latest fireside chat. Now, Dennis Prager did not answer my question in this fireside chat—as had occurred back in December 2020. However, I wanted to discuss this fireside chat video because this week’s topic hit home for me personally.
Love vs. Blood: The Case for Adoption
I did not watch the Super Bowl this past Sunday, so I had not prior knowledge about this story. At the beginning of this video, Dennis (yes, we’re on a first-name basis now) mentioned the journey of Paralympic swimmer Jessica Long. The car-maker Toyota featured her in the company’s recent Super Bowl commercial.
Long was born as an orphan in faraway Russia. When she was only a toddler, her current family adopted her and brought her to live with them in the United States. In the commercial, the narrator mentioned that Long was born with a condition that caused her legs to be amputated. That fact did not matter to her family. They truly loved their adopted child.
Years later, Long has won fourteen gold medals as a swimmer in the Paralympic Games. In fact, she is one of the most successful athletes in the history of the Paralympics.
Here’s where Mr. Prager’s take comes in. Unbeknownst to me, Dennis mentioned how he has two adult sons—one who is adopted and one is who is not. In his mind, Mr. Prager sees no difference between the two of them. This line of reasoning comes from his belief that love and values matters more than blood (i.e. direct family/biological connection). He brings up several examples in the video that show how values/love matter more than love. A few stuck out in my mind. First off, he mentioned that a man’s wife is not related by blood. Yet, a man’s love for his wife is often the most intense kind of love a man can experience in this life. Similarly, most people do not like all their family members—with whom they have blood relations. If blood relations mattered more than values and love, then parents would struggle to love their adopted children as much as their biological children. Fortunately, values and love do matter more than blood relations. If you do not think this is the case. Go ahead and ask any parents who have adopted and biological children. They will tell you that there is no difference in the love they have for their children.
Now, Mr. Prager’s belief does not degrade the concept of the traditional family structure. Of course, Dennis is a big proponent in it his writing and speeches. Nevertheless, he makes the point that values are what truly matter. Generally, most parents would rather have adopted children who share their moral values than biological children with do not share their values. The biggest impact fathers and mothers can leave on their children is to pass on their moral and religious values. Even if one’s bloodline continues into the next generation, you will have not positively influenced future generations if your children do not carry on your values.
After much discussion on this topic, Mr. Prager added that he is a huge proponent of adoption. I did not know this was the case prior to watching this video, and I was quite thrilled to learn this fact.
My Personal Connection
As red-blooded guy, I don’t cry often. However, I’ll admit that even I was teary-eyed after watching this Toyota commercial.
Here’s why this commercial meant a lot to me. When I was in fifth grade, my family adopted my little sister. She was born the day before my birthday. Then, my family adopted her just a few weeks after her birth. You can say that my little sister was my birthday present.
My family often does not remember that we adopted my little sister. From day 1, she fully became a part of our family! She is as much my sibling as much my biological brother is to me. I love her so very much and so do my parents, brother, and the rest of my family. It made my day learning about Jessica Long’s story and hearing Mr. Prager’s musings on adoption. God Bless PragerU!
-The Tin Can Conservative
Here is the link to this PragerU Fireside Chat”