Transracial Adoption, Transcultural Adoption Blog - Speaking up for the world's children

02/07/07

Speaking up for the world's children

Posted by : Erin H in Transracial/Transcultural Adoption Blog at 06:11 am , 491 words, 100 views
Categories: Big Issues, The Media

Continued from previous post...

I have to say that we are up against a lot…scrolling through the “answers” on Yahoo to this question was really disheartening and at times, nauseating. So many people don’t care, don’t want to care and don’t think anyone else should care.

More than once I saw the response that we should just let the children suffer and die…

I saw answers that said that we should let the kids in Africa die, because they are just going to grow up to be sick and spread HIV around and have more kids to suffer.

I saw answers that said we shouldn’t help anyone until evil rulers were eradicated and healthy drinking water was available to everyone, because other wise our “help” wouldn’t do any good.

I saw answers that said we should let kids die who don’t have parents or even “good” parents, because otherwise they are going to grow up to be less than ideal adults.

I saw answers that said we should let kids suffer and die because the world is overpopulated and helping to “save” children would be hurting the overpopulation.

I saw answers that said we shouldn’t worry about kids in Africa or anywhere else because we have enough problems here in the USA.

I saw answers that said we shouldn’t worry about kids because there is nothing special about kids, we should worry about adults instead.

UGH UGH UGH UGH UGH (and the sound of me hitting my head on my desk).

I know that there are plenty of people with “those” attitudes out there (and there were plenty of people who had something constructive to suggest too and who did seem to genuinely care), however it just pains me that so many people with THAT type of attitude feel strongly enough about it to take the time to write it out on a webpage about UNICEF and making positive changes for children.

When I read one particular answer about letting the children in Africa die because they would be better off, I thought about my Belane and literally felt like I was going to be sick.

Knowing that there are so many people out there that think that way, and will never care and will never do anything to help, really shows me that those of us who DO care…those of us who DO want to help…have that much more responsibility to do something, no matter how big or small.

Here is the link again to the list of “answers” to the question,

“What can we do to make the world’s children a priority in ‘07?
Worldwide, 10.5 million children under 5 will die this year, most of them from easily preventable causes. What can we do to make these children a priority in 2007? “

SPONSOR

If you have thoughts on this that you haven't added, please do (here or on Yahoo, or both!)

4 comments

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: Holly [Member]

· http://africa-adoption.adoptionblogs.com

Agreed, Erin. Why don't they just die and decrease the surplus population?! An entire generation of Scrooges of the worst sort.

"We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty."

and

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."
Mother Teresa

Keep working on the drops . . .

Permalink 02/07/07 @ 07:13

Comment from: arroller [Member]

I think it's important that we keep in mind that the world's children include the unborn children also. If we do not speak up for and protect the most vulnerable of all God's children, it stands to reason that the others won't be protected, either. I was shocked (& actually still am) when I found out that adoptive & prospective-adoptive parents are not all against abortion.

Angela :-)

Permalink 02/07/07 @ 09:23

Comment from: katie [Member]

This is the answer I had that didn't post yesterday. As the world grows smaller, our responsibilities to the world grow larger. 100 years ago, it was far more difficult to learn about the rest of the world, much less help in a significant way. Now that we know about the numerous tragedies that face the world's children, we are called to action. Although I have adopted internationally twice, I have not realy helped the world's children. I have only helped my children, like any parent does.

So I donate money to the children left behind. I try my best to educate those interested in how they can help. I vote in ways that help America's children.

I do as much as I can that is easy. I wish I sacrificed a little more to help the world become a better place. The idea that America's children are more worthy of help is silly. All children deserve nothing less than the best. If we waited until every child in America had the life he deserved, we would never be able to help anyone else. We must help both American and non-American children. We must find ways to change laws in this country as well as hearts. Every child deserves a future and shame on me for not working harder to make sure I am doing everything in my power to make that so.

Permalink 02/07/07 @ 12:50

Comment from: Blaine1975 [Member]

Your blog, your family, this post; are a beautiful start toward helping the world's children. This discussion, even the negative posts on the UNICEF site, is a huge step too. While that attitude makes us feel sick, that same negativity can light the fire and passion in those of us that do care and want to help. Each and every one of us that do know about these issues, that do know of things we can do to make things better, that do have the resources to give a little more; need to be spurred on to action by the very fact that so many will do nothing. Everyone that has traveled to Ethiopia, Haiti, China, Vietnam, Liberia, South Africa, Guatemala, Russia, Cambodia (the list could go on and on), etc., and has seen the overwhelming poverty and suffering, knows they need to act. I know it's cliche, but evey little bit really does help. Now, let's all get moving on giving our little bit!!

Permalink 02/08/07 @ 12:48

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