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I adopted my cat Micky.
That is as far as it goes.
I happen to like that song.I adopted my cat Micky.
That is as far as it goes.
Is he so fine?
Do you go "Hey Micky?"
Well, adopting pets is good too xeno!
I happen to like that song.I adopted my cat Micky.
That is as far as it goes.
Is he so fine?
Do you go "Hey Micky?"
Well, adopting pets is good too xeno!
He got his name from Micky Rooney, because he has an orange head like rooney!
I saw it, how anyone can go against 'feelings' and 'having my baby' as the worst eva is a mystery.heh, I posted it in the "Worst Song Thread"-sorry Kitty Micky!
When my daughter and I get a dog, we are going to adopt one from the animal shelter.
I saw it, how anyone can go against 'feelings' and 'having my baby' as the worst eva is a mystery.heh, I posted it in the "Worst Song Thread"-sorry Kitty Micky!
When my daughter and I get a dog, we are going to adopt one from the animal shelter.
You usually can judge Vladimir Putins dislike of a reporter's question by the intensity of his expression. Such was the case this week at his annual news conference, when he greeted with a hard scowl the subject of pending Russian legislation that would ban Americans from adopting orphaned children. Mr. Putin unleashed invective on the fact that consular representatives arent allowed to visit adopted Russian children in the United States. I believe that is unacceptable. Do you think this is normal? How can it be normal when you are humiliated? Do you like it? Are you a sadomasochist or something? They shouldnt humiliate our country, he told reporters in Moscow.
As is often the case in Russia, there is the issue of what is going on versus what is really going on. And as is often the case in Russia, its complicated. There is very little doubt as to the goal of the legislation, which passed its third and final reading in the lower house of parliament Friday and must still be signed by Putin. The bill is named after Dima Yakovlev, the toddler who died of heat stroke in 2007 after his adopted father forgot him in a locked car in Virginia for nine hours. The father, Miles Harrison, was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Dima, whose adopted name was Chase. His acquittal in 2008 sparked banner newspaper headlines, incendiary TV news reports, and howls of outrage in Russia.
Lawmakers in the State Duma made it clear that today's legislation is a direct response to the US Magnitsky Act, a law designed to sanction a particular group of Russian officials connected to the death of a whistle-blowing lawyer in a Moscow prison. In other words, a law designed to punish people tied to a lawyers prison death has been answered with a law to prevent people from adopting orphaned children, many of whom have have developmental or other disabilities and will otherwise end up living much of their lives in orphanages that often resemble state mental hospitals of a bygone era.
Adoption is a searingly emotional issue for Russians, and one easily manipulated by the Kremlin. The institution of adoption is relatively uncommon in Russia, for cultural and other reasons. And judging by headlines in the Moscow tabloids, and the rhetoric of some state lawmakers, youd think that Americans adopt Russian children to eat them.
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Washington swiftly slammed the move, saying Russian children would be harmed by the measure. The State Duma passed the bill without debate in a quick 420-7 vote on Friday, while protesters picketed the building, demanding that the measure be voted down. However, the vote took place in a largely ceremonial third and final reading of the legislation, and its outcome was never in doubt. We regret the results of todays Duma vote, US Ambassador to the Russian Federation Michal McFaul tweeted shortly after the decision. He told the Interfax news agency separately that the US was extremely concerned by the laws provisions.
The Kremlin-dominated upper house is now expected to approve the ban on Wednesday before passing it on to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his signature. The Russian leader has indicated he is ready to put his name on the measure so that it could enter law on Jan. 1. The measure, which underscores the severity of the recent strain in Russia-US ties, would end about 1,000 adoptions a year. Caregivers in particular fear that the new rules are to hit the most disadvantaged children, because foreign adoptive parents are often ready to adopt kids rejected by Russian families.
Acting US Department of State spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the bill would ultimately have the effect of keeping Russian children from growing up in loving households in the US. What this would do is prevent children from growing up in a family environment of happiness, love and understanding, he said. And so thats the basic premise of our bilateral adoption agreement. Its something weve worked for many months with the Russians on. And so really its Russian children who would be harmed by this measure. The affair has also highlighted Cabinet splits between those who subscribe to strong anti-US rhetoric and those who prefer to cast Moscow as a more reasoned partner.
Russian parliament gives approval to US adoption ban - Taipei Times
Under recent regulatory changes in Russia, any online public petition winning the support of at least 100,000 citizens within a one-year period must be taken up by the State Duma, the lower house of parliament. The new Russian Public Initiative program has yet to be tested, but the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper gathered 100,000 signatures opposing the adoption ban bill in just two days and submitted them to the Duma this week. On Wednesday, the chairman of the Duma committee responsible for constitutional legislation, Vladimir Pligin, confirmed that at the Duma speakers request, the committee would consider the petition, probably at its first meeting of the new session on January 14, the official RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Pligin, a member of President Vladimir Putins United Russia party, noted that it was unprecedented in Russia for an online petition to be taken up by lawmakers in this way. The public initiative plan originated with an article written by Putin when campaigning early this year for a return to the presidency. He said then that it should be obligatory for the Duma to discuss any initiative that enjoys the support of at least 100,000 people. That the adoption ban is the first subject to be taken up in this way is somewhat ironic, as Putin is widely viewed as supportive of the measure.
The bill is part of Russias retaliation for new U.S. legislation targeting human rights violators. The Magnitsky Act, strongly opposed by the Kremlin, is named for a Russian whistleblower who died in custody in 2009. It establishes a public blacklist of rights violators who will be denied U.S. visas and have any U.S.-based assets frozen. The Duma last week gave final approval for the adoption ban by a 420-7 vote, and on Wednesday the Federation Council Russias upper house of parliament unanimously passed it. If signed by Putin, it is due to take effect from January 1. At a press conference last week the president stopped short of pledging to sign the law but did indicate his support, calling it an adequate response by lawmakers to Americas unfriendly Magnitsky Act.
Despite the overwhelming parliamentary support for the adoption ban, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedevs cabinet is reportedly divided over the issue. Medvedev himself had declared himself in favor, but Russian media reports say Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and one of six deputy prime ministers in the cabinet, Olga Golodets, are among those opposed. An estimated 500,000 Russian childen are orphans or have parents who for various reasons are unable to care for them. Most are in state-run orphanages or state-organized foster care.
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