Child Collector

World Wrap Federation, January 2010

When I travel, I like to collect art work.  I have paintings from local artists, small sculptures, carpets and other household items I have collected.

Obviously, I’m behind the times.  Brad and Angelina like to collect children when they travel.  So far they have collected Maddox Chivan, Zahara Marley, Pax Thien and Shiloh Nouvel.  And just to round it out they added two more from the good ol’ United States of America —Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, birthed in France this time by Angelina herself!

When I wandered through the market in Tanzania, and said “oh how gorgeous!” I picked up a watercolor painting.  But when Angelina wanders in Ethiopia and says, “oh how beautiful!” she apparently picks up a child.

Mr. and Mrs. Pitt went to India to pick up a brown one and India told them to forget it.  They went home with a sari or jewelery like the rest of us.  I applaud India for the decision that just said no to Child Collectors.  It’s about time someone told this couple that children are to be cherished and brought into a family to be loved and cared for—not as another publicity stunt.

I’m not against adoption, by any means.  I love my adopted nephews and niece very much.  But they were adopted after much careful consideration and deep soul searching on the part of their parents.

No matter what their publicist says about how “hands on” Brad and Angelina are, you and I both know these kids are dumped with the nanny(s) most of the time, except when they are taken out for an occasional photo op.  And who advocated for the children when they were forced to leave their country and were brought to America (not everyone wants to live here!) to be the collection of  this hunted and don’t-take-pictures-of-us!-wait-i-live-for-fame harassed couple?

I wonder why this couple had to leave their country to collect these children.  Did they think about adopting one of the thousands of children who are in the many fost-adopt programs in America?  Most of these children are no longer babies, or have complications (health or emotional) but are desperately waiting for adoptive parents.  Of course these are not “perfect” children and might not present the proper “we love the world” perspective Brad and Angelina want to portray.  We have so many children in the country who could benefit from an adoptive family.  Doesn’t charity begin at home?

I’m posting about child collection because I have something to say about people who are up in arms about the lady who has seven cats but give Child Collectors a pass.