Tony Perkins, President of the pro-family conservative Family Research Council has some straight talk for the McCain campaign when it comes to the growing controversy over his position on gay adoption. McCain said in an interview he’s against gay adoption but his campaign muddied the waters afterwards when they tried to clarify and soften his position. To get up to speed on the story click here.
Perkins tells The Brody File the following through email:
“There is nothing "straight talking" about the McCain campaign's response to the Senator's statements on homosexual adoption. I hope he's able to get everyone on his staff on the right side of the road!”
This is just the beginning of reaction to this gay adoption story. You can bet that this type of straddling the fence position by the campaign will be another talking point among social conservative leaders.
The Brody File is receiving emails on this. Below is a small sampling so far with more to come. The first email is from Heidi Hess Saxton, the Founder of the adoption services group "Extraordinary Moms Network"
As an adoptive parent who also believes the interests of children are best served in a home with a mother and a father married to each other for life, I am encouraged by the senator's track record on this important issue. While I appreciate the senator's respect for state's rights, and can believe that his conviction in this regard is genuine, I for one would hope that as President Senator McCain would use his influence to force states to reform their current foster-care and adoption policies for the simple reason that,in many cases, the systems are broken beyond repair. And children are suffering.
State agencies (my home state of Michigan included) have failed the 500,000 children currently in "the system" with policies more expedient than humane.
Individuals seeking to help are too often frustrated with agencies that stonewall behind smokescreens of "privacy," and with agents who seem more preoccupied with following the rules than caring for the children. There is no question but that the system is broken, and so it can be tempting to argue that "any family is better than no family."
However, saying a child is better off in a same-sex household than to continue waiting for placement in a traditional home is like saying an unborn child is better off if the mother aborts him than if she makes an adoption plan. It may seem an expedient solution in the short-term ... but the long-term consequences are grave indeed. Children who are adopted by same-sex couples lose on at least two counts: They can never be adopted by a traditional family (who can model the relational skills necessary for them to enter into healthy marriages themselves), and these kids (who already struggle to find their place in the world, especially among their peers) become unwitting pawns in the battle for "gay rights." This is not their job. It is OUR job to protect them and help them.
From Debbie:
I believe that children should have a Father and Mother. As a parent to an adopted daughter, I believe that adopted children have enough to deal with and adjust to; they don’t need two same sex parents!
From Gerry:
Sounds like the campaign should be quiet and let McCain speak for himself..in the end it is God who in control..not the "indepentants'..hope he sticks to what he believes on this. If we don't stand against the gay agenda, there will be a price to pay. God is Love, but He is not going to let us change the rules on what He says is sin.
From Kellie:
If you won’t stand for one thing you’ll fall for anything! You can’t please everybody when will he learn that? We need a leader and not a waffle iron! I vote none of the above!
From David:
Maybe McCain should eliminate some of his milquetoast, wimpy advisers and staff...of course, he is the one empowering them to undercut his perceived strength and message.
From Bdn:
McCain's Supreme Court justices are for upholding the right for Florida to ban gay adoptions. Obama justices would be activists and ban Florida's right. This is why McCain's federalist position is sound.
From the McCosby family:
John McCain needs our prayers that he may stand strong, not bowing to peer pressure, such as I believe happened here. His own people apparently told him he could not be so adamant about his strong traditional family adoption and must put some liberal views in his interview. This is not so, my dear Sen. McCain, as you see, there is black and white, it is not a gray area, God intended all children to be raised with a Mother and a Father, with each providing the training, nurturing and admonition of the Lord. With deep respect to Sen. John McCain and his wife Cindy, we are Thomas and MaryAnn McCosby, parents of eleven children and grandparents of thirty-two.