Hollywood is at it again. So like Hollywood to push the envelope in such a sick, sick fashion. This time Hollywood has turned it’s ugly eye to assault the adopted family. Imagine if you had one chance at living your life as part of a family. Your one chance, is resting with a thin bureaucratic file about you; containing a few pictures along with your scant medical and personal information. Imagine some thoughtless person came along and tossed your precious file into a garbage bin. Your one in a million chance just disappeared. *
This time don’t imagine, because this scenario could be true for some orphaned children. The villain in this instance is Time Warner (boo hiss). They have produced a movie entitled Orphan a horror movie about adopting an older child. At first I thought surely this movie was a sick, sick joke. No, dear reader it is not. Orphan is set to be released on July 24th.
Ok, I hear some of you saying, “Come on Joanna surely no one is daft enough to take this swill seriously”. Well look at it from my point of view. Often the road to adopting an older child starts with a single tiny thought. I believe this single thought is from God, the author of families. He carefully set out a plan for children to be born or adopted into forever families. Perhaps this sacred thought is like a seed, which cannot take root because the mind carries deep in its folds the memory of a movie about the horror of adopting an older child. This movie plays into the fear of people who believe that an adopted child “has something wrong with him/her (line from the movie)”. Compare the sprit behind Orphan to Bring Me Hope. Instead of planting evil seeds of doubt, this short film brings light and hope for children around the world.
It is unknown exactly how many orphaned children there are in the world. In 2005 there were estimated to be 109 million orphan children (definition: no available caregivers). The break down is: 62 million in Asia, 39 million in Africa, Latin America and Caribbean 8 million.
Most of the orphans of the world live on the streets fending for themselves. A lucky few will be cared for in orphanages meagerly having their basic needs met. Because of bureaucracy and politics, most orphans of the world will not be made available for adoption. A few thousand lucky ones will find the road to adoption. Their fate will be in a file with a photo(s), scant medical and personal information. The file will sit just waiting for someone to take an interest; sadly many, especially older children, will not find a permanent family. For most of these children no one will even look at their file.
These children who are ready and waiting with a file are called the “Waiting Children”. Often they are handicapped, but many are healthy older children. A lucky few will find a permanent home. Our daughter Hong Mei was a Waiting Child. Her file was sent to Children’s Hope International an Adoption Agency in 2006. We saw her file and adopted her in 2007.
Just as important 500,000 children are in foster care in the United States. Of these children, 100,000 are waiting for their forever family; half are older than nine. Most of the older foster children in the United States will not be adopted. Like the story of the starfish, the sheer scope of the misery of child orphans is completely overwhelming. Like the boy, we can make a difference in a few lives.
You may ask yourself, “how can I help? I am not in a position to adopt or to foster; and I have limited funds”. What you can do is join me in a protest that is gaining in a ground swell of adoptive families who are protesting Holly wood and Time Warner Inc. A line from the film states, “It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own”. What Holly wood and Time Warner fail to realize is, an adopted child IS your own.
I leave you will my witness of the joy a Waiting Child can bring. We are so thankful to God for giving us the miracle of Hong Mei. She is a well-loved member of our family. With her five-year-old arms wrapped around my neck she tells me, “ Tank you Mama for getting me in China.”
Please for the sake for the waiting children of the world, cut and paste the information provided here and pass it along to your contact lists such as email and Facebook. Also take the time to contact these Hollywood people with their cold cold hearts and let them know of your disapproval of the effect on orphans, and foster children at their chance for a much better life.
* I understand that my math is off. I am not a math genius, and math is not the point of our discussion.
First DON’T support the film and DO tell others not to see the film. If they don’t make any money then these movies will not continue. Second, write to the emails and addresses below. Third, talk to your local movie theater and tell them not to support the film. Finally, pray the Lord would not allow this negative press to affect the lives of older children waiting to be adopted.
Thanks for your support!
Here is all the info you need.
To complain to Time Warner by letter, here is contact info:
ADDRESS:
Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY10019-8016
212.484.8000
Warner Brothers Studios
| Warner Brothers Studios Address:4000 Warner Blvd. Burbank, CA 91522 Phone 818.954.6000 |
To voice your opinion to Theatre Corporations see below information. At the very least, let them know we do not want them to show the trailer. Not showing the trailer will limit the number of people exposed to this film.
Regal Entertainment Group corporate offices
7132 Regal Lane
Knoxville, Tennessee 37918
Phone: 1-865-922-1123
Fax: 1-865-922-3188
Customer Relations: 1-877-TELLREGAL or 1-877-835-5734
Investor Hotline: 1-866-REGALEG or 1-866-734-2534
For press inquiries, call 1-865-925-9539
CARMIKE CINEMAS, INC.
1301 1st Avenue
P. O. Box 391 (31902-0391)
Columbus, GA 31901
706-576-3400
email: http://www.carmike.com/contact.aspx?fct=fb
Carmike Investment Group
Robert Rinderman, Managing Director
Jaffoni & Collins Inc
(212)835-8500
ckec@jcir.com
P.O. BOX 391
COLUMBUS, GA 31904
investorrelations@carmike.com
To Sign a Petition:
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/OrphanMovie/