where their mother makes their lunch for them ever day, tells them stories and cleans their scrapes and cuts, and their father takes them fishing, or camping, or just tosses a ball back and forth with them in the yard. You watch the hugs they get from their parents after a long day at work or school, and you see the relationship they have with their siblings. It makes you sad, as you often wonder what it's like to have "real" parents who love you and don't just throw you back into the system whenever they please. You wonder what it's like to have parents who would take care of you not just because they are getting extra money from the state to do so, but because they love you. You hold on to a glimmer of hope that one day, a man and a woman might come and choose you to be their child...to love, to tell stories to, to throw the ball with. "One day it will happen" you think to yourself as you stare down at your torn shoes.
One day, a visitor from the state shows up, and advises that there is a couple who are interested in adoption. They are interested in spending some time with you to see if there is a chance you could be the one they need to complete their family. You are overcome with joy...so much so you could almost shout. You spend the days leading up to the visit, not being able to sleep, or think about anything else other than the thought of having an actual family who will love you and care for you. You are beside yourself with excitement. The big day comes, and your social worker picks you up, and lets you know that you will be spending the day at the house of the couple who are interested.
You are nervous...and excited. You are nervous because you are worried you won't make a good enough impression on them, and excited at the possibilities that lay ahead. You arrive, and experience something you've never felt before. The family treats you like their own. You have conversations with them, telling them all your likes, and dislikes, and how much you want a mommy and daddy who love you. The woman tells you stories, and her husband takes you out back to toss the ball...it's everything you've ever wanted, and it is right there within your grasp. Before you know it, you're fun filled day of excitement is over, and the social worker is back to pick you up and take you back to your foster home. She tells you that there is something that the family is working out, but that you should know something within a few days, and if all goes well, hopefully you will move in with them and finally become part of a new family.
The next few days go by slower than any days you have ever experienced. Again, you are excited, and nervous all at the same time. Then comes the phone call. The social worker is calling to let you know that the family has chosen to pass on you and that you'll be staying in foster care. "Why?" you ask shocked and rejected, wondering what might be wrong with you. The social worker then explains that the "thing" the family was trying to work out was actually a decision on whether or not to adopt you, or adopt an orphan from another country. They chose the latter, choosing instead to adopt a child from Indonesia.
Now, if you were the child in this story, how might you be feeling right now? Hurt? Rejected? Angry? Sad? Depressed? Hopeless?
Unfortunately this is becoming a more and more common occurrence. When Hollywood got involved (see: Angelina Jolie among others), adopting a foreign child started becoming more popular, not only in Hollywood, but in mainstream America as well. You started seeing people adopt foreign born children, and treat them more like an accessory than an actual child. Having an adopted child from another country has even become somewhat of a status symbol, with many people trying to brag about what "good and compassionate" people they are because they "rescued" this foreign child. It gives them a chance to snub their noses at everyone else as if to say "look at me...look what I did." A sure sign that it is more of a fad than anything else, is a conversation I had with a girl I once knew. She was in college, and every time I was around her, she wanted to point out to everyone in the room that when she got out of college and got married, she was going to adopt, but that she wasn't going to adopt just "any baby"...she was going to adopt an Asian baby. When asked why she wanted an Asian baby, her only response was that she just thought it would be "neat" to have an Asian baby.
Now...nothing against Asian children, or Indonesian children, or any other child for that matter, but my point is, that there are too many orphaned children in America for people to adopt foreign children. While the "fad" of adopting a foreign child as an "accessory" seems to be all the rage, especially in Hollywood, people need to realize that millions of American children are sitting helplessly with no one to love them. They would do anything...ANYTHING for a loving family and it's a travesty that some people would rather ignore them for a child in another country. Whats worse, is that those adopting foreign children are in many instances the same ones who are screaming about how America needs to take care of it's own less fortunate instead of worrying about giving aid to people in other countries. Talk about speaking from both sides of your mouth. They want to scream and yell about how we aren't taking care of our own down and out, but then they turn around and spend their money on adopting a foreign child, with which they will essentially use as nothing but a status symbol or fashion accessory, all the while ignoring the orphaned children in their own country...as if a child from another country is somehow "better."
Now, and I saying that all foreign adoptions are bad? No. I believe there are some instances where it is an acceptable practice, however for the most part, as long as there are neglected, unloved and orphaned children in America, they need to be our priority when we think about adoption. Not only do I believe that they need to be our priority, I believe it's the right thing to do. Always have...always will-reason being is because I myself was adopted. My parents could have chosen a child from overseas, and if they would have, who knows where I may have ended up. Fact of the matter is, they didn't choose that route. They chose to adopt a child...an American child...and because of that decision, at least one American orphan received a loving home, that he didn't have to begin with, for whatever reason that may have been.
For those of you considering adoption, please at least take this into consideration when making your choice. I've heard some people say that one reason people choose to adopt from another country is because it's easier than adopting a child in America. Well, there are alot of easier ways to go about lots of things, but the easy way is not always the right way. Would it not be worth it for the extra effort to rescue an American child from a life of growing up in the system, and never knowing what "real love" really is? I think it is well worth it.
Will this post anger some people? Yea...I'm sure it will. Will I lose some friends because of my viewpoint on this? I hope not, but I guess if I lose a friend over it, it wasn't that good of a friend to begin with. But I'm ok with that. I make no apologies for my strong feelings on this matter. If you disagree, fine...we can just agree to disagree because I will not argue with someone on why adopting a foreign child might be better than adopting an American child. If there were a small amount of children in America that were orphaned, It would be different, but as long as there are as many as there are, there is no argument that will sway me. You wanna say something about taking care of our own as a country? Put your money where your mouth is.
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