End of the Year FacePalm

By on 12-31-2012 in FacePalm Friday, Russia

End of the Year FacePalm

This one deserves a special post. It epitomizes adoption marketing. And yes, it is from a “regular” to our list…Dr. Jane Aronson.

The entire article Russia’s Adoption Ban Is Cruel and Vindictive to All [The Daily Beast 12/29/12 by Dr. Jane Aronson] gets a FacePalm. My comments in red.

“Russia’s Adoption Ban Is Cruel and Vindictive to All [people who make money off of Russia adoptions.]

Russia’s orphanages are some of the worst in the world, and adoption by Americans provided a much-needed way out. Dr. Jane Aronson, founder of Worldwide Orphans Foundation, on the horror children will face in these ‘gulags’—and how a game of politics has sealed their fate. [With $50,000 of adoption money per child, why is that? Isn’t your organization supposed to be providing for them. Just where is that money earmarked for orphan care going? What about all the PAP reports of loving orphanages where the  only problem is too few caregivers, not horrible, ignoring caregivers.]

“It is retaliatory, arbitrary, and unjust. It feels like a vindictive beating to me because it will have complex, enduring effects on thousands of orphans and prospective families in the years to come. “

[A beating to you? Because your business can’t operate there anymore?]     

“On December 22, Celia was informed by her facilitator in Russia, that her day in court had been canceled, and that she would not be visiting her 10-month-old infant son, Vladimir. She sulked and anguished in her hotel room in Moscow and felt as if her boy had died.”    [Well the child didn’t die and stop making comparisons of referral losses to DEATH.]      

“the truth is that I am worried and can hardly console myself.” [Because the will stop?]

“From the minute adoptions started in 1994, they [international adoptions] were never welcomed by the Russian government” [Then why is this such a surprise to you? Have you ever explained the high risk that a Russian adoption has?]

“Each time the doors to adoption in Russia closed, people lost their children. The re-initiation after the slow-downs often resulted in the babies being removed from the registry and people going back to square one. ” [All about the adoptive parent and you again, isn’t it?]

 “Russian adoption became marred by an unpredictable reputation with expected political obstruction and slow downs. The process was a military obstacle course with little reliability and the sure potential for failed adoptions with unfulfilled dreams for families.” [Where was this fervor for explaining risk when people were still signing onto Russian adoptions?]
“These institutions are not habitable; children are malnourished and in some cases starving and emaciated. They lie in their own feces and urine and in clothes that are old, torn, and not fitted to their bodies. Orphans lie still and untouched in their cribs, all day and all night. They are in pain from hunger, cold, and a host of undefined medical conditions.

Babies and toddlers who do not “behave” are medicated and sedated with drugs such as Phenobarbital, a common antiseizure drug. This drug’s side effects can cause exhaustion and disengagement. They have no toys and not one iota of affection and connections with staff, which leads to attachment issues.” [Exaggerate much?Saying that ALL orphanages have NO toys and NOT ONE IOTA of affection?]

“It’s the miracle of resiliency that allows orphans to escape these circumstances and international adoption provides permanency that can heal the orphan. When that opportunity is gone, these Russian kids will be permanently ruined.” [International adoption HEALS the orphan? Really? And ONLY the US can ward off PERMANENT RUIN! You are a piece of work!]

“There are likely one million orphans in institutions in Russia and there are no active strategic de-institutionalization programs to help them have a better life. “ [ONE MILLION IN INSTITUTIONS. LOL. What orifice did you pull that statistic out of?]

“This moment is the nail in the coffin for international adoption …” [No, agencies put those nails in the coffin of International Adoption several years ago, dear.]

Facepalm gesture

2 Comments

  1. Dr. Aronson’s histrionics are a disgrace. She of all people should know better.

    If you’re going to quote statistics, have them be accurate.

    If you’re going to slander every single orphanage caregiver in Russia, have the evidence on hand to back up your wild exaggerations.

    If you’re going to claim that only Americans can rescue orphans, be prepared to tell that to the citizens of Russia and all other countries still permitted to adopt there that they will never be as caring and loving as your clients.

    If you’re pointing out that a country’s program has always been risky and unstable, then don’t act surprised when it closes down.

    If you can’t explain why orphanages are so hideous given how expensive Russian adoptions always have been, then you have no right to justify the continuation of a corrupt program.

    If you’re making money off international adoption, then have the balls to admit that your cash cow is drying up.

    Then shut up.

  2. Don’t forget:

    1) Denise Davis the backyard dog breeding PAP who still needs $19k from strangers in order to get the 2 Bulgarian orphans with cf (!) who will share a bedroom (!!) home. She can’t afford agency or travel home fees to get the kids home, cannot borrow money and has no possessions to sell to raise the money and neither she nor her husband seem inclined or able to earn it:
    http://nachalaadopt2.blogspot.com/2012/12/1-year-4-months-2-weeks.html?m=1

    2) RR families that are continuing to fundraise for their Russian adoptions, despite the fact that nobody knows if or when Russian adoptions will resume:
    http://followingwheregodleadsus.blogspot.com
    http://eightwasnotenough.blogspot.com
    Amiracleformeg.blogspot.com
    Rescuingvictoria.blogspot.com

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