In the midst of hot political topics such as abortion, gay marriage and adoption rights, hundreds of thousands of children are waiting for a family to call their own.

In the 21st century, one would think the idealistic family image that the Cleavers set for America would no longer apply.

Though not completely extinct, it is rare to find a family that fits the cookie cutter mold of Dad Wally heading off to work and Mommy June at home all day doing housework and making sure that dinner was on the table by the time Wally got home.

What effect did this dynamic have on the kid?

Beaver was always getting into some kind of shenanigans.

Today the concept of the Cleavers seems foreign to most family units. Sure, there are families with Mom and Dad, but then you also have the units of Mom, Dad and Step parent(s) or the increasingly more common single-parent.

Women who experience unwanted pregnancies often put their children up for adoption, leaving many children in desperate need for a place to call home.

Its not uncommon for the citizens of this country to feel like they have the right to vote to determine who should marry whom or what a family consists of. But if a couple or person can provide a loving home, full of love, stability and comfort, why should that child is denied because the potential parent(s) are gay?

The common argument against gay marriage is that it defies the sanctity of marriage that God has created. When it comes to a gay couple wanting to start a family, however, the excuses against gays adopting go beyond Biblical text.

Many who oppose, feel it will create psychological problems for the child, that the child will develop developmental problems with the absence of a male or female figure or that the child would actually grow up to be gay under the guidance of gay parents, negating the fact that most of todays homosexuals are actually offspring of straight couples.

However, according to a study from the American Psychological Association (APA), the APA has concluded that there is no scientific evidence that parenting effectiveness is related to parental sexual orientation.

Furthermore, a study from Michigan State University found that same-sex couples even had better relationships with their children than their heterosexual counterparts.

The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry: Mental Health and Social Justice conducted a study by putting an equal number of high-risk foster children in the homes of lesbian, gay male and heterosexual couples to monitor the childrens progress in the different environments.

The study proved that adoption, in general, had a positive impact on the children cognitively and behaviorally. Therefore, the findings of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry found no reason why same-sex couples should be denied the ability to adopt.

As a married, heterosexual parent, I think of how things would be any different for my son if I was married to a woman, or if I was a man. Would it make a difference?

The love and support of a child every day is all that matters. If I was with a woman and she loved and cared for my son as my husband does, my son would still be one of the luckiest kids in the world.

When it comes to a child and their inherent need for the love and support only being part of a family could provide, politics should not be an issue. The only issue that should matter is the childs welfare.

A child witnessing his or her parents being true to themselves in the face of adversity will be more beneficial than that child constantly waiting for a parent to come along, adopt them and love them.

Shaunda Wickham is a junior majoring in mass communications.