Designer Social Causes??

     The fascination with celebrities and the tendency to allow them to choose what is important in life just boggles my mind!  Simple as that!  Why do people jump on bandwagons to save children or support causes in far away places that they have never heard of just because some celebrity has chosen that place to put their efforts and mass millions of dollars toward that particular cause?  Now, don't get angry, I am not saying that we should not have international aid, and I am not discouraging you from adopting a third world child or from buying Toms shoes.  No, absolutely not!!  I have a few causes far from home that I feel pretty passionate about myself!   All I am asking is that, as a nation, we stop and take a look a little bit (okay, a whole lot) closer to home and spread the wealth.  While you are on your way to the post office or local charity office to donate school supplies to children in Afghanistan take a quick detour to the school closest to your home and make a donation there, as well. Without even knowing where you live, I feel completely confident in guaranteeing that there is no shortage of children in need of supplies (clothing and meals, too) in your neighborhood school.  Maybe even right in your own child's classroom.  For that matter, I can absolutely guarantee that every teacher in every school across the country routinely uses his/her own money to subsidize basic supplies for the classroom!  Think about it, when you were little, do you ever remember taking paper towels to school as part of your supply list? 

     Many jump to send money to causes or organizations that a favorite celebrity has deemed worthy.  Why?  Because this cause is now on their radar due to the media coverage available to said celebrity.  These same people tend to turn their heads and lift their noses at the homeless person they pass on the way to work every morning.  Maybe the recent jobless/homeless fiasco here in America will help open eyes and soften hearts to the plight of those struggling right here at home.  No, not all homeless are mentally ill or social outcasts that choose to live that way!

     You may even be shocked to find that children in your local schools are, in fact, homeless.  The latest numbers I can find suggest that 1 in 50 or 1.5 million American children are homeless.  They and their families struggle to keep an appearance of normalcy for the social sake of the children.  All they want is for the children to receive an education in a safe and non-judgemental environment.  We all know that schools can be an extremely hostile environment due to bullying so can you imagine what that environment would be like for a child who is known to be homeless?  Oh my!

     I often wonder about adoption trends.  I say wonder, because I certainly do not know anything about the true plight of a family wishing to adopt a child.  Is it difficult to be approved as adoptive parents in the United States?  Too expensive?  Why do so many couples turn to foreign countries for adoption?  Is it because there are more infants needing a home? We have all heard the rote propaganda that people want to adopt babies, not older children.  I really, honestly do not want to be cynical or judgmental and jump to any conclusions about adoption from overseas being "trendy", certainly the subject is much more sensitive than that!  I mean, we are talking about children here, not designer dogs.  So, again I say, I simply do not know the answer to these questions.  I could spend hours and hours looking through adoption statistics and even try to interview adoptive families, but I have an inkling of doubt that I would be able to even scratch the surface of what all truly...truly...goes into such a decision and journey.  I do believe it must be quite a journey.  If I am to be honest, which I obviously want to be since I tend to put my hand out there where it can be chopped at by popular opinion, my real question here would be, aren't there enough orphans right here in the United States who need families and forever homes?  Again, no judgment intended...just wondering.

  Here are a few statistics from FY 2010 regarding children in the foster care system in the United States.  These numbers were taken from the following site: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/trends_june2011.pdf

The number of children in foster care: 408,000

•            new to the system in FY 2010 including re-entries  254,000
•             children that exited the system :   254,000
•             children in the system waiting to be adopted:  107,000 (this number does not include       children 16 years or older or that have a goal of emancipation)
• children in the system due to the termination of parental rights: 64,000
• children with public child welfare involvement that were adopted: 53,000  (no private adoptions included)
• estimated number of children served by the public child welfare system in FY2010: 662,000

662,000!!!!!!!!!!   American children that needed help, some even needing rescue from their own parents.  Sobering and sad beyond words!

     My frustration with the American fascination with saving the world while our own citizens are hurting, homeless, and hungry only grow exponentially with the current political and economic climate.  Politically, our government falls over itself trying so hard not to offend and to aid foreign governments, many of which would just as soon see the collapse and complete demise of the United States!  Why do we bow to our enemies?  These countries, very obviously, have one hand out while holding a gun to our heads with the other.  The world does not want anything to do with America until they need something from us.  Truly, how many countries are accepting aid in various ways while simultaneously plotting our demise?  This goes against even basic playground etiquette.  Even a 5 year old will quickly understand that the kid who acts like your friend then steals your lunch money is really not your friend at all.  The United States of America is the greatest and strongest country in the world with a short but very rich history, we may be hanging on by our toenails at the moment, but that does not speak to the tenacity, strength, or dedication of our citizens!  Why oh why does our government insist on acting like the geek that will do anything and give anything to gain favor with the school bullies that torment him everyday?

     Let us stop saving the world and save AMERICA...one child, one family, one neighborhood, one school, one city at a time!