so when I get a notification that I need to moderate a comment it usually means someone’s threatening legal action. This one came as kind of surprise, in reference to this post, Jesus Freak Saves Orphans..(I removed the links to protect the guilty, BTW)
Hi, fellow adoption blogger,
I’m sorry to spam you with this, but I’m an adoption blogger being threatened and I need your help.
Warmly,
AB
This article was published in our local paper. It was live yesterday, apparently they removed it.
I blogged about it here. some months ago, using direct quotes. I got this comment yesterday, then again today in my private email box:
A.B. You need to remove your Blog on “Read it and Puke”. Your blog is not based on Fact and it is very offensive to this family. I do not want Lisa and Scotty to see what you have written as they did not write the newspaper article. It was written by someone that does not know them and to be quite honest they were pressured by family to submit a picture to help advertise the fundraiser. The author of the article may not be familiar with the process of adoption or the complete intentions of this couple. They actually were trying to adopt a special needs child. And they actually have explored the option of DHR adoption. They were urged from friends that are foster parents not to adopt from within that system for personal reasons that do not include “just wanting a little white infant”. This was not a requirement of the Bartlett’s. What you have to understand is that just by your reading an article written by someone that does not know them does not justify such a hateful blog
personally attacking them as a couple or their intentions to adopt. If someone wrote and article about you or your work with the School or your church…. and it was someone you did not know, basically you have no control over what they publish. Some information may be speculation or just filling in the spaces to make an article they feel is worth reading. I beg of you to remove this before they see it. They have been through many hard times and much loss. Lisa has never been able to have a baby. They have been trying for many years to conceive. And for the record neither one of them are fertile. If you have never been in this situation and you have been obviously very blessed with your beautiful children you have no idea how hard this can be for a childless couple. I know that the internet is a place for free speech. But I would not think that the type person you portray yourself to be would not want to intentionally inflict pain on this family. You obviously work with the public,
school, and with your business and connections with your church I would not think that this is the type impression that you would want to make. I do not honestly believe that you would intentionally want to harm someone by such a hurtful article as “READ IT AND PUKE”. Please consider what I am asking to do. There is nothing good that can come of these words written against them.
If I do not hear from you I will explore my other options. Legal, etc.
I need anyone who is a blogger to read the quotes and blog about it if you want to.
FWIW Here is my response:
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am simply a blogger blogging on newspaper articles and social networking sites published openly. The inferences drawn were reasonable. It is up to the newpaper publisher to confirm the factuality of stories they publish. As a blogger, I reacted to */quotes in a news story./* Not individuals. When a story is published it becomes fair game for open discussion, and not everyone who read the story would feel that their motives were good and noble. It is possible that the family did not know this upfront.
I don’t “hold myself out to be” anything other than a sinner, saved by grace. I did soften the (many months old) post after receiving your comment.
I regret that you feel that the comments made might be hurtful to the family. As an adoptee, few things drive me to vitriol than sentiments that people deserve babies and it is unfair to deprive them of them. I disagree that there is little or no good that comes of blog postings like mine. People slowly realize that healthy adopted infants grow up, that we are not chattel, and that we aren’t always appreciative for what transpires, purportedly on our behalf.
If you feel that my blog post is deserving of legal action, I am happy to encourage your attorney to correspond directly with my attorney.
Yours,
Mrs. B.I have no idea who these people are. The commenter seems to be an adoptee, Christian mom, who had about the same reaction to the Chapman story that I did, if in a bit milder way. Who this person is threatening legal, again, I have no idea.
That’s what bothers me.
The letter in the link wasn’t signed, there was no link, or email address, to where it might have come from. I have no idea if this person threatening legal action is somehow connected to the Chapman organization ( I doubt it), a crazed stalker fan (I assume Chapman has those), or just a pissed off church lady(my bet). Whatever, I’m not linking it up. I don’t take anything on faith at According To Addie, and I’m not about to get into the middle of a church lady cat fight.
The fact that my post had nothing to do with the article that AB’s (whoever she is) post was linked to, also makes me wonder. I linked to an entirely different article. Could this be a lame ass attempt at some kind of viral marketing? Who knows? It just doesn’t seem right.
I suppose this frustrates me further because I was hoping to inspire some really good righteous cross pounding by militant Christian adoptive parents with my original post. I found it disappointing I was only able to draw one slightly miffed post concerning the legal definition of an orphan. I had hopes for rabid fans and adoptors galore.
Oh well, I’ll just throw this cross up on the hill and see what happens.
According To Addie 