The Tail that Wagged the Dog . . The Need to Change the Public Perception

For a long time I have believed that the public’s acceptance of adoption is the tail that wags the dog in terms of getting prospective birth parents to consider adoption as a viable alternative to an unplanned pregnancy. Rarely, does the media portray adoption in positive terms. It is like the airplane analogy. If people did not have a way to see that airplanes land safely everyday, they would think that all airplanes crashed based upon what the media reports. In other words, the media only reports airplane crashes and not about those which land safely. Adoption is different than airplane landings because, adoption, by its very nature, is more private. Therefore, the public’s view of adoption is only shaped by the negative media stories. Frankly, that is why I found the movie, Juno, so appealing. It portrayed adoption in a positive manner, even cool.

In order for more of 1.5 million women each year with unplanned pregnancies, who abort their babies, to consider adoption, the public has to see adoption as the loving, courageous, and heroic choice that it really is.