Boycott Worthy

So I pushed both of my children out of my own body, and as a consequence, I love them as my own. That said, when you hear language thrown casually around like "It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own," it's time to take notice of the message that's being sent.

My father adopted my brother, and looking back, yes there were differences in how we were treated, but I really and truly believe it isn't an issue of love, it's a difference of age, gender, and personality. I know a lot of people who have adopted and many of them have genetic children too, and I have never seen an instance of loving one or the other be an issue. No, it turns out that parents love their kids as a general rule, and people who would have trouble loving an adopted child pretty much don't think about adopting in the first place.

So with this ridiculous horror flick coming out from Warner Brothers, "Orphan," I just want to take a moment to voice my disgust.

First of all, most people have better taste than to go waste their money on a poorly written movie in the first place, but that doesn't mean that we don't see the previews on television or watch the trailers while getting ready to watch better flims than this one. The problem therein is that the negative message is still being sent. A family adopts a girl from an orphanage and jeapordizes their own sweet and perfect fair haired angels.

Having known people who were bounce from foster home to foster home all the while praying for an adoptive home, this really upset me. There are already enough forces out there saying "don't adopt an older child, they have issues and are too much work." Movie makers really don't need to be hopping on that bandwagon too!

On another level, this movie is further stigmatizing a group of kids who really don't need it. It's hard enough to be young, but by painting an adpoted child as a psychotic menace and plastering that representation all over the social landscape through a media form already popular with the very demographic most likely to get the wrong idea about adoption and to tease adoptees, well, it's down right irresponsible.

Shame on you Warner Brothers. Shame on Dark Castle Entertainment. Shame on Appian Way.

It is cruel and irresponsible of you single out a population with enough social pressures to deal with and further stigmatize them.

Shame on you.

So, I'm asking you, dear readers, all 29 of you, not to see this film. Do not pay your money to perpetuate irresponsible filmmaking and negative social messages.

Tell your friends not to see this film.

Tell Warner Brothers that you're not seeing this film and why. Tell them that throwing around phrases that question an adoptive parent's ability to love their adoptive child as their own is hurtful to adpotive parents and children everywhere.

Be really ballsy. Tell Warner Brothers that you won't see ANY of their movies until they alter such prejorative and damaging language. Then follow through.

Tell Warner Brothers to grow a conscience.

Then, learn more about adoption.

There is no greater tool with which to fight ignorance than information.

Love & Light.