Shut Down the Machine!

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There’s a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious–makes you so sick at heart–that you can’t take part. You can’t even passively take part. And you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop. And you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it that unless you’re free, the machine will be prevented from working at all….
Mario Savio, Sproul Hall steps, Deccember 2, 1964 Continue Reading →

Both Ends Burning: International Adoption = Functioning Global Society or Welcome to Cultural Trotskyism

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Both Ends Burning’s  Craig Juntunen  wrote a truly clueless blog the other day.  I don’t have the time tonight to go into it in great detail.  I’ll post part of it below, however,  with some comments. Certain transnational and transracial adoptees I know could have a field day with this, and I hope they do. Juntunen writes:: We have developed a distinctive arrogance of what is right and wrong for a child seemingly based on borders and geography. Many argue taking a child out of one culture to join a family in another culture is robbing a child of the birth heritage and should never happen. We have a hard time accepting cross-pollinating race and heritage as a cultural asset, and view it instead as a personal liability. Think of the many friends you know who were born in one country and during their childhood moved to another country. Ask them if moving to another country was traumatizing and damaging to their human condition, or ultimately  an experience that allowed them to expand their human condition.  Better yet, ask any child living in an orphanage whether they would prefer to have culture and heritage or a permanent family. If we are really going Continue Reading →

2014 ASAC Conference: Our presentation on Jean Paton anounced

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I am happy to announce that I’ll presenting at the 2014 Alliance for the Study of Adoption and Culture (ASAC). conference, Crossing Boundaries  at Florida State University in Tallahassee.early next year..  I’ll be part of a Book Session  panel headed by E. Wayne Carp author of the upcoming biography  Jean Paton and the Struggle to Reform American Adoption (University of Michigan Press, 2014).  A permanent title for the presentation will be announced in a few days, but for current informational purposes, we will be discussing the Jean Paton’s work and the book.. With me will be Elizabeth Samuels and Marianne Novy. I don’t know what their critique topics will be, but mine is “A Radical Looks at a Radical.”  Jean Paton is the mother of us all.:\ the  Mother of US adoption reform and the adopee rights movement.. As  Dr. Carp noted in the proposal: Paton gave adult adoptees a voice and provided them with a healthy self-image; facilitated thousands of meetings between adult adoptees and their families of origin; fought tirelessly to open sealed adoption records… Patron’s struggle to reform American adoption was never easy; she faced resistance at every turn. This, then, is Jean Paton’s story: one courageous woman’s struggle to overcome Continue Reading →

Dusten Brown honored by National Congress of American Indians

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Earlier today Dusten Brown was honored by the National Congress of American Indians.  In a ceremony attended by dozens of native military veterans, he was recognized for his service in the Oklahoma National Guard. The meeting opened yesterday with approximately 3000 Indians from across the country in attendance.Dusten’s daughter, Veronica Brown, 4, removed to South Carolina by her Capobianco “adopters”  while not present in person was there in spirit. The AP reports: During a ceremony that featured drumming and Native American songs, tribal members wrapped a brightly colored prayer quilt around Brown. The gift is intended to comfort him on the days he misses his daughter. Brown was also presented with an eagle feather to honor his service in the military. S. Joe Crittenten, deputy principal chief of the Cherokee Nation praised  Dusten as a good man and  a good father.  “Veronica will always be a Cherokee citizen, and we look forward to the day she comes home to Dusten.” Dusten remained silent during the ceremony and made no public statement afterwards. This sad picture  from the ceremony is a little fuzzy. Go here for a clearer shot. Ironically,  Oklahoma Governor Mary Falliln opened the event.  She became  instrumental in the destruction of the Brown family Continue Reading →

Orphan snatcher Madonna banned from theare chain.

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OK.  It’s a slow news day…but remember when ladies were asked to remove their hats during a movie.?  Now it’s Blackberries. Various media are reporting that Tim League, CEO of the Texas-based move theatre chain Alamo Drafthouse, has banned Madonna from his theatres until she “apologies to her fans.” Our favorite not-an- orphan orphan  harvester you see, was busted smack in the middle of the New York Film Festival for texting away during the premiere of 12 Years a Slave. (trailer)   Variety gives an account of the incident  by film critic Charles Taylor who saw  it go down: To add insult to injury, he didn’t even recognize Madonna as the mysterious lady in black until later..  Tonight at the New York Film Festival premiere of ’12 Years A Slave’ (a masterpiece, by the way), I sat behind the unholy trifecta of Jason Ritter, J. Alexander from ‘America’s Next Top Model,’ and Michael K. Williams from ‘The Wire.’ Plus, a mysterious blonde in black lace gloves who wouldn’t stop texting on her Blackberry throughout the first half of the movie. Eventually, a woman next to me tapped her on the shoulder and told her to put her phone away, and Continue Reading →

James Hamilton: An Adoptive Father Speaks Out in Support of ICWA

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A few days ago Jim Hamilton posted a comment regarding  ICWA and the Veronica Brown case under Veronica: One of the Many Multi-Heritage Children Harmed by ICWA. published on the Christian Alliance for Indian Child Welfare webpage.  The misnamed CAIW is one of the leading organizations whose mission is undermine Indian autonomy, tribal sovereignty, traffick Indian children into appropriately  white christian families, and ultimately dismantle the Indian Child Welfare Act which it claims harms Indian children.  Jim’s comment was put on “moderation” and  has never been posted. We can guess why.With Jim’s permission I am posting it below. I am an attorney and an international adoptive father. In my view, the ICWA does no harm whatsoever to children, including Veronica Brown/Capobianco. What does do great harm to children are those who circumvent state and federal laws in the blind pursuit of children.  I fully understand how intense the desire for a child can be and the emotional upheaval that delays in the adoption process can cause for prospective adoptive parents. My son’s adoption process in the country of his birth lasted 12 months. We met him for the first time almost 4 months after his referral and 8 months before Continue Reading →

The Last Invisible Continent Redux

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A different review written by me of Michael Allen Potter’s The Last Invisible Continent:  Essays on Adoption and Identity  has been published in the Columbus Free Press. There is one error in it–my fault.  The number of sealed OBCs in Ohio is now estimated to be 400,000 not 100,000. Read Mike’s blog,  icartographer TWITTER:   Twitter fried my account and I was forced to start a new one.  Besides tweeting The Daily Bastardette I tweet  (and retweet) about adoption issues, civil rights, freedom of the press,  the corporate state,  Depeche Mode,  literature and books, plus some local stuff.  I retweet generously.  Join me there! Daily Bastardette @DBastardette.

CHIFF Blocks Bastardette from Following Its Twitter Feed

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Oh the shame!

Whoever runs the Children and Families First 2013 (CHIFF ) Twitter account has blocked Bastardette from following their tweets.. Earlier I and an array of adoptee right advocates and adoption reformers were blocked from posting on the CHIFF FB page when one-by-one we posted simple polite statements that we opposed the bill and, were working to defeat it. Continue Reading →

The War on ICWA: Forces growing to dismantle ICWA and Indian sovereignty

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Last night Daily Bastardette received this comment on Bloody but Unbowed: Dusten Brown Shows His Stuff.  regarding the new attempt to dismantle the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).  I believe it is too important to leave in comments and am giving it its own space to receive more attention.. The only change I have made is the addition of links. Hi. I really like your editorial. I found this about the Capobianco’s PR team and its head Jessica Munday. Munday is apparently on the anti-ICWA campaign trail:“Jessica Munday is owner of Trio Solutions in Mt Pleasant, SC, the PR firm that launched an anti-ICWA campaign on behalf of adoptive Baby Veronica parents Melanie Duncan and Matthew Capobianco. Munday recently sent an email to all Capobianco supporters who signed a petition to abolish ICWA. Here’s what she said,While Congress has yet to amend the ICWA, our collective effort surrounding Veronica’s case will indeed help ensure this situation will not happen to another child. As a matter of fact, it already has. We have been informed her case has already been used in several cases to block similar travesties from occurring…. If anyone would like to continue advocating for children being hurt Continue Reading →

Bloody but Unbowed: Dusten Brown Shows His Stuff

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This morning  Dusten Brown showed his stuff as a father and a man.  In a press conference in Tulsa he announced that he and the Cherokee Nation will no longer pursue custody of  his 4-year daughter Veronica Brown:. His sad surrender was done not as a sign of defeat but of love for Veronica. He surrendered to save her from further confusion, pain, and public intrusion:.  Veronica is only 4 years old, but her entire life has been lived in front of the media and the entire world, and I cannot bear for that to continue any longer. I love her too much to continue to have the spotlight on her. It is not fair for her to be in front of the media at all times. And her safety, happiness and well-being have always been my number one priority.  Brown, said in his statement:  The most difficult decision of all was to let Veronica go with Matt and Melanie Capobianco last month. But it was no longer fair for Veronica to be in the middle of this battle. It was the love for my daughter that kept me going all this time. But it was also the love for Continue Reading →