Kentucky's Ex-GOP Governor's Adopted Ethiopian Son, Abandoned in Jamaica, Needs Our Help

The Lexington Herald-Leader front-page story is about Jonah Bevin, the adopted son of GOP Ex-Governor, Matt Bevin -  whom the Bevins abandoned at a youth facility in Jamaica - now shut down due to discovered physical abuse.

For those unaware of the backstory, former Kentucky Governor, Matt Bevin (R) and his wife, Glenna - who are white - adopted Jonah from Ethiopia. (He is the taller child on the left in the center of the photograph.)

However, a couple of years ago, they clandestinely sent him off to a youth facility called "Atlantis" for troubled children in Jamaica,  where he was beaten regularly and never heard from the Bevins.

In fact, it wasn't until Paris Hilton - yes, that Paris Hilton - caught wind of the abuse and stepped in with her  11:11 Media Impact, a charity organization, chronicled in the London Sunday Times, that things improved for Jonah. 

Her organization was started after her own first-hand experience of herself being sent to one of these youth camps and being abused and witnessing abuse, which for "troubled teens" only makes things worse.

The center was shut down after the organization and authorities found evidence of abuse.

However, Jonah had nowhere to go - the Bevins had abandoned him.

In fact, he hadn't heard from his family since the day they dropped him off a few years ago.

Thus, Paris Hilton's organization stepped up again and settled him back in the U.S. in Utah, where after just now turning 18, he works as he can in construction, and the Themis Youth Law Advocacy has set up the GoFundMe page for Jonah.

Jonah hadn't heard from his adoptive father since he dropped him off a few years ago, until a few weeks ago, after Louisville press caught wind of Jonah's story, and when he DID call him - he offered to send him back to Ethiopia!?!

You heard me right, folks - the only time Jonah heard from his adoptive father (Matt Bevin) was just a few weeks ago - after Louisville press caught wind of his story  -  to offer to literally ship him back to Africa!

In case you thought Jonah is making this up, the Themis Law has confirmed this happened and that at first, poor Jonah thought this was a good thing - he thought it meant his mother was still alive - until the law center explained that it wasn't.

This is ... absolutely disgusting.

This story just goes to show you that just because white people adopt children of color doesn't mean they're not racist.

In fact, it often means they're trying to teach people of color to behave white and become frustrated if they don't or won't.

They are also unprepared for the trauma issues that come with adopting children from impoverished or war-torn countries. tack on being totally unprepared culture shock/culture clash confusion.

Then tack onto that the racism their children will face, especially in today's political climate, particularly if their adopted by a conservative politician that denies racism even exists!

And so you have to wonder - would they have abandoned a white adopted child in Jamaica or offered to send them back if they were troubled?

Likely not. 

And can you imagine if you were one of the other 3 children of color adopted by the Bevins, how terrified you would be now to ever step out of line, the pressure they're under?

"I don't want what happened to Jonah to happen to me," right?

Especially now that the Bevins are divorcing - and in fact, Matt has been barred by a judge from their home due to harassment charges fieled by Glenna.

And in case there was any doubt - yes -  Matt Bevin was, and still is, a die-hard Trumper.

In fact, Bevin previously made headlines just before leaving office for pardoning any criminal that supported him or whose family supported him, including child rapists and convicted murderers, a few of whom went on to commit crimes.

Trump, however, apparently thought rewarding loyal supporters with a pardon, despite being violent criminals, was a great idea and decided to follow suit by pardoning even violent offenders in the the J6 crowd?

And just like in the cases Bevin pardoned, a few of them have already gotten themselves in trouble with the law again, even violent crimes again, since their release, including one J6 man in Indiana who was fatally shot by a Sheriff's deputy, after he attacked the deputy during a traffic stop)

Regardless, I know things are tough economically for everybody, right now, myself included, but if you can imagine how much worse it is for Jonah, who never asked to come here and then was abandoned by a high-profile politician, his only offer being to send him back to Africa?

But if you can afford to shed just a little light in Jonah's life and help him rebuild his future, once again, Jonah's GoFundMe page is HERE. 

I didn't have much to donate, but I did - because this story absolutely broke my heart today.  💔

I mean, there's a lot of horrible news we've become desensitized to lately, but this one literally made my cry; in fact, I can't stop thinking about it.

This is one story you do NOT just gloss over and add it to the building pile of horror, right?

This story is one to share - and a story that you, personally, can actually do something about!

Jonah, 

I'm SO sorry the Bevins failed you and aren't being held accountable for the adoption-abandonment - which apparently the law is still unclear on -  which means WE failed you.

Not everybody in Kentucky and America is this shallow, this heartless, this merciless, this impatient with your trauma history from both Ethiopia and here, or frankly, this racist.

Here's to hoping you now experience at least some of these better Kentuckians and better Americans now   💓