Internet not for selling children

Most married couples have dreams that accompany a happy life together. One is to grow old together, loving each other more and more each day. Another, but no less important, is to raise children to carry on the family legacy and to make the world a better place. This dream of children now has two couples engaged in a legal battle that will probably scar all parties involved.\nRichard and Vickie Allen, a California couple, adopted twin girls from Caring Heart Adoption, a San Diego-based Internet site. The Allens paid $6,000 to adopt them.\nAlan and Judith Kilshaw had the same idea. The Kilshaws, from North Wales in Great Britain, paid as much as $23,000 to get the girls to England from the same Web site.\nThe Internet is the place for all your shopping needs. Clothing, food and even babies.\nThe Allens apparently had the girls for about two months before they were "duped" into giving the babies back to the agency, when the Kilshaws received them. The Allens didn't think too highly of this and took the Kilshaws to court for custody of the babies. The case went to court in Arkansas, where the actual birth mother, Trenda Wecker, was a supposed resident. The judge in Arkansas ruled for the Kilshaws, and they received young Belinda and Kimberly.\nWhat has come to light recently is that Wecker might not even have been a resident of Arkansas. To be considered a resident, she needed to live in Arkansas for 30 days before the adoption hearing, which was not the case. So the Allens are arguing the Arkansas courts were out of their jurisdiction when the case was decided. \nTo make this case even more fun, Wecker said she now wants to retain custody of her children. Apparently, things are different for her now.\nI understand that sometimes babies are put up for adoption under trying circumstances. But this seems suspicious to me -- now, after the fight for her children, she has friends and family who can help her take care of the babies. Where were these friends and family before?\nWe are living in the digital age, the wireless age or whatever you might want to call it. But it is time we realize there are things that don't belong online. \nThese are live human beings, not just something you can buy and ship back if it doesn't fit right.\nAdoption is a good thing, because every child has a right to parents who will care for them and love them. And these days, fewer activities take place face to face. \nGet off the Internet and realize that people are good. \nIf you are deciding who will be the parents of a child, please do it in person. While this case involves two harmless couples, there could well be a murderer lurking on those adoption pages. And that is a story no one wants to read, ever.