[merrillbears]

So, during Hot Topics today Barbara Walters brought up the fact that in all the articles about Sen. Larry Craig it mentions that his two children are adopted. As an adoptive mother herself, this bothers her. She questioned why the term "adopted" had to be placed before "child". She didn't like it when the term was used to describe herself and her daughter, and it still bothers her.

Whoopi had an interesting take. She sees the term as a dig. She compared the term to the term "African American." Whoopi's take is that any time you put a word in front of "American" you are distinguishing, and not in a good way, as the person being an other. As if she is less American, because she is African American. She then said that she thinks the same seperation is made with the term "adopted child", as if that child is not fully yours because he or she is adopted.

Of course, both women were more eloquent with their comments than I have reitterated here. However, the discussion did make me pause and think. What are y'all's thoughts? Did anyone else see the show?

[Dmitry'smom]

I saw the View this morning too. This is one of my biggest gripes, I am very proud of my son's adoption and we are very open about it however, I don't know why it has be distinguished as different.

My son has never once called for me by yelling "adoptive mommy" come here.... I am just a mom and he is just my sweet sweet little boy.

Hannah

[Saya]

I didn't see the show, but I agree completely. It's really a pet peeve of mine. I hate how the media emphasizes it, and it really does seem to me to be in order to distinguish and downgrade families formed through adoption. And I think about what kind of support/education we need to give Anabel to help her overcome this negative media image.

Go Barbara and Whoopie!

[Gatos]

Furthermore, it's inaccurate. Her child WAS adopted not IS adopted. Adoption describes the moment in time when that baby became yours. To continue to describe a child as an adopted child makes as much sense as describing a child as a c-section child or vaginally birthed child. Also, it's just plain unfair. When does that child get to be just a daughter? Never?

I agree with Whoopi. It is an attempt to lessen the relationship.

[WVUMom418]

I felt the same way when Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were getting married. They always referenced Tom's adopted children with Nicole Kidman, why can't it just be that he has 2 children with his previous wife.

[KKR213]

I didn't see it either but agree completely. John is my son PERIOD!

And since Nicole Kidman was mentioned...does it bug anyone else that recently she stated that she yearns to have a baby and would be sad if she didn't have one. And yes, she may mean just have a child with her new husband and that is fine. Except it seems as though Cruise and Katie Holms have custody of her children with Cruise. She almost never seems to be with them. Ok...just something I noticed.

[wildboyz2]

It does really bother me that in the media that they emphasize the fact the child is adopted. I don't know if you all remember this but when George Burns died they had a big write up but had a very short sentence about his son. They said something about George Burns' adopted son. This person was 80 some years old and they still couldn't refer to him as just his child? Sad!

[Soccermomtobe]

As an adoptee, this has bothered me for a long time. I remember specifically when Carroll O'Conner's (Archie Bunker) son died the media kept referring to him as his "adopted son." His son was in his mid-40s at the time! Why did they feel they have to point out he was adopted? Do they think his father's grief at the loss was less because he was adopted? This just bugs me.

Actually, I just went to look at Carroll O'Conners biography on some Web site and it says "Carroll and Nancy are the adopted parents of actor Hugh O'Conner." So annoying.

[jordi]

I notice that when crimes are reported in the media, if the perpetrator had been adopted, then they always seem to point that out. There was a recent story, but I can't remember it, or I'd reference it, sorry (I think it was on Good Morning America). But I remember that the adoption had nothing to do with anything, but they mentioned it, and I remember thinking how they never report that the perpetrator was born through vaginal or c-section birth.

[merrillbears]

A funny comment that Joy Behr made was with the rise of fertility treatments are we supposed to refer to those babies as test-tube babies or sperm bank babies? That would be so insensitive and wrong. Just like forever referring to our children as adopted is wrong. I'm a proud mother of two children born in Guatemala but they are 100% my children and that's that!

We should all write to The View and thank them for getting this right! Especially since I think they flubbed last year's discussion on adoption (in reference to Madonna's).

[MNStarr]

It really irritates me too. I can't think of the name but one of our former Presidents died within the last year and when it listed his children it was like so and so and adopted daughter... I mean what difference does it make. Why the need to point it out when ALL of his children are mourning his death?

[MiniSnowta]

and I have to agree with Barbara. It is offensive to me as an adopted child myself, and adoptive parent that the differentiation is made. I am my mothers daughter...regardless of how I got there. Our media does us a great dis-service consistantly on so many levels. This is another example of their idiocy.

My sister, who is black, and was also adopted agrees with Whoopi in terms of her reference to the phrase "African American". She too, feels like why the differentiation?? It just continues to seperate a segment of our population.

Best regards to all.

[Carlee1boy]

I agree! The only time I differentiate between my "bio" child and my "adopted children" is on this forum, and that's only for discussion purposes.
In fact, I have a shirt that reads, "YES, these are ALL my children." Teehee, a girl has to have some fun.
Carolyn

[daynesmom]

I saw this too and I couldn't agree more. Why do they always have to be the "adopted" one?

Like one post said, he is my son, and I am his mother, period.

[KellyMigoya]

I definately feel that way. My daughter is just my daughter, no different from my sons. Adoption just describes her path to us and does not define who she is, her position in our family or what she means to us.