Earlier, while doing research on the region of Voronezh for part of my regional roundup series, I stumbled upon a website that I thought was very interesting. Last year, when it appeared that Russian adoptions my close or slow down (this, in response to the news coverage of "Masha," the Russian girl adopted by a pedophile as well as two deaths of children adopted from Russia at the hands of their adoptive parents), many groups and individuals tried to draw positive light on the Russian adoption experience through a number of different efforts. FRUA started a letter-writing campaign, where adoptive parents wrote about their experiences with their children and the appreciation they had for the Russian people to allow the adoptions to take place. I sent 20 copies of my book to that effort. Sometimes I wonder who got them...

Alex Clements, a 17-year-old adopted from St. Petersburg when he was five, started a message board for other adoptees to speak out in support of Russian adoption. Here's the link.

Here's what Alex wants Mr. Putin to know:

I created this board so that other kids who were born in Russia can speak out. They need to hear from us in Russia--we know what it is like not to have a family. My mom said that this is happening because a boy adopted from Russia was killed. Of course, this is awful, but there are thousands and thousands of us here, living in America, and we are doing just fine. I am hoping that my voice and other voices will be heard. Mr. Putin--don't take away these children's right to have a family. It's not fair.

Several of the posts seem written by parents (the children are too young to write it themselves, perhaps?) but this one, from Irina, who is 16, seems to be straight from a teenager:

I just turned 16 last week and well as i know i believe that when were in the orphanages i guess when u turn 16 you have to leave the orphanage and well i wouldn't know what i would have done if i was stil in Russian because i dont have any relatives that i can live with and at that age i cant get a job or drive a car. And now i have way more opotunitys in this world. I can finally go to high school and go to college and get the job that ive dreamed of when i was 12. Some nights before i go to sleep i pray and hope that everyone in Russian will be safe. Ever since i moved here ive made many wonderful friends. There are so many beautiful things in this world that i want kids that are in Russia to see. Somedays i wish to be rich and bring all the kids who have no familys to America and change there lifes like it changed mine!

I found this site to be incredibly poignant, especially the posts from the kids old enough to know what they were writing. I'll end with something by a girl named Masha, called "Just a normal kid."

My name is Masha. I was adopted from Russia when I was one and I am now almost 14. My mom told me I could write about how I feel. But I wanted to think about what I wanted to say. Because I really don?t think a lot about being adopted. I know I?m Russian and we celebrate Russian holidays. My Mom tells me its a wonderful country. We went to see the Nicholas and Alexander exhibit when it was here and I was so proud to tell the people there that I was Russian. But I?m just a normal kid. I have a great family, we have a nice house, I go to a nice school, I have my computer, I study music and gymnastics and I am happy. I know hundreds of other kids adopted from Russia from the picnics and parties we go to. And they are just like me. And I don?t think much about what my life would have been if I was still in the orphanage in Russia. I have a friend from school who moved here from Russia and I am sure my life would not have been like hers was. Because she has a mom and dad and if I hadn?t been adopted I still wouldn?t. Why do kids have to live in orphanages when there are so many people who want kids? And why would anyone think it was helping kids not to let them be adopted?