OPINION:
When quotes like Rep. Steve King’s show up in the news, it threatens the very diversity of the generations of immigrants who expanded this country into what it is today (“White House dismisses Rep. King’s comments about ’someone else’s babies,’” Web, March 14). When these statements are offered by an elected official charged with making decisions about modern families, it concerns child welfare advocates because it harms kids. It is critical for those in power to remember that the people of this country aren’t always a mirror image of those who lead.
Rep. King clearly needs a reminder of this. His tweet last week about “someone else’s babies” negatively affects the many diverse families who live and work to make this country an amazing place for all of us to call home. Rep. King has the privilege of being a member of the Congressional Adoption Caucus, and his beliefs undermine the critical mission of those who seek to meet the needs of families who aren’t homogenous.
In fact, the majority of homes in this country today are filled with people who call themselves family regardless of their physical similarities to each other. Changes in family dynamics are not just unique to adoption; blended families, families headed by parents of the same gender, single-parent families and advances in reproductive medicine are all the new normal. If we want kids and families to be strong, we have to cherish the many ways they come together in today’s world.
APRIL DINWOODIE
Chief executive, The Donaldson Adoption Institute, Inc.
New York
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