"There's No Place Like Home"

Throughout this semester of English our class has been asked to explore the meaning of the West, western culture, and the West as a genre in film and in writing.  I have learned quite a bit from this experience of focusing so intently on the West.  I have mainly learned that “The West” can and does encompass many different things to many different people.  There is the classic take on the West and western culture as demonstrated by cowboys and a dusty terrain.  There is the more variable take on the west that includes pioneers and the pioneering spirit.  There is a modern take on the West and western culture that can include anything of value to anyone who lives in the West.  Basically, “the West” is not a single cut and dry entity as I originally thought of it at the beginning of this class.

I think I have made it abundantly clear throughout my papers for this class that what the west means to me is a spirit of pioneering and of family.  To me the West is more about a feeling and a way of living than about the physical location or the jobs and hobbies of a person.  Although geography and hobbies or skills certainly can be a part of the West, they are not the whole picture.  The core of the west is in the spirit.  The most important part of the western spirit to me is one of pioneering and the importance of family. 

When we were asked to pick a topic for our Blog essay I had a bit of trouble coming up with a topic at first.  The more I thought about it the more I realized that the true meaning of the west to me was about home and family.  In my life there is nothing more important to me than family.  We as Americans, and as Arkansans, live in a culture that claims to be very dedicated to families and family values.  Yet that is not always shown in our actions as a state.  What is important to remember is that there are many different kinds of families.  There are good families, and not so good families.  There are healthy families and families suffering from health issues, both mental and physical.  There are families with plenty of children, and families with no children.  There are families with a mother and a father.  There are families with only one parent, or two parents of the same sex.  There are families consisting of extended relatives, or friends just living together.  The modern family comes in all shapes and sizes, and each type has just as much potential value and worth as the next.

One recent topic of conversation affecting Arkansas families was the passing and implication of Arkansas Act I.  Arkansas Act I was an act put on the ballot and voted upon by the people of Arkansas in late 2008.  The act states that no persons living together but unmarried would be considered able to foster or adopt a child in the state of Arkansas.  The act was passed in 2008, but was considered a mistake in many peoples opinions.  As recently as April 16, 2010 a circuit court judge in Arkansas struck down the law declaring it unconstitutional (Mortiz).  This act most obviously makes gay couples unable to foster or adopt, but it also prohibits straight unmarried couples from fostering and adopting.  The act is unclear about whether or not single persons would be allowed to foster or adopt.  Those who support Act I claim that in ensures that “the state would use the ‘gold standard’ -homes headed by heterosexual married couples- in the fostering and adoption of children.”  The article, which was ran in the Arkansas Times in October 2008 when the law was first being put forth, then goes on to ask if the 20 percent of licensed, single foster care parents the silver? (Initiated).

However, I am of the opinion that what we should really be focusing on here is the children, and what is in their best interest instead of getting involved in the politics of gay rights.  As does the writer of the New York Times editorial “A Child’s Best Interest.” (Child’s).  The Arkansas Families First association also agrees with me. 

They state “We oppose Act 1 because it works against the best interests of the children who need loving homes.  We can all agree that children should be placed in loving permanent homes where they can be nurtured and raised in an encouraging environment.  We ought to be making that easier, not harder to do. (Arkansas)

The fact of the matter is that it is not about gay rights, religion, or even politics.  It is about the children, specifically the children of Arkansas.  It is our responsibility as citizens of the west and of Arkansas to be making our corner of the globe better for everyone who lives here.  That everyone includes our children.

There are many noteworthy organizations that help with the foster and adoption programs throughout our great state, such as CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and The C.A.L.L. in Arkansas, but all the great organizations in the world aren’t going to do a bit of good if laws are being passed that prevent anyone from finding these kids homes.  The letters of The C.A.L.L. stand for Children of Arkansas Loved for a lifetime.  I believe that it is our responsibility as citizens to make sure that all children are loved for a lifetime. There are currently over 500 children in Sebastian County in foster care.  There are only enough foster homes for about half of them.  I know this from hands on personal experience with some of these children.  I am a CASA volunteer and a member of The C.A.L.L and I see some of these children face to face.  I believe that every child deserves a chance in life and a place to belong.  I believe that every child deserves a loving family.  I believe in doing whatever is necessary to make sure that happens.  I believe that, as Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home.”  That is, unless you don’t have one.