BLACK OR WHITE?
Everyone is a critic. And I mean everyone, including myself. Something good can happen in the world and it is only a question of time until the naysayers crawl out of the woodwork and turn it into a negative. Fine, in their opinion, it began as a negative – we can agree to disagree. But I think in most situations, there are those who just want to cast an opinion, period, and their motivations become glaringly obvious.
The latest thing to ‘disturb’ me is people kicking up a fuss about bi-racial adoption (oh my god people, have we not beaten some issues to death already?!). Apparently, the internet is currently ripe with whisperings that Sandra Bullock’s recent adoption is not sitting well with certain members of the community. One writer going as far to say the following:
"As Bullock's case shows, a white celebrity adopting a black child raises questions as well as suspicions; why do they want a black baby as opposed to a white one, when there are also white kids who are up for adoption?"
Seriously, how bored and ignorant are these people? How about, she wanted a baby, full stop and wasn't gross enough to go in and say "a white baby only please. Hell make it really cute cause I can't carry anything ugly around." [I bet that wouldn't even bother the chorus of critics]. How about she went into a region of the U.S that was one of the hardest hit by a natural disaster in our nation’s history and wanted to adopt a child because there thousands needing good homes. How about, she is a homeowner from there, donated 1 million of her own money, and wanted to give something back. And how about baby Louis is one of the cutest balls of love I’ve seen in a long time. So stick that with your suspicions!!
Now, before you start thinking I’m working for her PR team, I’ve always had problems with this argument. And it has existed long before celebrities started adopting children. What bothers me is that some out there are still refusing to look past color (even some within the minority themselves) and simply see that ‘so and so’ adopted a child who desperately needed a home - how wonderful. Not to mention, statistically, young black men have it the hardest when it comes to adoption in the United States. And if we can't look past color when it comes to adoption, it doesn't bode well for the argument of unity in other areas of society.
But I suppose in today’s society, you’re damned if you help and damned if you don’t. When people adopt from foreign countries they’re lambasted for not adopting from within their own. Then when one adopts from their own country, apparently you can only choose within your own ethnicity to escape the critical whisperings.
So where does the line stop? Should I only date within my race, (screw that, have you seen my partner, the man is a brown adonis!) should all my friends be..hell, I don’t even know what I am cause my blood is swimming with ethnic contributions. People who stand on this soapbox should take a step back and really look at what they’re saying. Essentially, that a child would be raised better in a home if it’s parents were the same ethnicity. Look around you; listen to the news, that is sadly disproven every single day. A good home is a good home no matter if the parents are lizards - okay that would be kinda freaky, but you get my point. So how about we praise the good acts for what they are – cause they’re far and few between these days – and sideline the rest of the b.s.