Michelle Smiles

Teaching my children to question authority, except mine.

Another good thing about being a SAHM

September20

I can use nap time to write long emails expressing my displeasure with whoever has pissed me off currently. I had a post called I heart NPR a few months ago. Well, I’m not hearting NPR today (as usual I am a couple of days behind everyone else and just listened to the story). They did an incredibly lopsided story, basically only representing UNICEF’s views, on Guatemalan adoptions the other day on All Things Considered (you can find it here…there is a button to listen to the audio).  I am livid after hearing it.  I immediately sat down and wrote a very long email expressing my displeasure.

My main complaints? First, the UNICEF guy said that basically all you need to do is plop down $25 – 30K and you get a baby without any one looking at the family adopting or the family relinquishing.  Really?  Then what the f*ck was I doing with homestudies and gathering papers for 3 months and why did Sabrina not come home until she was 9 months old?  If all we have to do is write a check, why are Cheri and Erin still in limbo living in Antigua now?  I am sure they would be happy to write a check to get themselves home.  Second, there is no infrastructure in Guatemala to support these children (or the families if they would choose to keep them rather than putting them up for adoption) if they aren’t adopted. There is no public foster care system. The publicly funded hogars are as poverty stricken as the families who gave up the children. If UNICEF would quit mucking around in politics and help Guatemala put the infrastructure in place to keep these children in the country then I will applaud their efforts. Okay, I am preaching to the choir here so I’ll jump down from my soapbox.

posted under adoption
17 Comments to

“Another good thing about being a SAHM”

  1. On September 21st, 2007 at 2:46 am Jane Says:

    I’ve got to stop reading your blog so late at night. Because right now it’s 2:30 am and I’m stomping around my house, muttering to myself about stupid people at NPR. “This is adoption paradise!” the UNICEF guy proclaims! What the heck is that guy smoking???
    Oh, I wrote a little note to NPR before I could talk myself out of it. I cannot believe that they reported such a lopsided – I don’t even know what to call that – it certainly wasn’t investigative journalism! I listened to it twice because I could not believe it was NPR. This makes me doubt the accuracy of every other report I’ve heard from them…and like you, I loved NPR until 2:15 am today.
    I am going to add the NPR link to my blog in hopes that the 4 people who read it will listen and then send a note to NPR, too. Grrrrrr.

  2. On September 21st, 2007 at 2:56 am Cheri Says:

    what? what? write a check and we can go home? where? who? how much? is tomorrow too soon?… oh wait, that won’t work because there are REGULATIONS in place.

    I wonder what Guatemala UNICEF was talking about with the plunk-down-some-money-and-get-a-baby adoption system, because it sure wasn’t THIS Guatemala!

    {sigh} I usually like NPR. {sigh, again}

  3. On September 21st, 2007 at 6:39 am Stacy Says:

    Hey, if ALL you have to do is plop down the $25K, then I got more ripped off than I thought because I didn’t even get the baby I paid for!!!!! (Note to anyone who doesn’t immediately realize my sarcasm, I did NOT pay to get a baby. I paid for the services of adoption “professionals” to help me navigate the LEGAL adoption process of another country and the required governmental documents of my own country. I DID get ripped off, because I did not get the services I paid for and those people turned out to be unethical creeps and not “professionals.) I didn’t listen to the piece but I read several reviews of it, so much so that when a colleague mentioned that she was listening to NPR the other day I immediately told her what the story said and was able to rebuff all of her comments, which were of course tainted.
    Save the children. Stop UNICEF.

  4. On September 21st, 2007 at 6:44 am Kerry Says:

    Exactly. Put your money where your big, fat mouth is, UNICEF. News flash. Giving disgusting amounts of money to corrupt political officials is NOT fixing the problem. Dumb A$$es.

    Sorry. This one gets me every time.

  5. On September 21st, 2007 at 6:54 am Steph Says:

    Word.

  6. On September 21st, 2007 at 7:07 am Bobbi Says:

    HMMMMM When it was all said and done I think we plopped down more than 25K. Anyone else??

    Well, let me tell you, I plan to listen to that clip myself. THEN, I am sure I will drop them a line.

    I am also going to send the link to my agency’s director. She is a big fan of UNICEF (PLEASE note sarcasm). GRRRRRRR

    Well, let me tell ya folks my little guy is worth every penny that I paid for him! I would have paid more!!! (again, I am kidding)

    Oh, and I think we would ALL write a check to get Cheri and Erin out of there!!! Maybe we should call UNICEF and see who we write the check out to and where to send it.

    Thank you for giving me something to rant about today!!!

  7. On September 21st, 2007 at 7:29 am Kim Says:

    Yeah – I read about it on the a.com forum. I haven’t listened to the piece yet, because I’m really working on keeping my blood pressure down. It just makes me so mad!!!! I hate UNICEF!

  8. On September 21st, 2007 at 7:44 am Mary Jo Says:

    I’m putting off listening to it – I think it’ll infuriate me as it has everyone else who has gone through a Guatemalan adoption. If it weren’t so insulting to those of us who have gone through so much to adopt our babies I might laugh hysterically. The financial hardship of ‘just writing a check’ was very real, but it can’t compare to how hard the rest of the adoption process is.

  9. On September 21st, 2007 at 8:15 am Amy Says:

    Now THAT’S the Mikki that I know.

    I’m telling you girl, when Beana starts school you best be going to law school so we can start our non-profit DV shelter.

    I already have a name and everything MAKA, Inc. (Mikki and Amy Kicking Ass)!!!!

  10. On September 21st, 2007 at 8:37 am Corey Says:

    WOW..write a check… Then why will Sophie NEVER EVER come home… Because the Embassy was investignating her birthmother and she did not want to co-operate????
    I have written PLENTY of checks and I am still waiting to bring my children home…
    Rather than getting down from your soap box…how about building a bigger one and sharing the stage with the rest of us! I nominate you leader of the pack

  11. On September 21st, 2007 at 8:38 am starfish Says:

    Ugh! I’ll have you know that someone sent me a Unicef catalog to order corporate holiday cards and I promptly threw it in the trash to support all my Guatamama friends. Good for you for writing an email!

  12. On September 21st, 2007 at 9:20 am kelly Says:

    I’ve been meaning to write about this one, too. It sucks. Here we are..the bad guys adopting illegal Guatemalan babies by plunking down 30K. Yeah…thats just great.

  13. On September 21st, 2007 at 10:59 am Melany (in TN) Says:

    I just sent my email to NPR too. I might as well just save my responses to these type articles as a form letter instead of having to compose a new one each time. It feels futile sometime… but then, if we don’t respond as adoptive parents, who will? I think we all have a responsibility here.

    It makes you so curious as to what else is tainted and misleading in what we read, doesn’t it?! We just happened to be very informed first-hand on this particular subject.

  14. On September 21st, 2007 at 12:25 pm Emily Says:

    I am sooo in agreement with you ! If I could pay to get Myah home I damn sure would.

  15. On September 21st, 2007 at 7:59 pm Jenny Says:

    That’s so disappointing. NPR – the new FOX news… equally fair and balanced

  16. On September 21st, 2007 at 8:08 pm Lisa S. Says:

    Well said. We need to continue speaking up and responding to irresponsible press. I’m sick of the media having a hay day with Guatemalan adoptions. You can check out my blog on adoption.com form September 20th, to see what I had to say about it. Your daughter is precious.
    Lisa S.

    http://guatemala.adoptionblogs.com/index.php

  17. On September 25th, 2007 at 1:22 pm erinberry Says:

    The UNICEF guy’s comment made me so mad!!

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