Our views together pretty much coincide with saving children out of horrible situations that could have otherwise ruined their lives. I plan on adopting from almost every country that has children in need. I might not be able to adopt every child in the world but there are defiantly a lot of child's lives out there that I will be able to make better with the experiences I have had growing up way too fast. Also including the experience I have had with raising my son and seeing the different errors I have made in life with him I will be able to use that to be a better father in the beginning to the ones I adopt because of that. I'm always learning though and in no way an expert.

If a woman has children, and the guy really wants to be with her, he will accept her children as part of the deal. Not only will he accept them, he will care for them as if they were his own.

The way I see it, there is no point at all in wanting to be with someone who has children from a previous relationship, but not wanting the responsibility of helping to take care of the kids.

Any guy worth his salt will know that the kids come as part of the package and do his best to love, not only the woman, but the kids as well.

I have also seen some mothers, who should not have had children....or maintained custody of them

my irritation is when a child is denied EITHER parent because one choses to be an a$$ regardless of which parent it may be...

Off topic.. I don't think aside from my ex-wife that after her I have yet to date a woman without kids that I didn't like and I would have been completely willing to take them in as my own, but luckily they all still had their fathers in their lives. That is always better than having someone else take the true fathers spot. You can love them and you can be there for them but a guy should never try to push their true father out of the picture. If a guy tried to do that with my son he would wake up 6 feet under the ground in a box trying to figure out how he got there and how much more air he has before its all over and done with.

in most cases the "dead beat dad" or mother does nothing at all for the child(ren) except maybe false hope and broken promises

those types of people chose to remove themselves from the child's life

what about cases where one parent was abusive to said children?

If they were abusive then so be it. That parent will hopefully one day come around and realize their errors and maybe if the child has grown up and feels the need to forgive them then so be it. My step-father who adopted me was abusive but it doesn't bother me. I'm my own man now and sometimes when I see him we hang out and have a few drinks. I don't hold anything against him because there is no point in doing that. Why waste my time and my life worrying about what someone did to me that didn't effect the outcome of my life.

On other occasions like serious serious child abuse then the parent should just be put down for good. If I knew about it when it was happening I would do it myself. I have no problem taking someones life who is willing to take and hurt a child. That's just me though.

Also, as far as removing themselves from the child's life that is not always as it seems. I'm stuck right now in the Army and my son lives with his mom and her new boyfriend in Louisiana. I don't see him that often due to them living so far away and I barely if ever talk to him on the phone. I'm not removing myself from his life, the simple fact is that he is the same as me. He is 6 years old and hates talking on the phone to people the same as I do. When we get together though it's a blast, because like me he is also a gamer. The last time I spoke with him and seen him was during my Christmas break and we had a blast together.

I have been a Dad and a step dad. They are all raised and wonderful people with children of their own.
It wasnt always easy, but I was always there for them in every way.
I also know some dad's personally who inspite of their best intentions, were screwed by court systems and have either lost their parental rights or those rights are being abused to the point that it is impossible for them to be a "DAD"
Sooooo
to answer the questions....
yes I would raise and love children that were not mine biologically.....already have.
Not all Dads outside the "Family" element...are Deadbeats......

This town is full of them. I have no doubts that I'll be able to adopt, because there's alot of deadbeat moms too.

Bravo to both of you!! My sons are adopted and I can't imagine loving them more than I do... it's a great (not easy, but great) way to build a family! Good luck!

I don't feel the need to debunk any sexist stereotypes. There's always going to be gender bashing whether I do or not.

Actually, adopting seems to be the easier softer way.

The paperwork and scrutiny of a homestudy and background checks are their own special labor pains. But the journey is so worth it!

Well.....I'll tell ya.......I have supported my Own children to the fullest....never abandoned them. Both monetarily and with my being there for them......

I paid my child support with regular payments before I saw mu check......that was MY choice!!!!

I'll even go so far as to say that I have raised a dead beat dad's kids as my own......my ex had two kids when we got together (one with a terminal illness) I was their Dad by CHOICE. I provided for them as my own without one dime of child support from him.....and he didn't come around either......I guess that was just as well...My stepdaughter died in my arms in 2001 and I cried as much as if she had been my own blood......the boy will turn 19 in a couple of months. So I figure I've done his job pretty good.

And my own two....I've got a ways to go.....they're still pretty young........

And guess what.......I'd do it all over again given the chance.......

When I remarried, my husband had 3 children and I had 4.. He accepted mine as his and I his as mine.. We had a house full but my kids respected and loved him as much as their own.. Yes, their dad was still living then but my husband had lost his wife to cancer..At the very beginning , I told his daughter(she was going on 9) that I was not trying to take her mothers place and we were able to build a wonderful relationship and she eventually accepted me as her mom..

I probably was vague about this. It'll be a real uphill battle. I'll likely lose and have to appeal, but it's still the easier softer way. Not that I wouldn't mind being a step-father or natural one, but realisticly, I've been trying it the 'natural' method for a couple decades, making poor choices along the way.

At some point, running into enough it occurred to me that my method might be a bit backwards, but it's really the most viable option for parenthood. By mid-year, I should be able to argue and win so that's the plan for goal #3 for this year. If a mentally disabled person can win parental rights and known drug users can keep theirs, there's no reason I can't adopt. I've overcome much worse hurdles.