Sad and Angry

I feel compelled to say something about the ban on unmarried foster parents and adoptive parents (aka gays) in Arkansas.

I was watching this from the sidelines and hoping it would be defeated. The governer of Arkansas has stated that there is already too few foster homes in the state and obviously a ban would make it worse. According to statistics, in the past five years 1000 children in the foster care system in Arkansas made it to 18 years of age without ever having the opportunity to become a permanent member of a loving family. There are currently 300 children in the foster care system in the state today, limiting the pool of prospective parents puts these children at risk for aging out of the system and all the potential issues (drugs, homeslessness, prostitution, death) that can go along with that. So, how does this new law make it easier for these children to find permanent homes?

I really was surprised that this actually passed. I truly believed voters would take a step back and look at the whole picture. How does limiting the pool of prospective parents make it easier for children to find that permanancy and stability? I have also wondered how does the fact that someone is gay and married or parenting truly affect your personal life? If my next door neighbors were gay, really how does that affect me? I just don't get it?
I have always found it completely insane as well, that in Florida gays and lesbians are qualified enough to be foster parents but not good enough to be adoptive parents?

I am still trying to figure out how being straight and not single equals being the best kind of parent? There are obviously many two parent traditional families out there where children in living in a nightmarish situation (abuse, neglect, incest).
Shouldn't we focus on the person themselves, how the would care for a child, what they have to offer in terms of their love, time, commitment and safety, rather than if they are straight and in a certified/approved marriage?

I understand this was ultimately a ban against gay parents from fostering or adopting which still is ridiculous to me.
I have read how much money and time was spent lobbying for this to pass in the conservative christian community. James Dobson's ministry (Focus on Family Action) supported and backed this fight and also donated millions to help ban gay marriage in California. When I think of the amount of money spent on these fights, I can't help but wonder, why wouldn't they use the same zeal and persistance in finding additional funding and help for these children in the foster care systems? When I think of how many children they really could have helped with this money, it is hard to see how "christian like" these people really are.

While I can understand and respect people's beliefs that children should be in a two parent traditional home, I am wondering how many of those people who voted for this ban will now go out and become foster parents or adoptive parents? I guess As long as the children are not in umarried parent or gay homes, it really doesn't matter what happens to them?

I would really love to be able to speak to someone directly who believes that these bans are truly in the best of the children and what they are now going to do to help, how many children will they foster or adopt, how many children will sponsor financially, how much of their time and money will they volunteer to directly help the children find safe and permanent homes?
I have a feeling there wouldn't be many--it always seems to be the people who are the most critical are also the least likely to take true action, like adopting a child.

November is National Adoption Month-you would think the focus should be on finding good, stable, loving homes for children, but obviously alot of people in this country don't agree with that. Apparently It is much better for a child to languish in foster care and bounce around from home to home, then to be adopted by a gay couple.
Makes alot of sense to me, how about you?