2008 Woodie Awards
Children need good parents, married or not
The Traveler Editorial Board
Issue date: 2/18/08 Section: Opinion
Should Arkansas reform its adoption policies?
This seems to be a question many people are asking. There is a proposal on the table in the state legislature to reform state law to prevent cohabiting couples from submitting applications for adoption.
Arkansas law supposes that adoption policies are meant to be in the best interest of the child who is being adopted. The general rule for adoption is that applicants do not qualify to adopt a child if it is not in the best interest of the child. A long list of specific requirements governs whether this rule can be applied in contorversial situations, but the standard remains the same.
This is where the argument begins. What is in the best interest of a child? Of course, that's a matter of interpretation.
We see "the best interest of the child" as a safe, clean, enriching environment in which a child can grow, both physically and mentally. The environment should provide children with proper nutrition, exercise, education and emotional support.
The inclusion of these elements is necessary for children to develop to the fullest of their physical and intellectual potentials. Without the presence of these standards, children could be at risk for developmental turmoil - obviously, this would not be in the best interest of any child.
Many people in Arkansas are arguing that cohabiting couples - including homosexual couples - cannot provide an environment in which children can develop healthily.
Several Christian groups, in particular, have argued that cohabiting couples' relationships are remarkably more unstable than marriages. This seems to be the most prevalent argument across the demographic.
However, there is a counter to this argument that brings up a lot of questions: the fact that divorce rates in the U.S., and Arkansas in particular, are very high. Perhaps marriages are not so much more stable than the relationships of cohabiting couples.
The actual number of divorces in the U.S. is convoluted and often erroneously reported. Media organizations often report the divorce rate to be 50 percent. Americans for Divorce Reform estimates the projected rate to be between 40 and 50 percent. The New York Times reported the rate to be slightly higher than 40 percent.
This seems to be a question many people are asking. There is a proposal on the table in the state legislature to reform state law to prevent cohabiting couples from submitting applications for adoption.
Arkansas law supposes that adoption policies are meant to be in the best interest of the child who is being adopted. The general rule for adoption is that applicants do not qualify to adopt a child if it is not in the best interest of the child. A long list of specific requirements governs whether this rule can be applied in contorversial situations, but the standard remains the same.
This is where the argument begins. What is in the best interest of a child? Of course, that's a matter of interpretation.
We see "the best interest of the child" as a safe, clean, enriching environment in which a child can grow, both physically and mentally. The environment should provide children with proper nutrition, exercise, education and emotional support.
The inclusion of these elements is necessary for children to develop to the fullest of their physical and intellectual potentials. Without the presence of these standards, children could be at risk for developmental turmoil - obviously, this would not be in the best interest of any child.
Many people in Arkansas are arguing that cohabiting couples - including homosexual couples - cannot provide an environment in which children can develop healthily.
Several Christian groups, in particular, have argued that cohabiting couples' relationships are remarkably more unstable than marriages. This seems to be the most prevalent argument across the demographic.
However, there is a counter to this argument that brings up a lot of questions: the fact that divorce rates in the U.S., and Arkansas in particular, are very high. Perhaps marriages are not so much more stable than the relationships of cohabiting couples.
The actual number of divorces in the U.S. is convoluted and often erroneously reported. Media organizations often report the divorce rate to be 50 percent. Americans for Divorce Reform estimates the projected rate to be between 40 and 50 percent. The New York Times reported the rate to be slightly higher than 40 percent.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 20
Jeremy
posted 2/18/08 @ 1:16 AM CST
In short, your premise is entirely incorrect. The government has no business governing adoptions.
It's called liberty people, it's what this country was founded on and what the founding fathers believed in. (Continued…)
spartacus007
Adam
posted 2/18/08 @ 11:53 AM CST
Regardless of whether or not unmarried parents are "as good" as married parents, they'd still have to be better than no parents at all.
Trevor
posted 2/19/08 @ 10:36 PM CST
Esteemed Editor,
You imply that the time span of human history is equivalent to the time span of the existence of humans. It isn't. Perhaps you merely failed to express clearly what you meant. (Continued…)
Bman
posted 2/20/08 @ 10:47 AM CST
I this is relating parenting to good-role modeling. Children need both, and a good parent is a good role-model, but not the other way around. A parent is much more then a good role-model. (Continued…)
Adam
posted 2/20/08 @ 11:05 AM CST
No one is an "ideal parent," Bman. I know many unmarried women, men and couples that are much better parents than most of the married couples I know. (Continued…)
Adam
posted 2/20/08 @ 1:51 PM CST
Your comment made it pretty clear that you are opposed to letting unmarried people adopt because it "is nothing more then a stepping stone for gay couples to adopt. (Continued…)
Adam
posted 2/22/08 @ 12:59 AM CST
Bman, I'm obviously not going to get a straight answer out of you, am I? Let's not waste people's reading time and just state what we think.
For anyone reading the comments, I think that whether you approve of homosexuality or not, you'd have to admit that putting a child in a home with loving parents is preferable to not giving them a home with parents at all. (Continued…)
Adam
posted 2/23/08 @ 10:12 AM CST
Instead of trying to bait me, why not just state why you oppose allowing unmarried couples to adpot?
Adam
posted 2/24/08 @ 11:28 PM CST
Once again, ignoring personal attacks... You said that you don't want unmarried couples to be allowed to adopt because
1) "It isn't ideal"
and
2) "The whole reason for this issue is nothing more then a stepping stone for gay couples to adopt, let's just cut through the chase here, everyone knows it. (Continued…)
Thomas Rice
posted 3/07/08 @ 3:46 PM CST
Previously posted as a reply to someone elses post, was meant to be a comment to the original post:
I have had an adopted brother for 10 years and he was adopted by an UNMARRIED WOMAN, my mother. (Continued…)
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