Angelina Jolie is willing to do almost anything to feed her addiction to child-adopting - including circumventing the laws of nations. The newest victims of Jolie's pushiness are the Vietnamese. Angelina saw a little orphan boy there she wanted to adopt, but she wasn't willing to go through the same process everyone else has to, so she used her movie-star clout and State Department connections to get around the pesky rules. The potential snag was that unmarried couples like Angelina and Brad are seen as less-than-ideal adoption candidates. So, Angelina simply applied as a "single mother." Said one international adoption advocate, "This is a clear contradiction of Vietnamese law, and such situations would not be allowed for other couples. ... Most cohabitating couples who try to adopt as a single parent are either turned away from agencies or face difficulties." But not Angelina. Because she's Angelina.
Of course, the argument in Jolie's favor is, "So what? As long as she's saving the little kid from poverty, who cares about the rules?" But the rules exist for a reason - to protect the kids. You screen adoption candidates because certain people aren't great prospects, they don't have stable situations, and bad things can happen. Am I saying we should be worried that Angelina is a bad mom? No. But why should we assume that, just because she's rich and famous, she will necessarily be able to give the kids she adopts a better life? If she's really such a wonderful mother, then let her go through the process like everyone else. She'll be vindicated in the end. The only reason she's circumventing the rules is because she doesn't want to be inconvenienced. Movie-stars get used to being fast-tracked, moved to the front of the line, let in through the side-door. And Angelina is no exception. However, if she's really such a great advocate of adoption as she claims, then she should have more respect for the rules. She shouldn't turn the adoption process into a farce. She should set a better example for other prospective adopters. Her behavior frankly makes her seem very selfish and unconcerned about supporting a system that, after all, exists to keep the kids from harm. But, of course, it's all about Angelina, isn't it? What Angelina wants Angelina gets.
