by John Baw on January 20, 2010
The following email was sent to Gibraltar’s Minister for Family, Youth and Community Affairs, asking the Government to introduce a fast-track system for adopting children that are orphaned in disasters such as Haiti’s massive earthquake.
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The Honourable J J Netto
Minister for Family, Youth & Community Affairs
14 Governor’s Parade
Gibraltar
Dear Sir,
Re: Crisis response protocol for adoption in Gibraltar.
It is with astonishment that we witness the scenes of devastation coming out of Haiti. every day. In times like these we all wish that there was something that we could do to help, and no doubt the typical response from our community will be to contribute money, energy and time to help the lot of those less fortunate.
Although I’m not aware of the intricacies of the adoption process here in Gibraltar, I am writing to ask whether the Government of Gibraltar has considered introducing a fast-track protocol for the adoption of orphaned children following a disaster such as Haiti. Parents who decide to adopt these orphans would be able to bring the child to Gibraltar under a certain protocol, that would relax any bureaucratic impediments and expedite the whole process.
I am aware that there may not be multitudes of Gibraltarians standing in line waiting to adopt orphans, however I am also aware that sometimes small but poignant gestures, such as having Government introduce the said protocol, will serve as a powerfully symbolic catalyst to motivate some to take action. Sometimes not doing anything at all can be the worst thing we can do.
Thank you for your kind attention to this matter,
I remain,
Yours faithfully,
John K. Baw
by John Baw on September 17, 2008
What would you say if someone in your town was refused a seat on a bus because they were “too black”? What message would you be sending the world if your city refused university seats on the basis of the candidates being “too black”? How about jobs then? Would you be happy if businesses in your area refused to employ people on the basis of the colour of their skin?
Are you angry yet? You should be! Randy Bohlender writes a disturbing post regarding adoption agencies who refuse placing unborn on their books because of their ethnicity, their skin colour, and how that may have a detrimental effect on their profits. Speaking of am adoption agency in particular he writes:
When the woman arrived, they realized she was Puerto Rican and much darker skinned than they expected her to be. The owner of the agency suddenly decided that the child would be ‘too black’ to find a home for. The owner refused to allow the social worker to pay for the ultrasound that the girl needed – it didn’t seem like a good investment for the agency – and the girl left, probably more afraid of having her baby than she was when she walked in. She was denied assistance because of the color of her skin – something that would be illegal to do if it involved a bus seat or a hamburger, but is perfectly legal in the adoption world.
Are the unborn commodities now? Are they chatels to be disposed of and sacrificed to our bottom-line, our convenience, or our expediency? At best, this is racism – at worst it looks very very dark.
The challenge, however is for the church:
Friends, there has to be a better way. This should not happen in any city in America where a church exists. When a pregnant young woman chooses LIFE, she should find help, not resistance. It’s no wonder 4,000 babies are aborted every day in America – in the short term, we have made death an easier choice than LIFE.
My question is, what are YOU going to do about it?
Read the full post here.
