http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2015/s4249194.htm
The ABC’s 7.30 Report last night aired several adoptees speaking out against adoption. They were supported by former Family Court Judge: Professor Nahum Mushin. The long term mental health damage that adoptees suffer from being separated from their mothers in particular, extended family and their loss of identity was discussed . And in the case of intercountry adoptees – loss of their cultural identity as well.
One adoptee mentioned that many orphanages sprung up to warehouse babies and toddlers for adults wishing to adopt. She labelled these “dodgy orphanages” and “trafficking stations”.
The adoptees questioned Tony Abbott’s promise to fast-track adoptions from overseas
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-04/adult-adoptees-question-abbotts-adoption-promise/6523066
I have discussed what amounts to an orphan/orphanage industry in more detail on this blog.
http://apologyalliance.com/2014/11/12/deborra-lee-furness-child-saver-or-child-trafficker/
Once westerners begin to move in to an area and demand babies, black markets develop. The number of orphanages directly increase as a result of demand and entrepreneurs in baby trafficking will stock them with babies and toddlers that may have been kidnapped or coerced from parents. UNICEF is urging that poor parents are supported so that poverty does not force them to turn to these orphanages once set up. So ubiquitous is this problem that some have labelled the collection of children – mostly NOT orphans – as Orphan Shopping. And/or Orphan Tourism
(See) Orphan Tourism in Cambodia
http://nelbie.com/kevmarl/2014/8/5/the-cambodian-orphans-head-first-with-sabour-bradley-on-abctv
Many of these orphanages allow unsupervised visits by foreigners and some foreigners pay to “help out”. Intercountry adoption as was local domestic adoption is racked with crime, mismanagement and the commodification of children for money. It is about the wants of adults – as adoptees stated in their ABC interview – and so ‘eloquently’ underscored by Tony Abbott ‘ “Adoption should be made easier quicker and cheaper for those wishing to adopt”.
Deborra Lee Furness’s representative on the program provided the adopters side, briefly stated – their providing a service: ‘Orphan saving – because there are millions of needy orphans worldwide’. This is spin:
The truth is there are millions of poor families who are separated from their children because of poverty: http://apologyalliance.com/2014/05/01/modern-day-slavery-the-reason-australia-has-stringent-regs-re-intercountry-adoption/
If all the rhetoric is true and adoption is really ‘about the children’ then shouldn’t the so called ‘saved children’, now adults be the ones listened to? And why if it is really about ‘saving children’, is the national conversation around adoption always framed by adopters – or their representatives or organisations who financially benefit by the institution?
There should be no more adoptions ever.
There always have been and always will be members of the child’s extended family who will be willing and able to step in and care for the baby.
I wrote to Mr Abbott before he was elected prime mister, he read my letter gave me bla bla response and then said it was someone else’s issue to address. Now that he is making it his issue by talking to the likes of Debra Furness we again have him, giving us bla bla statements. He knows the truth, he knows adoptees have suffered terribly, but once again this is about money. Money for the govt, to save keeping kids in care and money from, big business adoption agencies. More adoptees need to speaking up and lobbying because yes we are the very ones he claims needed saving. Now as adults we can tell them they are not saving us but damaging us and we want something done about it and to stop the theft of more children. I feel sick to my stomach as I have been saying these things for years and at the senate inquiry. Adoptees were being prevented from having a voice, apologies were supposed to only be about the mothers, well it’s not! The very children taken are more damaged than ever and it’s about time the whole world woke up, including some of the very mothers who had their child removed. We are not living fairy tail lives, we have endured, muffled screams and cry’s within our hearts and souls all our life. Our grief , pain and loss almost crushing us and enticing us to death as it would be a far greater better choice than the agonizing life without the love of our mothers and belonging, with our biological families.