FacePalm Friday UPDATE

Welcome to this week’s edition of FacePalm Friday.

This is where your hosts will list their top picks for this week’s FacePalm moment—something they learned or read about this week that caused the FacePalm to happen (you know, the expression of embarrassment, frustration, disbelief, shock, disgust or mixed humor as depicted in our Rally FacePalm smiley).

We invite you to add your FacePalm of the week to our comments. Go ahead and add a link, tell a personal story, or share something that triggered the FacePalm on the subject of child welfare or adoption.

Your Hosts selection: This one is disbelief and disgust!

It’s about child welfare and at-risk minors .

Georgetown University has a Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues.

In a June 17, 2025 post seen here. Russia Is Turning Abducted Ukrainian Children Into Soldiers.

Excerpts:

(1) “The Russian government is forcibly deporting and militarizing Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories in Ukraine. The first step of this crime involves the illegal and forcible deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, where they are placed in “temporary accommodation centers.” While Ukraine has officially identified 19,546 cases of forcible deportations, Ukraine’s 5 AM Coalition estimates the true number could range from 260,000 to 700,000. As of June 2025, only 1,359 children have been returned. “

A US-funded operation, Save Ukraine, have stated that they have returned 692 children of the 1,359 returned.

(2) “The second step of these Russian crimes is forced ideological re-education, military training, and participation in paramilitary organizations such as the “Yunarmiya,” “Movement of the First,” and “Eagles of Russia.”

Through these groups, children are indoctrinated with Russian patriotism and receive training in firearms, tactics, and drone operations. These actions are intended to prepare Ukrainian children to fight against their own country as members of the Russian military.”

(3) “A report by Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab identified facilities like the School of Future Commanders in Russian-occupied Crimea, organized by Yunarmiya, which hosted around 50 Ukrainian children. Another program, the Leader Youth Club (formerly Wagner Youth), launched in early 2023 by the Wagner mercenary group, encourages youth aged 16-25 to build drones for Russia’s military”.

(4) “Several non-governmental organizations are also involved in documenting Russian war crimes against Ukrainian children, including the Regional Centre for Human Rights, Centre for Civil Education “Almenda,” and Where Are Our People? (a project of the PR Army).  Non-governmental organisations such as Save Ukraine and Helping to Leave also play a pivotal role in facilitating the evacuation and rehabilitation of children who have fled conflict zones. In addition, Charity foundation “East SOS” has been instrumental in assisting Ukrainian children and providing documentation to support legal investigations.”

Update: Wow! I have two updates already!

The first update I have: First Lady Melania Trump wrote a letter to Vladimir Putin.

“Dear President Putin,” the first lady’s letter begins. “Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation’s rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger.”

“As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation’s hope,” the letter continued. “As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few.”

“Undeniably, we must strive to paint a dignity-filled world for all—so that every soul may wake to peace, and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded,” read the letter. “A simple yet profound concept, Mr. Putin, as I am sure you agree, is that each generation’s descendants begin their lives with a purity—an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology.”

The first lady continued that “in today’s world, some children are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them—a silent defiance against the forces that can potentially claim their future.”

“Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter,” the first lady wrote. “In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone—you serve humanity itself.”

“Such a bold idea transcends all human division, and you, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of the pen today,” she wrote. “It is time.”” [I firmly agree with this idea!]

and Senator Lindsey Graham… threatens bill designating Russia state sponsor of terror over kidnapping of Ukrainian children, [which is a little too late , but what the hey?]

He “threatened to champion bipartisan legislation designating Russia a state sponsor of terrorism over the kidnappings of Ukrainian children unless Moscow returns them.

Throughout its brutal war on Ukraine, Russia has been accused of abducting over 20,000 Ukrainian children and putting some of them up for adoption, with the goal of raising them to be Russian.

“I intend to push the return of these children until I can’t push anymore,” [I am glad he is *finally saying it*, but oh the drama…] Graham vowed on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”

“If they do not return these children to Ukraine, the 19,000, then I’m going to push legislation to make Russia a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. law,” the South Carolina Republican said, warning such a move would make Russia “radioactive.” [uh huh…somehow I Don’t Believe It! With the favorability polls saying only like 15% of people trust their senators to do ANYTHING! ]

Estimates of the children abducted by Russia vary [no shit, Sherlock], with some Ukrainian officials pegging it closer to 35,000.”

[I am betting that the “kidnapped children” is more than 19,000 children but less than 35,000 children… That is a LOT of children, nonetheless!

Putin, you should be ashamed of yourself!]