I don't have time for a clever intro on this, so let's get to the point.
In the Tennessee state legislature, Rep. John J. DeBerry Jr., D-Memphis, and Sen. Paul Stanley, R-Memphis, introduced the bills in their respective chambers to prevent unwed couples from adopting children (obviously aimed at gay couples).
If you are a resident of the Volunteer State, then please let your local representative know where you stand on this bill.
The voice of their constituents matters.
I grew up in Tennessee and still consider it my home (I'm a Brooklyn hillbilly now). As with any state, there is much to love and be proud about her people, her landscape and her history.
But this bill is a source of shame, not pride. This bill does nothing to promote the welfare of kids, and may deprive many of loving homes and bright futures.
So before I comment any further, here is the contact info for the Tennessee State Legislature and the bill's sponsors.
Tennessee State Senate
Tennessee State House
Rep. John J. Deberry JR.
D-Memphis
District 90
district address
1207 Sledge Street
Memphis, TN 38104
Phone (901) 725-0130
nashville address
26 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243-0190
Phone (615) 741-2239
Fax (615) 253-0294
rep.john.deberry@capitol.tn.gov |
Senator Paul Stanley
R-Memphis
District 31
district address
7511 Neshoba Road
Memphis, TN 38138
nashville address
11 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243-031
Phone (615) 741-3036
Fax (615) 741-1005
sen.paul.stanley@capitol.tn.gov |
What did the sponsors themselves have to say about their reasons for this bill?
Apparently not much according to this WBIR news report:
Stanley did not respond to requests for comment, and DeBerry said there were aspects of his reasons for sponsoring the bill that he was unwilling to discuss with a reporter. DeBerry was also unwilling to say what sort of family structure he believes is best for children.
Perhaps it was the dire consequences that await children adopted by unwed parents in Tennessee, as evidenced by this story from The Tennessean:
For Windle Morgan and Rod Bragg, parenthood began with a phone call.
The state had an infant, 2 weeks old, 10 weeks premature, HIV positive and abandoned at a hospital. The child wasn't expected to live long but needed 24-hour care and parental nurturing.
Would they take the baby, asked the social worker who had evaluated and approved them for foster care.
"That was a Friday. We garage-saled all weekend and picked him up that Monday," Morgan said. The couple later adopted the boy.
"Now we have this beautiful, healthy, happy, totally normal 18-year-old son. You tell me — what's wrong with that?"
I'll update this diary with some personal stories from a friend in Tennessee who works for a non-profit providing services to children and is actively lobbying against this bill.
But the urgent need is to contact the legislators and let them know why this bill is bad for Tennessee's children.
UPDATE:
You can call the people of Tennessee "inbred," just as you could call Barack Obama a "socialist," Rush Limbaugh a "fatass," or unwed parents "moral degenerates."
But that won't help stop this bill or persuade people whose views arise out of ignorance to seek enlightenment.
Besides, my state can beat up your state.