Death of Adopted Russian Boy Threatens Further Rift with Country

It'll only make worse the anti-Americanism already felt there, claims writer

The death of a Texas toddler adopted from Russia is threatening to "screw up US-Russian relations even more," writes Business Insider's Adam Taylor.

Following last years's spiteful, but nonetheless popular ban by Russian authorities on adoptions of their little ones by Americans, 3-year-old Max Alan Shatto of Gardendale, Texas died this week of unknown causes. And while an autopsy is currently underway, reports suggest the boy may have been abused, and the local Medical Examiner's Office discovered bruises on Shatton's body.

It's a tragedy that threatens to undo any effort to reverse the adoption ban, which is actually backed by a majority of Russians despite the awful conditions of their country's orphanages, claims Taylor.

"The effect of this story is two-fold," he writes. "First, it helps neuter the arguments of those in Russia who have protested against the ban - it's virtually impossible to argue with the death of a child; second, it adds fuel to the widespread anti-Americanism in Russia that is only likely to grow."

Via Business Insider and the New York Times.

Do Russians have a right to feel upset with America over the adoption issue?

[Zazziness]

I have a penpal in Russia. She's a mother of three and a schoolteacher, married to a college professor. She was in love with the idea of America and was really excited when her oldest daughter came here to do missionary work with her church. But when mom came to L.A. to visit her daughter and actually saw America, her enthusiasm waned. She didn't understand why we never interact with our neighbors, she didn't understand why we drive to places we can get to on foot, and after watching the news a few days, she assumed she was about to be a crime victim at any moment. I guess meeting reality can kill a crush.

[Realthinker]

I'm curious. Did you allow her to think that LA is typical of America?

[Zazziness]

@Realthinker I think the things she disliked about LA were typical of urban and even suburban America.

[CaryNickel]

But....but....but...This is the America created by the the modern liberal values of the hippie generation! This is the America that voted for the savior Barack Obama...TWICE! This is the America of "social justice", general welfare, and "moving forward"! This is the America of abortion on demand, gay marriage, and open access to pot for everybody! This is the America of technological advances like murderous video games, Ipods, and trivial social media and hybrid cars! You lefties keep lambasting us conservatives for wanting to turn back the clock to the days of "Ozzie and Harriet", while you press for even further "progress"! And now you report the opinion one Russian woman had of the only superpower left in the world when she came to see the results of your "progress", which wasn't a good opinion precisely because she didn't drop into an episode of "The Andy Griffith Show". Well, we reap what we sow. After all, we wouldn't want to go back to those terrible Eisenhower days, would we?

[Real4WheelDrv]

@CaryNickel Knock off the video game BS, I grew up playing everything violent under the sun...still do, when I have time, AND I grew up with a built-in trigger for an inferiority complex...and I have YET to be a psychopath, and trust me, If I was gonna be, it would have been immediately after HS graduation...nearly a decade on, so I think the world is safe.

[Zazziness]

@CaryNickel Nonsense. Really, the rightwing extremists just amaze me when they wallow in whining about personal responsibility at the same time they deny they're not responsible for anything. Take your Andy Griffith Show and stuff it in your self-righteousness.

[GedankPol]

The Russians DO have a point. The child death rate for White Children in the USA as of 2007 was 25.8 deaths per 100,000. Thirty Thousand (30,000) Russian Children have been adopted by US parents in recent years. Of those 30,000 Russian Children, NINETEEN (19) have died. Thirty-thousand (30,000) is a bit UNDER 1/3 of 100,000. So, a more "reasonable" (that word sounds INDECENT when applied to the death of anyone, especially a child) expectation of a death rate would be EIGHT (8) Russian Children dying according to statistics, but CERTAINLY NOT 19. There's something wrong with that picture, unless the children adopted had unknown terminal illnesses when they passed away, US Parents DO have a lot to explain to the Russian Authorities. And hey, I have an INTENSE dislike for Putin and his government, so don't think I'm a sympathizer!

[culinary]

The death of a child, adopted or biological, Russian or American, is a horrible thing; unthinkable if by abuse. What difference does it make where the child came from? American biological xhildren are victims of abuse, as well.

[NTBFW]

No opinion. I will just get attacked and won't be able to defend myself.

[AntiPorcheria]

I'm disgusted by the fact that there are so many unwanted children in America and the red-tape involved to adopt them is so high that people go all around the world to adopt other children. Makes no damned sense.

[Real4WheelDrv]

The heart of the matter entirely.

[Zazziness]

Last I checked, there were over half a million children in the U.S. foster care system so you have a good point.

[Realthinker]

I agree, to a point. In many ways there is too much red tape. And sometimes, children are given to people who should never be parents. I was allowed to be adopted by a woman who was both paranoid and an alcoholic. A neighbor and a classmate, same age, was sexually abused by her adopted father. I know people are going to slip through the cracks occasionally, but two of us, the same age, on the same block? Makes me wonder. Some oversight is vital.

[Real4WheelDrv]

Sad for the families involved, but for every other aspect...yawn. How bout we reform the convoluted and red tape clogged adoption system in THIS country to make it more attractive to help our own. Or is it simply not fulfilling enough unless people can feel like a mighty savior and life is a giant Christian Children's Fund ad?

[mimi57]

My son and his wife were afraid to adopt an American baby, as the natural mom
can change her mind and legally get custody back from the adoptive parents. It
happened in the town they lived, it was a very sad story. That is why they decided
to adopt from another country. They have a little girl from Guatemala also.

[AntiPorcheria]

@mimi57 - "Adoption Scandal: The Lost Children Of Guatemala

In recent years, authorities in Guatemala have tried to crack down on illegal child adoptions by foreigners. Corruption, however, is preventing the impoverished Central American country from eradicating the blight of child trafficking.

Corruption, however, remains rampant, meaning children are still being shuttled out of the country under questionable circumstances. The trade is said to bring in $200 million a year.".
.
.
http://www.worldcrunch.com/adoption-scandal-l...

[mimi57]

@AntiPorcheria I can tell you that Guetamala is a terrible place, I've been there..
My son has a beautiful home, he owns his own business and she has a PHD and
teaches as a professor.Both kids are doing great in school, have love, support and
everything they need and more than enough of what they want. Her life in Guatemala
would have been one of Hell, It is a poverty stricken and extremely dangerous place,
where human life is cheap and human traffidking is abundant, it is a hopeless place.

[AntiPorcheria]

@mimi57 - I can tell you that Appalachia is a terrible place, I've been there. Not much different than Guatemala. Good that your son is so blessed. IMO: We should concern ourselves with tending to the children of America first and then to bringing in more children from around the globe. The life of most of the Appalachian children is Hell. Low to no education. Kidnapped and shipped around the US as sex slaves. Really, when you think about it...bringing children in from another country and ignoring the ones right here is a pretty selfish and self defeating act.

[mimi57]

@AntiPorcheria www.avivara.org/aboutguetamala/povertyingueta...

[Chromalord]

what? Only Americans have a right to feelings? What a dumb question.

[Real4WheelDrv]

Gotta hand it to Russia, they've mastered one of the tenets of American politics and social interaction, want to cloud everyone's judgement and set off knee jerk reactions, just scream "think of the children!"

[kathyparsell]

My mixed feelings come from my belief that the adoption rife is as much political for Russia as it is concern and the many children that need adoption in America.

[mimi57]

My oldest son adopted a baby boy from Russia. There orphanages are deporable.
One woman is in charge of taking care of forty babies and kids, they play with dog
toys and are terribly neglected. This is just another excuse for Putin to continue the
ban on the adoption of Russian children. How sad, the orphans are warehoused in
Russia and totally abandoned...He doesn't care, he just wants revenge on the U.S.,
and uses orphans to do it. What a heartless, evil man.

[Zazziness]

Considering an earlier post that noted the unusually high death toll for children adopted from Russia into America, I think you're not considering all the facts.

[mimi57]

@Zazziness I don't believe many of the 'facts', I would have to see the proof. This
is not what I've seen or heard until today. My son networks with several people with
adopted Russian children and they have wonderful lives. Of course there are exceptions, as with anything. I know what I've seen and experianced ,and the lives
most children have here that come from Russia are wonderful. They would and don't
have a chance at even a decent existence, even by Russia's standards...

[Zazziness]

@mimi57 Maybe ask the poster above who quoted the statistics to provide a link? You're right that it's good to double check. He did say that out of 30,000 adoptions, nineteen had died, so the odds would say it's normal that the people you know personally would have good experiences. He was just pointing out that nineteen deaths is an unusually high number even out of 30,000.

[mimi57]

@Zazziness Many of the kids who come here from Russia have fetal alcohol syndrome and other health problems as well. Kids get bruises all the time, I
volunteer, and do remedial reading classes for kids and am always inquiring as
to why the kids have bruises, usually it's from falling, fighting w/ siblings, etc.
Kids get a lot of bruises. I'd be curious to know what the death rate is for kids in Russia, maybe I'll check into it.( ;

[DerivePI]

This is akin to China telling us we aren't doing enough to stop global warming. What's next, India telling us to get our rape epidemic in check?

Maybe John Kerry can help those poor parents that won't be able to adopt Russian children, but do any of them want to adopt John Kerry? His diapers really stink.

[AlexMIA]

Oh no! The Russians won't like us anymore! This country is ass backwards now a days. How about letting them finish the investigation and not assuming the worst just yet? And why the hell are we adopting kids from anywhere but here?

[Grubby]

My daughter and son in law adopted a little boy from Russia. He was abandoned by his alcoholic mother at birth. He really hit the jackpot. He is loved by the whole family, fits right in, and lives in large, Christian home with a 2 acre yard in a VERY upscale community. He will have a fine life indeed. Unfortunate that there are bad parents out there, but not every Russian child is destined for a bad life in America. Remember, all generalizations are false, even the one in this sentence.

[Denizen_Kate]

Can I remind you of that last statement the next time you make a generalization? ;-)

[Vance1]

doesnt matter liberals push the anti-Americanism everyday

[Hoosierdaddy]

As an adopted child I couldn't be more grateful of the opportunities I have been given. My parents love me as their own and I them, blood doesn't matter love does. This case with the boy is rare and tragic, but most parents seeking adoption want nothing more than to raise a child right. The Russians are just jealous of the great opportunities that exist in America, and they do exist you just got to work hard get to know the right people and get a little lucky.

[Keyjo]

With all the American children waiting for adoption, I always wonder why people look elsewhere, anyway.

[Denizen_Kate]

I believe I can answer that with one word: lawyers.

[Keyjo]

@Denizen_Kate
I was just thinking that maybe there are loopholes allowing people to get custody of children from Russia or Africa. People who are rejected by U.S. authorities for adoption. There was a guy closed to where I live convicted for sexually abusing a little boy for years. He'd adopted the boy felt one of those former Soviet block countries. He left a DVD in a recorder he'd returned to a store! A clerk viewed it and called Police.

[wonka45ACP]

It's sinfull for an american family, to adopt a child from another country, what the hell is wrong with the underprivileged children in america! we have the same problems right here! unwanted kids .

[SignifiedNBlue]

Probably easier for someone to adopt from Russia than here. Maybe not enough background checks in such. Maybe this child from Russia would be alive if a better background check. It is incredible the amount of children dying in the hands of.Americans! I always felt there was a reason some people couldnt have kids! And shouldnt kill someone elses!

[Penn1699]

If the child was a victim of abuse then perhaps we should send the adoptive parents to Russia for trial.
That does not excuse Russia from putting two bombers with nuke tips above Guam though...