Can't A Girl Get A Break Around Here?!

In keeping with the desire to be positive, I will say that I truly do feel blessed, honoured, and privileged to be a part of this journey. It's up and it's down. It's exciting but not for the faint of heart. Lately, the faint of heart would have thrown in the towel.

Today was one of those days. Though I am no where near superstitious, there's that old saying that goes something like, "bad things happen in threes". Or how about, "three strikes and you're out". (Out of all things frustrating, I mean...not out of this process.) Or how about "two is company and three is a crowd"...(...so go away all things hurdle-like).

Below you'll find a beautiful letter which will be deposited in our trusty mailbox tomorrow morning. It's a feat I've never cared to conquer. Quite honestly I've never cared enough about anything having to do with politics to bother. Today is a new day people. I'm frustrated. I'm down. I am sick and tired of longer referral waits and umpteen court dates. There've been exciting parts to my day, that moment when I knew God had performed a miracle. (More on that another day...it's still under lock and key...and has nothing to do with me.) And it's a good thing too, because I am starting to wonder when a girl can get a break?!

So, here we go. If you feel the urge to cut and paste and send it along I would be flattered and encouraged. Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease and I'm really hoping the grease builds soon.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Office Of The Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A2

Re: Bill C-17
Citizenship Promises Not Kept

To Whom It May Concern,

As a parent of two biological children and as a waiting Ethiopian adoptive parent, I feel I am obligated to voice my concerns over Bill C-17 passed in December 2007.

My husband and I decided to follow this new and exciting route to Citizenship. We were assured that through the new route there would be less discrimination upon entering the country with our child (than through PRV), our child could enter our country already a citizen, and we would not be waiting longer than had we decided to follow the PRV route. We are now committed to the Citizenship process and are frightened that our already lengthy wait (to adopt a child internationally) will be extended. These unnecessarily additional months in an orphanage are detrimental to the childrens’ growth and development, and they are being deprived of stable and loving homes, while we wait for paperwork to be processed at the Canadian High Commission office in Nairobi, Kenya.

It appears we were misled and we are extremely concerned. The ramifications to families and their adopted children who, after passing court, will now need to wait in vain, in their institutionalized setting is severely alarming. Children who are institutionalized are already classified as Special Needs. They suffer grief, loss, and other attachment disorders. The intent of Bill C-17 legislation is not being met. This is not acceptable and we are requesting something be done.

Children - whose parents choose to pursue the Citizenship route - are legally Canadian citizens. The parents have been approved by Canadian provincial homestudy processes and the Ethiopian court systems have done their due diligence in examining each child’s case before conferring guardianship on the parents. The wait is unnecessary, and discriminative. It is especially alarming as we were assured this would not occur.

The process simply must be sped up – the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration must make good on it’s promise to make Citizenship a speedy route for foreign-born adopted children to come to Canada. Months of paper processing are simply not acceptable.

Please confirm receipt of this letter, as it is time sensitive.

Sincerely,
Ashleigh and Ben Keizer

Also sent to:
The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada

And a few others of choice...

Am I being unreasonable?