Our citizenship is not just a piece of paper. It’s how we live. Since this is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship, let’s apply what we intuitively know about a citizenship issue facing us.
My antennae went up early this morning when I heard Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, called various names for adopting two children from Haiti. I was livid. After all, these are her children. I thought that we are to protect children, not sling proverbial mud that could mark them for life. Common sense citizens know this. We should reject outright, bringing Judge Barrett’s biological or adopted children into the court of public opinion for our assessment. The circumstances of their birth are not up for discussion.
One of the first things I thought of was a picture of actress Angelina Jolie and her newly adopted Ethiopian daughter in 2005. No one called Ms. Jolie names. Adopting children from other countries was honored at that time. In fact, Ms. Jolie has three adopted children in addition to her biological children. Who has the right to now declare that adopting children from other countries is unsatisfactory? Are multiracial adoptions the latest declared collateral damage in the culture wars? Or is this a sinister wave of cultural drift aimed at a Supreme Court nominee?
Adoption is a calling, in my humble opinion. It is not political. It is not debatable. If there is an opportunity to adopt and we feel compelled to welcome those children into our families, then welcome them indeed into our hearts, homes, communities, and our country.
Let’s reject any attempt to use a child for political or personal gain. Our Constitution refers to children as our posterity. That is what they are. They belong. They are ours, and they are our future. One day they will lead the country.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. ??
