China's adoption syndrome

Published: Thursday, Dec. 28, 2006 12:07 a.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Americans are so accustomed to the notion of fair play that the arbitrary ways of other countries can set them on their heels. Such was the case recently when China announced new restrictions for adopting Chinese babies. Do you have a weight problem? Don't bother to apply. Has your face been disfigured? Sorry. Are you single, married less than two years, over 50, on anti-depressants? Too bad.

American reaction was typical. It seemed unfathomable and unfair that China would think heavy people can't be good parents or that someone whose face is scarred isn't worthy to raise a child. In short, Americans reacted as they always do — by thinking in terms of individuals. But in China and other totalitarian nations, being an individual can land you in trouble. There is no "case by case" approach and no questions are allowed.

Do Chinese officials feel a disfigured person will frighten a child, or do they think heavy people will pass the condition onto an adopted baby? The world will never know. China will never explain. We are left only to speculate.

A cynical view would be that China is just beefing up its public relations. Since 1989, Americans have adopted 48,504 children — 7,906 in 2005 alone. Perhaps the image of all those loving American parents made China appear it was turning its back on its own offspring. The willy-nilly rules may well be window-dressing to show that China isn't just dumping its babies overseas.

Story continues below

For now, the big losers are prospective parents in the United States and other countries who will be denied the chance to lift babies out of hopelessness and give them a good life.

The winners are people everywhere who don't have to live under the iron hand of Chinese totalitarianism. For Americans and people in other democratic nations, the notion of a government that is never responsive to the will of the people and never forced to explain its actions goes beyond bizarre. It goes all the way to frightening.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

previousnext

Latest comments

Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake

Just consider who they chose as the guest MC: Glenn Beck from "Fox News",...

It was pageantry. I assume you've all been to Manti. When you watch a...

Sacred = Deceit? This statement sums it up: "We felt, in the spirit and...

Every time I am in down town Salt Lake I see that idiot building just sitting...

i like okur. and he is a model citizen for the jazz. if boozer goes, okur...

Obama controls all

To "Rise up? | 7:30 a.m." so you say "We rid ourselves of the 8 year cancer...

I love it. Couldn't agree more.

What a bunch of moronic posts! Science is supposed to be about skeptism,...

I like today's story about Biden that said: According to the White House...

I am glad (sarcastically) how the Obama administration will back up a petty...

Advertisements