Cruel And Biased Unprofessionalism

Those are my feelings for the journalist, Mr. Jim Dossett, who expressed his rather lame views on the changes going on in China and the adoption community. He was blatantly ignorant towards the feelings of our children in his article in the LaFollette Press.

For those that have no idea what I am speaking of, here is Mr. Dossett's article, followed by my email to the publisher of the paper, then followed by her response, which at best, makes me a bit relieved that they have been made aware by many, of the damage they have done. I appreciate their correcting their mistakes, if at best because it was the "politically correct" thing to do. Thank you, Ms. Hudson for your efforts.

***************************

The article:

BIG BABY GIRL SALE - ONLY $17,000! - Jim Dossett

The Chinese have given us many things; gunpowder, spaghetti, woks, Jackie Chan. Oh yes, they've also been delighted to give us their discarded children. Actually, they're delighted to sell us their kids. And government officials have laid down new ground rules for foreigners who want to adopt children from China's overflowing orphanages. Prospective adoptive parents must not be obese; no more than 50 years old; must not take antidepressants; must not have severe facial deformities. So the bottom line is, if you take up two seats on a plane, are a member of AARP, take Prozac, or resemble the Elephant Man - No Chinese kids for you!

Mind you, these edicts are issued by a culture where parents traditionally leave female babies at orphanages or by the roadside because they wanted a son, or because the government allows them only one child. Ninety-five percent of the children available for adoption are girls. I'm amazed that one of the world's oldest civilizations, dating back to more than six millennnia, still doesn't realize that women are the best of us all. I doubt whether many Campbell Countians would be eligible to adopt a Chinese baby - not because we're fat, old, or grotesquely deformed - but because it costs more to buy a child in China than many of us make in a year. According to Chinese baby brokers, the estimated total cost of a no- frills adoption, not including travel, is about $12,000. The estimated total cost plus travel for two is $17,120.00 - such a deal. "End of Year Sale! Get your certified, pre-owned girl child for the amazing price of $17,120! She's a beauty despite a few minor scratches and dents, but comes with a manufacturer's warranty - no surprises under the hood or the diaper!"

Once the bucks are shelled out for the kiddie commodity, who knows where the money ends up. Maybe some of the cash trickles into the new charity created by the China Center for Adoption Affairs. This burgeoning group of capitalists is hopeful the charity will improve conditions in orphanages and "keep infants and young children alive and well enough to be adopted." It makes you wonder about the fate of toddlers who are not well. Despite the high costs and stringent rules issued by the baby dealers, childless couples from the U.S. and around the world still flock to China in hopes of bringing baby home. God bless you decent souls. Stick religiously to your pretrip diets of carrot sticks and cottage cheese and look forward to the fat and happy times you'll have raising your baby girl!

*****************************

My response:

Dear Ms. Hudson,

As a mother of one child from the People's Republic of China, and in the process of being blessed by another, I am apalled at the fact that you would allow such "journalism" in your paper. There is no humor found in Mr. Dossett's writing. Whether intended to make light of a very serious issue going on with changes in the adoption process in China now, or whether it is just plain ignorance, it is reprehensible! Many families are devastated by these changes and this may have been their only opportunity to be blessed with a child through the miracle of adoption.

These are children he (Jim Dossett) speaks of. These children will grow up already having a difficult adjustment to make in not knowing anything about their past, and now they have to deal with such crude and demeaning remarks that furthers the lack of education and bigotry that many already hold towards these children.

I think it is only fair that you demand of Mr. Dossett, as a journalist in your paper, that he publicly apologize to the adoption community, and more specifically to the children, who he has dehumanized by his cruel use of words.

The China Center of Adoption Affairs goes through great lengths to make this process as smooth as possible. Adoptive parents fully educate themselves to deal with whatever challenges their children bring, the last thing we need is for our children to be dealt the "race card" in our country, the best country in world.

My child is a blessing to us and to everyone that meets him. I, again, demand that this story be re-written with an apology and an EDUCATED explanation of where the monies for these adoptions truly go to. You will find that most end up in the pockets of our own government.

It saddens me to think that one of our most privileged constitutional rights, Free Speech as defined by Mr. Dosset, has become an open door to racism, bias, and hatred towards innocent children.

Respectfully,

Ohilda B.
Florida

****************************

Ms. Hudson, the Publisher of LaFollette Press' response:

Ohilda,

Thank you for sharing your perspective as an adoptive mother.
Please allow me to share with you the apology that ran in the next issue following the publication of Jim Dossett's opinion piece.

An apology from Publisher Linn Hudson
Printed in the Feb. 22, 2007 issue

In the past week, the LaFollette Press has received numerous emails regarding Jim Dossett's opinion piece that appeared last week on the editorial page of our newspaper. I have offered my personal apology to those who have contacted us, and I now extend that apology to our full readership. I have spoken with Jim and he also apologizes.

Jim's comments were aimed at the Chinese government and its policies for adoptions. He did not intend to disparage adoptive children and their adoptive parents.

We have learned through this experience we must look at opinion pieces through the eyes of those being discussed. In this instance, we could and should have done a better job in that regard.

Jim himself was adopted as a child. Due to this experience, Jim respects and admires those who adopt on a local, national or international level.

The feedback we received is appreciated and will help us deal with sensitive topics in the future.
I have spoken with a local family who adopted a daughter from China. They are allowing us to feature their positive and uplifting story in an upcoming issue.

Either myself or the editor has read each email that we received and we will continue to do so. Please know we take this matter seriously.
--
Linn Hudson
LaFollette Press