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Adoption
Americans detained at Haitian border w/33 children
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Re: Americans detained at Haitian border w/33 children
I heard about this on CBS news tonight...my dad and I were listening..and the newscaster asked the reporter something like, "What is it that is taking so long to do these adoptions and why is it so difficult to adopt these children? Why can't they just bring them over to the U.S.?"
Okay--1) I paraphrased that. I don't remember exactly what she said. But it was something like that.
2) Seriously lady, you are reporting on child trafficking! Can you not understand WHY the hold up after reporting on this!? The prevention of this exact issue might not pop into your head!?
Right -- these are the kind of situations that the Haitian government would like to prevent, from my understanding.
I saw a brief interview with the group's pastor, talking about how they just wanted to help these children, and they're such good Christians, etc. Aside from his assumption that Christians cannot be involved in child trafficking, I found it a little odd that he'd never address why, precisely, a group from his church thought it would be a good idea to try to take 33 children out of the country without any documents whatsoever.
The Mr. was telling me about it last night...and we were both appalled.
It's crap like this that causes issues w/ international adoption...It makes people paranoid about ALL international adoption. Overzealous people who want to 'do good' and human traffickers often have the same actions. Or at least the same outcomes--moving kids w/o the right checks in place so that one could easily be taking children from their families (for no other reason than the families are poor/different culture/etc).
I find it downright infuriating that these people refuse to 'get' why what they were doing was WRONG.
I completely agree- it is totally patriarchal, and from the interviews I just don't think they get why what they did was wrong.
I hope that the waiting families are able to get their children home and that this doesn't further the delays. It must be impossible to eat a good dinner and sleep in a warm bed when you know that your child in Haiti is probably not able to do either. My thoughts are with everyone in this incredibly tough situation.
That is what worries me most -- the kids who have been determined to be orphans, whose documents are in order (or at least close to it), who have adoptive families already in the U.S. waiting for them. People doing stupid stuff like this jeopardize those kids' humanitarian parole, as well as all international adoptions. And sadly, based on the interviews I saw, they don't even have a clue.
I heard another story about this on NPR this morning, and I know there are differing opinions on UNICEF here--but they had a rep from them speaking and I felt like they clearly explained why this is such a bad thing to be doing. The fact that they just...blew by any sort of tape---and I know all of us can be frustrated by "tape" sometimes but we all understand why it is there--is mindblowing to me!
And I also agree with Candem, they also interviewed a voodoo priest--who spoke about how the church had plans to "save" the children with Christianity. Did they really need saving?
I will be the first to admit that I do not like UNICEF under most circumstances. I think their funds directed towards fighting IA would be better used to help children and families still in tact. I think most of their lobbying in opposition to IA is reprehensible. BUT I think in a time like this Haiti (and other countries) needs UNICEF, Save the Children and other such organizations to step up the fight against child trafficking.