Two Tepid Attempts to Discuss Ethics in China and Ethiopia Adoptions

The first article is about China A shift of emphasis in Chinese adoptions [The National 6/24/12 by Daniel Bardsley]. It started out pretty good, framing some of the issues, but it got lazy at the end when the journalist decided to not really investigate why PEAR issued an ethics alert on special need Chinese adoptions. Instead the journalist just quoted the happy AP. There are not just two options in the world-international adoption or living in a squalid orphanage, ya know! Looks like the journalist needs a dose of our Tuesday Term Anti-Adoption

The second article about Ethiopia also started off promising with a good question Out of Ethiopia: Is international adoption an ethical business? [BBC 6/25/12], but it did not delve into why orphanages were closed/corruption that still exists. I still liked this one because it really did show how cheaply you can take care of an orphan in Ethiopia. The man who domestically adopted there said that sponsoring was $3 per month and his adoption fees were $300. Think about if US concerned citizens fundraised for local Ethiopians to adopt for $300 apiece-how many more would find local homes!

The article has a gagworthy AP blog linked to it. The AP has been home all of four months and goes into excruciating detail about her child.

The comments are worth looking at as most of the general public “get” it. It is again dismaying that the one adoptee quoted in the article is summarily dismissed by several commenters for his opinion.

REFORM Puzzle Piece