Madonna is Adopting

[Maleficent13]

And apparently there are people protesting? Can someone tell me why this is a bad thing?

 

[mickeyboat]

I am not an official source, so don't take this as fact. But I believe the protest is because of two reasons.

1. He still has a father

and

2. He is being removed from his native culture, and I guess it is pretty important for the to raise their own, whether it is done by a parent, or another native.

Here's another thought. If some rich, priviledged person came from America or the UK to your poor, under-priviledged African illage and told you that if you gave up your son, he could live a rich and priviledged life somewhere else, what would you do? Should people really be doing that?

Denae

 

[EthansMom]

In addition to the reasons cited by the PP, Madonna also got to pick the child out of a group (like picking out a puppy at a shelter) and she doesn't have to go through the standard adoption process for the country.

Many African countries have laws in place that make it pretty difficult for children to be adopted through international adoptions. I believe I read that in Malawi, the adoptive parents have to spend 1 year living in the country before the adoption can be finalized. Instead, Madonna gets to take the boy to live with her in England (on an American passport?).

Oh, and there's the whole thing about all the money that Madonna is pledging to Malawi ($3 M, I think) which makes the adoption look like she's buying a child. Oh, and I read that the money is going to be used to build schools and orphanages that will teach the children according to the beliefs of Kabalah.

I've got nothing against famous people adopting children and nothing against international adoptions, but the whole Malawi adoption tied in with donating money seems very odd to me. If you want to adopt, then adopt. And if you want to give money, then give money. It's funny how the money, adoption, and building schools to teach a non-native religion are all tied up in this deal.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Deleted

 

[Maleficent13]

Thanks for the info. Today in some headline blurb was the first I heard anything of it.

 

[chris1gill]

I am not an official source, so don't take this as fact. But I believe the protest is because of two reasons.

1. He still has a father

and

2. He is being removed from his native culture, and I guess it is pretty important for the to raise their own, whether it is done by a parent, or another native.

Here's another thought. If some rich, priviledged person came from America or the UK to your poor, under-priviledged African illage and told you that if you gave up your son, he could live a rich and priviledged life somewhere else, what would you do? Should people really be doing that?

Denae

Therein lies all the problems... this child is not an orphan, he still has a father who is now protesting giving up his son...

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I find it offensive because there are pleanty of children in the US who need to be adopted. Why is it that no-one is picking an African-American HIV positive inner city child to adopt and shead light on the kids right here who need help.

EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DawnCt1]

Therein lies all the problems... this child is not an orphan, he still has a father who is now protesting giving up his son...

He also has a grandmother and an extended family. The father said that he understood that Madonna was a good Christian. Well, we know that she isn't Christian; she practices Kabala. It makes one wonder if the father was aware of what was actually going on. A better alternative would have been to give the father money to take care of his child and chose a child with absolutely no family. Instead she went "shopping".

 

[PaulaSB12]

I find it offensive because there are pleanty of children in the US who need to be adopted. Why is it that no-one is picking an African-American HIV positive inner city child to adopt and shead light on the kids right here who need help. Oh, that's right, not much publicity in doing the right thing...no media in inner-city Philly is there?

Madonna is jumping on the Jolie bandwagon. At least I think Jolie-Pitt are sincere...Madonna is just a self-serving diva. She is using the child and it is revolting.

Madonna wants a cute BABIEEEEEEEEEE not a child who will need work to help them get through whatever problems they have from being ill treated by their birth parents or having a life threatening disease.

 

[Pigeon]

Most adopted children are not true orphans, whether they were adopted in the US or internationally. This child's father was not raising him--he was living in an orphanage.

ITA with Ethansmom. I don't generally mind celebrity adoptions. I'm a mother through international adoption myself. Most celebrities have to jump through the same hoops that everyone else does. Maybe they can pay extra for an expedited homestudy in the US, but the basic steps and the wait for a referral or travel approval is the same. If Madonna had adopted from a country that allows international adoption, and followed the normal channels, I wouldn't care at all. But by coming in and dropping a fortune on a country that doesn't normally allow IA, and walking away with a child with none of the normal waits, that does smack of baby selling.

As for those of you who think that Madonna or anyone else should adopt from the foster care system, please go ahead and contact your state agencies today.

I happen to think that all children need families.

 

[Beth76]

Where is it said that the father is now protesting? I read a few days ago that he's supporting the adoption. The father gave his son up because his mother had died and there was no way to take care of him. He knows his son will have a better life.

I find it offensive because there are pleanty of children in the US who need to be adopted.

And the orphanages in the US are a much better place for children to live in than orphanages in poor African countries. Who's to say that American children are more important than African children? I'm not going to fault anyone for adopting--domestic or international.

ETA: Take this for what it's worth: They were discussing this on the View the other day. Rosie said that Madonna has gone through all the proper legal channels in order to adopt this child. They are friends, so I assume she knows this to be true.

 

[DISUNC]

The babies father placed the boy in the ophanage! He does not want him!

"MCHINJI, Malawi - The father of the 13-month-old boy Madonna wants to make part of her family criticized human rights groups who have challenged how the adoption is being handled and said his child should stay with the pop star.

Yohane Banda told The Associated Press on Wednesday he had entrusted his son to a Malawian orphanage after his wife died of childbirth complications, saying he was too poor to raise him alone. Now, he says, Madonna has given the boy a chance to have a family.

“Where were these people when David was struggling in the orphanage? These so-called human rights groups should leave my baby alone,” he said. “As father I have OKed this, I have no problem. The village has no problem. Who are they to cause trouble? Please let them stop.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15318792/

 

[juligrl]

This may have been said already but supposedly her hubby doesn't even really want the kid she adopting.
I've heard some speculate she's adopting the boy now because it's the "in" thing to do in celebrity circles. Kind of like the dog as a fashion accessory was a few years ago supposedly.
That's the gossip anyhow.

 

[poohandwendy]

I am sure she will give him a great life and many opportunities, that is wonderful. I do think it is sad how many American children sit here waiting for a family though...

 

[kdibattista]

I find it offensive because there are pleanty of children in the US who need to be adopted. Why is it that no-one is picking an African-American HIV positive inner city child to adopt and shead light on the kids right here who need help. Oh, that's right, not much publicity in doing the right thing...no media in inner-city Philly is there?

WHOA... how many African American HIV positive children have you adopted (or LindsayDunn for that matter). I find comments like this repulsive. DH and I are adopting internationally for several reasons but the most important to us is that no matter how much the US foster care systems sucks, children born in the United States are at an extreme advantage compared to those children born in other countries just because they are born in the US. Do you know what David's future would have been had Madonna not adopted him... think about that. Every child deserves a home, not just those fortunate enough to be born in the US.

For the record, Madonna did go through all the proper channels necessary to adopt a child (homestudy & immigration paperwork... you CANNOT adopt a child without one, no matter who you are). What is questionable is Malawi's law that you must parent the child IN MALAWI for 18 months. Malawi accepted Madonna's temporary guardianship in lieu of adoption for right now until the 18 months are completed at which time the adoption will be finalized. As with ALL international adoptions, laws & rules can change and do change quite frequently. Our country occassionally makes exceptions for people being waived a "mandatory" appeals process... it's on a case by case basis and is not limited to celebrities .

 

[lowie]

that kid from malawi = someone winning the powerball three times in one week! heck i'd give my kids to madonna! you think she'd send me holiday cards?

 

[kdibattista]

Also wanted to add that I'm in complete agreement with David's birthfather...where were all these "organizations" while David was in the orphanage

Also, wanted to share a comment I read from a woman who has worked in one of the orphanages in Kazakhstan. She says "These children all have the basic necessities of life - food, water & shelter, with the exception one... someone, anyone, thinking they are the most important child in the world." I'm glad David found his forever family who will think he is the most important child in the world.

 

[Beth76]

WHOA... how many African American HIV positive children have you adopted (or LindsayDunn for that matter).

 

[va32h]

Look you guys - I can tell you what all this is really about.

My daughter was born five months before Madonna's oldest child.

My son was born six months before Madonna's son.

I have a third child - but Madonna did not have another baby in 2003.

Madonna is clearly upset that she could not get pregnant again the same year that I did, and is adopting this older child in a desperate attempt to keep up with me.

Seriously though - if the boy's father does not object (and it would appear that he was going to give the child up regardless of who adopted him) I can't see why anyone else should.

If any aspect of the adoption was expedited, I would think it's because Madonna is rich, not because she's famous. People in Malawi have probably never heard of her. But a big pile of money makes most everything faster and easier, let's face it.

 

[chrissyk]

Therein lies all the problems... this child is not an orphan, he still has a father who is now protesting giving up his son...

I don't think that the father was protesting (at least in the last story that I read), but he SHOULD be!! This kid isn't an orphan at all. His mother died a month after his birth, his father couldn't afford to raise him, and they had to give him to the orphange. Why doesn't Madonna give his father some money with which to raise his own child rather than taking a child who still has a caring natural parent alive For goodness' sakes, Africa has been ravaged by AIDS. There are PLENTY of true orphans in countries like Ethiopia who need adoptive homes. I don't get what Madonna is doing at all. I agree that at least Angelina Jolie is sincere.