Has Madonna got it wrong?
An Oscar used to be a must-have in Hollywood, but nowadays it seems to have been replaced by an adopted baby, "preferably a black one plucked from an impoverished Third World country and flown halfway around the world on a private jet," writes Australia's Daily Telegraph. The newspaper's comment was provoked by pop-star Madonna's recent adoption of a Malawian baby. Many other publications around the world also had something to say about the matter.
If Madonna's wealth were the sole reason she managed to bypass adoption laws in Malawi, then the whole affair is objectionable and will serve as a bad example of wealthy white people bending the rules in Africa for their own self-interest, says Britain's Independent.
But it adds that "her wealth should not count against her", quoting Mirriam Nyirongo, a retired nurse who runs an orphanage in Malawi: "We must be frank. We can't afford to look after the thousands of babies that are being orphaned every day." So, those of you who think little David would be better off staying in his own country had better think twice, warns the newspaper.
Janice Armstrong, writing in the Philadelphia Daily News, applauds Madonna for what appears to be a selfless act and agrees that for children from a "desperately poor country" such as Malawi there are worse fates than being adopted by a star. But this is possibly just another of the singer's publicity stunts, she concludes.
Others are more critical. "A few thousand pounds, the merest drop in Madonna's fecund ocean of cash, would buy baby David a fine life in the bosom of his family," protests Vanessa Feltz in Britain's Daily Express newspaper. The baby Madonna has adopted is not an orphan and Madonna's decision to bring him to England "smacks of short-sightedness and possible selfishness", she concludes.
Britain's Guardian points out that, in most cases, foreigners want to adopt babies rather than older children who make up a large proportion of orphans. The paper also highlights the main reasons why some 48 million children have been orphaned in sub-Saharan Africa. In Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola, conflicts have driven numbers up, while AIDS is the main culprit in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa.
The Irish Independent doesn't look favourably on Madonna's quest "to bag herself her own ickle black baby" either. It doesn't make much difference to someone like her whether the baby is delivered in a private Lear jet with a bodyguard or by a stork, it concludes.
Views on the issue vary even among child welfare and adoption groups. Sue Kravitz, a Johannesburg social worker specialising in adoptions, says "... a child needs to be in a family, which is far better than growing up in an institution. We are in a crisis and there are a lot of children who need homes and that is the real issue."
Irene Mureithi, head of the Child Welfare Society of Kenya, where there are 600,000 AIDS orphans, thinks otherwise and echoes the stance of many aid agencies: "Is adoption the only solution for African children? There are other things that can be done so African children can grow in African communities. Children get confused. They ask why they are black in a white family: Why am I here? What happened?"
Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Reuters.
36 responses to “Has Madonna got it wrong?”
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18 Oct 2006 17:23:27 GMT
I will be more impressed when celebrities adopt special need children and also older children. For example, children whose legs have been blown off by mines, children who are mentally retarted, children who have Down's syndrome, children with Aids, children with leukemia, etc. These children also need homes and are very unadoptable. I'm sure there are children in the United States who need homes. A child does not have to be adopted from overseas. I am happy that any child is finding a loving home, God bless you for adopting, but care and adoptive measures should also be extended towards special need children.
18 Oct 2006 17:23:44 GMT
Madonna's adoption of an African baby. I'm in aagreement with the person who stated that the amount Madonna (an insult to the Blessed Virgin Mary)"paid" to buy an African baby from her family could have gone to take care of many children in need. If Madonna (what is her right name anyway?) and the likes of her want to help the Africans, they need to use the money they got for what some crazed Americans call talent, and help these very poor and displaced people.
Maybe they can buy a toehold into heaven that way. Lynn Ben-Ami18 Oct 2006 17:24:31 GMT
I believe it boils down to this: would you rather have David pampered with the best of everything, including education, by a publicity hound; or, would you rather have David languishing in poverty, to satisfy the "rights" activists? What about David's rights? With the education that could possibly be made available to David by Madonna, perhaps he could one day return to Malawi, as a young man who could bring good to his village, if not his country.
18 Oct 2006 17:24:56 GMT
The choices made for an infant unable to speak for itself mark the character of a country. Nonetheless, when the child reaches the age of majority he can (given the information and relative freedoms available to him in the country of birth) decide what kind of society is worth supporting. A trophy child from another country seems a poor demonstration of an individuals projection of high character. More likely this indicates someone in deep denial. Thank you for allowing my little blurb.
18 Oct 2006 17:25:20 GMT
Funny how the bashers leave out that Madonna met the father told him of her many programs to help him take care of his son if he wanted him. This child was left to be adopted because the father felt someone else could provide his son a better life. So there are two reasons for him dumping him off to be adopted, 1.) he really wanted a better life for his son, or 2.) just like in any where else in the world you have men and women both who do not want the responsibilty of children.
18 Oct 2006 17:26:27 GMT
I am an adoptee who is non white, and raised by whites in a town with ALL WHITE PEOPLE. I am not African, however. My situation was much different than that of African babies and children of today. I was taken from my culture and people by a hostile invading government as part of a program in ethnocide. I had a horrid life growing up with white people since I received alot of racism, I was always seen as the outsider. However, that said, I think there are no easy answers for Africa. An equity position would be that the west should help Africa get out of poverty, provide drugs to Aids victims and keep families together so that NO ONE has to give up their children. The best and only thing for a child is to BE WITH THEIR OWN PEOPLE!! I don't care what anyone says who thinks they are rescuing children by taking them a world away, this will probably END IN DISASTER, and it doesn't matter how rich Madonna is. SHe is WHITE the baby is BLA! CK. But as I say that, I fight the urge myself to run to Africa and rescue a child. See? I understand WHY she did it, because of compassion and I think the world needs way more compassion. As i said, there are no easy answers, but I stated what I thought would happen IN AN IDEAL WORLD. My advice to Madonna: keep David. Love him. Do not TREAT HIM DIFFERENT THAN YOUR BIOLOGICAL CHILDREN!! TREAT HIM LIKE HE IS YOUR OWN!! WHEN IT COMES TO THE WILL, TREAT HIM LIKE YOUR OWN CHILD!! WHEN HE GIVES YOU HEARTACHE AND HEADACHE, DO NOT RETURN HIM LIKE HE IS A PIECE OF PROPERTY. I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, LOVE HIM LIKE HE IS YOUR OWN! LASTLY, I WANT TO SAY MAKE SURE HE LEARNS ABOUT HIS OWN CULTURE!
19 Oct 2006 10:27:33 GMT
How dare you guys put the words of an adoption in to those horrible words to describe the Madonna situation. "preferably plucked one from the impoverished third world country. So, your referring to the little "black" baby as an animal? very nice. Whomsoever wrote this article should have everything thing he or she submits for publication screened.
19 Oct 2006 10:28:34 GMT
That this kid can get a healthy home and live in a safe world is a gift. Those of you who want to condemn Madonna should definitely stay away from me. I'll slap you until you hurt.
19 Oct 2006 10:29:37 GMT
LOL.. It is laughable that you have all these quotes from orphanages and the like yet David has a family. His father according a South African periodical wasn't aware Madonna was adopting his son, he thought his son was being taken into custody becuase he is an illiterate farmer and is unable to take care of his son properly.
Every other parent that adopts a child in Malawi is required, by their law, to stay in the country for no less than 18 months to be assessed by social workers to ensure they are fit parents. Maybe Madonna was too busy hanging herself on a cross in a mock crucifixtion in her concerts to take out the 18 months. I'm sure the other parents had much less on their plates when they did their time. Also when did money make someone a good parent? Look at most of Follywood's offspring and you will see some real winners. Or not to just pick on celebrities look at rich folks like the Hilton's, my they must be proud of Paris when she was funneling some guys hog in a video, or getting a DUI. Quite making excuses for the Elite who believe they are above all of us. Too many people are too busy being star struck to see through the mirage.19 Oct 2006 10:30:45 GMT
Consider this... I am only one But still I am one. I cannot do everything, But still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do. --edward everett hale
Like you and me, Madonna is only one person. According to the way she portray's herself in the public's eye now a days, she seems to be doing the best that she can in order to send out messages of love, peace and unity in a world corrupted by loss hopes and negativity. Unfortunately, throughout her career, she has been critisized for being human. But she continues to show us that she's a stong woman no matter what people may say. As Jane said, all choices in life are very complicated and there are no easy answers. My question to those with 'opinions' is...'What are YOU doing to make the world a better more peaceful place? Critisizing others' attempts?'Is this the right decision for Madonna? For right now, I believe that it is. There's no telling what challenges lie ahead but you'll never know till you try. Enjoy the mystery of life. Peace19 Oct 2006 10:31:16 GMT
I think that this issue has gotten totally out of hand for what really happened. A human being, regardless of her ability to be considered a good performer or not, adopted another human being in a compassionate act of human kindness with the fathers blessing. Much of the ensuing rhetoric has been focused on how much money she has or whether its doing enough for the whole of africa. Its true that this child will not grow up like the average individual given Madonna's fortune but its one less person destined for the kind of life he would have had. I also find these comparisons between a particular race and its ability to deal with one culture or another as a family unit offensive. I've seen these families and know first hand that people can be family and be different. Its the people that don't want to see it and don't want it to work that don't and won't. These families get on fine and they dont have problems until they are faced wit! h the short-sighted, hateful, self-centered people who only see the world through a color filter. We need to stop attacking people who are doing good and attack the people who don't want to do anything. If she hadn't done anything like most of the world in the case of too many impoverished countries we wouldn't be having this discussion. But she did and all people can talk about is how she is "bagging" this black child and her selfish motives at heart?! She didnt go on safari she went to adopt a human being. Thats all it was and is. Another example of how evil people don't want to take other legitimate peoples and cultures seriously. Why don't people get into this type of furor when no one does a thing? I can imagine why. Because most really don't even care. This situation is just fodder for talk and media and some people to air their hate and disgust for thier "fellow" human beings cloaked in concern for his "welfare". Baloney. For every one child like this boy who is adopt! ed by a Madonna there are 10 other children that are being adopted that may have special needs or have been in an accident, etc. We just don't hear about it because it wasnt a hollywood celeb. Finally, to infer that this father just didnt want the responsibility of his child like so many other more fortunate people is utter nonsense. Mnay people who don't want their children reside right here in America and made the choices they made based not upon a 50 percent or better population of infected aids carriers or corrupt governments ceding power to the next generation of corrupt tyrants. Not to mention the decimating proportions of children left orphans by parents who are dead or dying. No these were irresponsible people who made a "mistake" and don't want to face reality when the piper comes calling. It saddens me as a 36 year old male to see that people seem to never change. I may have another 36 years if i am blessed and lucky and i am hoping that as our little planet contin! ues to be more and more populated there will be a large-scale endeavor to make a commitment to change for the people of Africa and other countries. I am going to do my part.
19 Oct 2006 10:31:45 GMT
What kind of racist crap is being spewed in the media recently...to each their own. Why does it bother you all so much that she adopted an african boy? Did you ever stop to think that having lost her mother at a young age, that this boy loosing his mother was touching to her? Can you blame her? I can only respectfully speculate as such...however some of you really need to take your ritalin. So judgemental when if I were to shine a flashlight into your life you would cower in the shadows from shame.
One person said that the baby needs to 'be with his own people....'. You sir or ma'am are small minded....you choose who your people are, your skin color does not predetermine your path in life or what you deserve. I just think most of you need to get a life! Are your lives so small that something that does not affect you bothers you so much>? -Michelle, Phoenix, Arizona19 Oct 2006 10:31:58 GMT
A wealthy person like Madonna must do more than just adopt "one" baby. It will only take $10,000/month to run an orphonage of 1000 children in Malawi. Why can't she do bigger deeds instead of just adopting one baby for publicity? In this superficial world everybody is after their own interests even when they are doing "unselfish" deeds!!!
19 Oct 2006 10:32:52 GMT
Seems to me this child has been blessed. Many adopted children have biological parents who are alive and voluntarily give them up for reasons varying from finance to physical, mental and emotional health reasons. Oddly enough, we never request that those adoptive parents don't accept the child but instead permanent sponsor the child, it's biological parent, and the surrounding community. It just seems the height of cynicism for people to claim with absolutely zero evidence beyond tales of Joan Crawford that celebrity interracial adoptions are a selfish publicity stunt. I daresay many who sit behind computers for a living with enough to eat and medicine for their own can afford to by cynical. It's even better if they have to provide no proof to support their ugly accusations and then get paid to do so.
What is the concern that she would not be a good parent? Have there been any claims of that against her own children? What sense is there in the claim that he won't know his own culture? What void in the universe do they think he is stepping into? Are there no Malwai expats in the UK, Europe or the US? Is he not just a flight away from his homeland when he wants to know more? This is not even a concern for a 1-year old child. And the possibility of this issue is absolutely no reason to keep him in an orphanage. It's madness. For the person who spoke about being raised in an interracial hostile environment. Clearly the people you were surrounded by were the problem. You were ripped from a situation you and presumably your family would have preferred you remain in. The alternative for this little boy was something his bio-dad preferred to see him removed from. Very stark differences indeed. It's clear to me that the 59 agencies that claim to have David's best interest in mind by stopping this adoption, are the one's searching for publicity and are after their own private agendas. I think David's biological father said it best when he said âI appeal to the self-styled lovers of David to leave my baby alone. Where were they when David didnât have milk when his mother died? âDo they want him to go back to the orphanage?ââ19 Oct 2006 10:33:15 GMT
So now that everyone has had their turn bashing Madonna, what are YOU all going to do now? Raise millions of dollars to help the orphans? Adopt yourself? I'm waiting??? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?? Nothing I suppose, except complain and degrade people who feel like they are doing the right thing, trying to make the world a better place. Step up to the plate or shutup.......
19 Oct 2006 10:33:45 GMT
So the latest fad amongst self-absorbed, self-important celebrities is bringing home little black babies from Africa. Make that little, healthy, cute, black babies, who are then turned over to nannies to be raised. This year the fad is babies perhaps next year it may be chihuahua pups. Publicity stunt? You bet; Madonna, couldn't buy the publicity she is getting now and that is the point. If anyone thinks she will be spending her nights at home reading fairy tales or changing soiled diapers, think again. If she truly wanted to help these child then provide funds for his father, so that the child could be raised in a decent standard of living, in his own country, amongst his own people, learning their culture. The entire world is mad....
19 Oct 2006 10:34:51 GMT
Wow, rich people get special treatment? Really? Noooo way. Stop hating on her for all these ridiculous reasons, and admit that you are jealous cause she is rich and you are not. It is a good thing to save even one person from that situation, even though Jane brings up an excellent point. And yes she could have done something with all that money she spent, but then again you could do a lot of good with just a little, if enough of you( and I'll have to include myself to be fair, I haven't given any recently) cared enough on a daily basis for these people ( not just when madonna adopts or Kristof writes an article about africa). And if you really hate rich people getting special treatment, don't vote republican ( which it seems like many of you probably are, given that you are so quick to make moral judgements of people you know absolutely nothing about)
Peace. Love. Understanding.19 Oct 2006 10:35:30 GMT
Im African and had English foster parents from birth. I love them more than anything in the universe,but they and nobody could shield me from the appaling racism i suffered as the only black child in a sea of white faces. The utter confusion of not being sure what i was has never left me. Even if Madonna did it out of compassion, shes totally misguided. Care and attention the child may gain, but the loss of culture - even Bill Gates wealth would not compensate me for losing that.
19 Oct 2006 10:35:42 GMT
I think Madonna is wonderful. Thankyou Madonna for being so caring
19 Oct 2006 10:36:07 GMT
Why isn't everyone up in arms about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt? If we are so worried about taking children away from their cultures, we should pick on all celebrities equally.
19 Oct 2006 10:36:32 GMT
Publicity is the bread and butter of all of these rich stars and is the only reason they do this. They get their names in the papers around the world.
19 Oct 2006 10:36:42 GMT
who is anyone to say what kind of baby anyone should or should not adopt?? i applaud madonna! she is being very generous with her donation to malawi.. more rich people, famous and nonfamous, should be so generous! i wish all those bleeding heart liberal democrats would stop blabbing for once and for all.. how dare them??
19 Oct 2006 10:37:03 GMT
no way, i am non white and i see this as a wonderful thing... think of it what white family would adopt a black child? it is a very loving gesture and though there are problems with living in a society that is not your own, the child will have the means to cope, a very good education and basically be treated like a prince! it is racist to say that a white family shouldn't have a black child in it, its just a function of globalization and the times... living in a foreign land is the only chance this child can have... there are many people all over the world who have migrated to different countries... asians in the americas, europeans in africa, asia... is this also 'wrong' then that they are out of their environment?
also surely, the child will go back to help his people... he now has an opportunity for the best education, the best environment, with madonna's connections he could do anything, much more for his people and family than if he were to die in an orphanage! it is very true that cynicism is a priveledge of the rich, truly... everyone says why didn't she just give the father the money to raise his child? then she would have to do this for every child she sees and it would be so unfair... even madonna can't save the world; she can't adopt the whole family which she in essence already has. i am sure she was aware of this when she did this... about losing your culture... well my parents chose to immigrate to north america and i can't say that i have really lost my culture, many of my friends are white and from many different cultures... these are my BEST friends and really wonderful people... you meet awful people but you do this everywhere... i would not say that moving to another country makes you lose your heritage... it really is not so bad that this child will be treated like royalty, and will have alot of responsibility in being her son, more so than her other children and people will now expect him to do something to help others in his life... the sad thing is, no one even cares that she has helped, only disagreeing with how she has gone about it... she just can't get it right can she? she should have just stayed in the UK and not given any funds to malawi... as if anyone is going to adopt from africa now...only celebrities who are as rich as she is could possibly do this...19 Oct 2006 10:37:22 GMT
This is ridiculous. I don't recall everyone being in a tizzy when everyone was running to China or Romania to adobt babies there. It was seen a great, benevolent and selfless act by the White American families who were adopting them. It was definitely trendy for the 30 and 40-something women and families to adopt those children. It should be no different with African babies who need homes and whose entire continent is being ravaged by HIV/AIDS. Hopefully, Madonna and Angelina Jolie's adoptions will have positive effect and you will see more adoptions from Africa.
Also, on the note of paying, all adoptions cost money regardless if they take place in the US or any other country. Madonna has the money but so do millions of other families around the world. If you are a good caregiver and can provide a loving stable home with the proper resources and are looking to adopt then look at Africa as a possibility. This is a wonderful thing. Stop judging and look at what is going on in Africa and around the world before crucifying someone. Who cares if you don't like a Madonna, she lives her life in the open and that is enough to be judged by. A lot of people don't like me and wouldn't like all of you reading this. Celebrity is a horrible thing..don't condemn someone for helping and providing a home to a parent-less child.19 Oct 2006 10:37:51 GMT
Madonna's real name is Louise Ciccone. She was raised Catholic in the Detroit area. Now she pretends to be Jewish and English, so she seems to have some self-identity problems of her own.
19 Oct 2006 10:38:24 GMT
Funny, how many comments seem to reak of personal bias, either positive or negative. This should not be a question of whether you like Madonna or not. If you can steer clear of that bias, I think the discussion can be more productive.
It's arroganat and niave to think that you can know Madonna's intentions. If you assume that this act of adoption is the only form of philanthropy that Madonna has performed, I'd bet you'd be mistaken and so, this adoption would be taken somewhat out of context. Does a celebrity need to catalog and publicize all good deeds to give balance to the one that might be taken out of context? Does anyone think that Lee Raymond ret. Exxon cheif, is traveling the globe adopting poor children? I'm skeptical. Raymond has more money than Madonna. Let's not forget that there are over 48 million orphans in Africa, most of whom live on the brink of starvation, millions who will not survive their childhood. That is the quivalent of 13,714 World Trade Center massacres. Isn't that the ball to which our eyes should be focused? Is the adoption of one child going to stem the wave of inevitable despair? No. Could more be done by governments and individuals? Yes. Is it really even newsworthy that a! ny single person adopted a child from a most certainly dismal future. Probably not. If this is the case, isn't this story really about the media's unhealthy interest in Madonna? I just don't know how one could characterize her act as something bad. I promise you that, given a choice between starvation (real starvation, the kind that kills, the kind you and I have never known) and growing up detached from one's culture, that child, any child would gladly pass up attachment to their culture. Starving humans have no such luxury of choice. I hope that Madonna's intentions are honorable, but I don't know her personally and neither do her critics. I think you can criticize such acts so long as you publish your own personal charitable activties as a footnote to your commentary. Let he who is with equal virtue and acts of compassion cast others to a comparable standard. Peace, Matt19 Oct 2006 10:38:59 GMT
I'm not caring about Madonna adopting a Black child. I wonder more why she had to go way to Africa to find him. She could've found a misguided, poor Black American child to pounce on, if she wanted a Black child to add to her personal possessions. Publicity stunt, plain and simple. And I can't understand why people support her choice when they clearly see this was a publicity stunt.
Or better yet: why not just leave the African children alone, for God's sake? Every celebrity (Angelina Jolie, others) seems to want to "adopt" little African children. What for? I'm sure there are Asian, European, Latin children living in poverty and need adopting, too! And if the celebrities really wanted to do some good, why not just donate a substantial portion of their personal fortunes to an entire village of poor people; you know, help more people in that way, instead of running out and frivolously adopting the children out of the village.19 Oct 2006 10:39:38 GMT
When Moses was a baby, he got plucked from the river by a very rich lady and it seems to have turned out all right. He eventually went back to his people and made a pretty significant difference if I recall.
19 Oct 2006 10:39:55 GMT
If anyone made a mistake in this case it was the officials in Malawi who offered not an actual orphan but a child who does in fact have a living parent. Madonna's heart is in the right place.
FYI the poster who was so upset by Madonna's name: Her birth name is Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone. Got a problem with that one you should take it up with her parents.19 Oct 2006 10:40:56 GMT
Again, a bunch of NGO-saturated policy wonks (mainly outside of Africa) who need to find a criticism about one person's response. Ask David in 15 years whether or not he regrets having a better life under Madonna's guardianship. Her action is not meant to suggest that the macro-level solution to poverty and AIDS in Arica is to take all the children away. Obviously she gives - maybe not as much as people want her to - and felt moved to take action in a unique way.
Give her a break! She helped one child. What have you done to help one child today?20 Oct 2006 08:42:26 GMT
I am not against anyone wanting to adopt a baby from another race. I will presume to think what Madonna was thinking. I do think if a child has a parent, a good one who is poor the best thing to do would be to provide for that family and maybe their community in a substantial way. Try to help them help themselves. If all potential adoptive parents should stay 18 months in Malawi so should have Madonna and Guy Ritchie. I think it is a bit crass to think of this as a publicity stunt.
20 Oct 2006 08:44:24 GMT
I wonder what motivation Madonna has in this adoption. I don't think it is because she is up nights worrying about little African children. I'm guessing she likes the positive publicity that she receives for appearing to be a person who cares about the downtrodden. I'm guessing that she also wishes she had done her homework a little better, so that there would be no 'nay sayers' deriding her taking a non-orphan child. One last thing, I think that this child's father would be horrified to learn how this woman, who is now in charge of his child, is an unrepentant blasphemer against the Son of God.
20 Oct 2006 08:45:21 GMT
why is that few people think that just because she adopted an african baby, she has done the biggest deed in the world, i think it was done for the publicity sake and if she really wanted to help african orphans iam sure she could have helped thousands of them than just picking up one among them. And if its not the arrogance of being rich then what does breaking the adoption rules in malawi imply? i agree with few of them who suggested that if at all she genuinely wanted to help the poor and needy, she could have adopted an entire village or an orphanage by which she could have helped thousands of them. also i can imagine the turmoil that one goes through when they become the victim of racism. lets accept it racism still exist and may not be so visible but it does exist and it does hurt!so when the baby grows up and face this biggest confusion in life when he becomes the victim of racism, none of us can do anything to remove that shame from him/her. we can only write that its narrow minded who think of racism but sir u might be white and no chance of you facing the racism but ask millions of non white immigrants and chk if it exists or not!
20 Oct 2006 08:46:00 GMT
In the past few days, thousands of people have been introduced to a country that they did not know existed (Malawi) and to a problem which is much larger than they ever imagined (the plight of orphaned children in Africa).
These facts were brought to their attention not by a head of state or a UN official but by the Queen of Pop: Madonna. Whether or not we like it, we live in a celebrity obsessed society. Many celebrities are happy to sit back and collect their money and free gift bags, but a few are willing to use their drawing power to help others. The aid community should not resent the fact that celebrities are âflockingâ to Africa. Instead they should be asking what took you so long. Africa is a wonderful, proud, dynamic continent that welcomes visitors and more importantly needs our help. Some have reacted with disdain and frustration towards Madonnaâs adoption of a young Malawian orphan. Their outrage should not be directed at Madonna but towards a system that has created a culture of desperate poverty in some areas of Africa. We should address the powerful forces that are creating orphans: poverty, lack of development and opportunity, corruption and HIV/AIDS. People have criticized Madonna not just for adopting a child but for setting up an orphan care center in predominantly Christian Malawi that will use the Kabbalah in its teachings. Malawi is a Christian country now only because Christian teachings were brought in by missionaries. What is the difference between Madonna setting up a school and other faith-based groups doing the same thing? There are thousands religious schools all over the United States that tutor students of all faiths. The mission of these schools is not conversion but education. No matter what type of education you receive the choice to follow a particular religion is ultimately a personal decision. I attended Catholic school for four years. I did not come from a Catholic family nor am I Catholic now, but what I did receive was a good education, an education that has allowed me to be successful in my life, an education that all children should have. Quite frankly, there are parents and orphans all over the continent who would gladly trade places with David, Madonnaâs new son. I have heard stories of desperate parents attempting to give their children to people traveling to the developed world in hopes that they will have a better life. In fact, a childhood friend of mine was brought to the United States in this exact manner. There is no perfect model for international aid; as long as it is backed with good intentions every little bit helps. I agree with many children rights groups that all adoptions should be legal so long as potential adoptive parents are carefully screened. I also understand the frustration felt by many that Madonna was granted a fast track adoption. But this is neither the first nor the last time that a celebrity will get something a little bit easier than the rest of us. But this should not distract us from the fact that Madonna is doing something to help. Instead of criticizing Madonna we should all be thinking what we can do to help. It does not matter if you are white, black, Jewish, Christian, Pagan, purple or orange we are all human beings. You do not have to have a specific DNA make-up to help your fellow human being. It is better to have a loving, caring and supportive family, no matter what color they are. This is a situation that goes beyond wood, stone or glass houses, no one in any house should throw stones at Madonna from changing the life of one little boy. Calista Johnson Washington, D.C.23 Oct 2006 10:39:25 GMT
I think this just one of those Media plans trying to get everyone into helping Fakyywood celb into spotlight, so that they can get along very easy with the same corruption that their fathers did to Africa 200 year ago!. If Madonna is too humanistic she should be aware of Human rights in Malawi, That kid has its own people.
23 Oct 2006 21:21:20 GMT
Let's be honest . Why is every one making a big deal about madonna adopting an african baby lets just be happy she wants too.