Cold War Kids

Because members of the Russian Parliament were bent out of shape by the U.S. calling their country out for human rights abuses, they decided they would take it to a whole new level by passing a bill to make it illegal for American families to adopt Russian children.

The Russian measure was developed in retaliation for a new American law that will punish Russian citizens who are accused of violating human rights, by barring them from travel to the United States and from owning real estate or maintaining financial assets here.

Russian Orphans

Since 1999 approximately 45,000 Russian children have been adopted by American families.  So of course it makes perfect sense to deny children an opportunity to grow up in a loving family to prove a political point. We agree with U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul who said:

                "The welfare of children is simply too important to be linked to other
                  issues in our bilateral relationship."

Pray that the upper house, or ultimately Vladimir Putin put an end to this gamesmanship, because the only ones who will suffer are orphaned Russian children.