Madonna's Quest to Adopt Second Child From Malawi Rejected
If you follow the news, you probably couldn't help overhearing that Madonna was sent packing by Malawian officials Friday, after attempting to adopt 3 1/2-year-old Mercy James.
An article in People magazine notes that prospective adoptive parents must live in Malawi for 18 to 24 months prior to adopting. Madonna lives in New York and London.
Stephen M. Silverman of People writes:
The Los Angeles Times ran an intriguing commentary on the Madonna adoption controversy in today's Op-Ed column.
Beth Nonte Russell reports that the judge who rejected Madonna's request to waive the residency requirement said that doing so would set a dangerous precedent.
I assume that the "dangerous precedent" the judge refers to is child trafficking. If any old person is allowed to adopt a child from Malawi without first living there a year and a half, that must mean the adoptive parent intends to illegally sell the child on the black market or turn the child into a slave.
While we all know that these atrocities happen, just how likely is is that Madonna -- one of the most recognizable public figures of our time (both with and without her clothes on) -- would get away with child trafficking?
That's not really the point, though. The point is that BECAUSE Madonna is a well-known public figure, Malawi would have to bend the rules for all adoptive parents if it bends the rules for Madonna.
But would bending the rules be so bad in the large scheme of things? Russell brings up several good points in her column:
- Malawi has an estimated 1 million orphans, and the number of orphans worldwide continues to skyrocket (particularly in African countries, where AIDS is pandemic).
- Within many of these countries, there is a rising attitude of nationalism, which holds that children born in a country "belong" to that country and should not be adopted by foreigners."
Russell writes:
Russell also questions why a child should be kept in an orphanage when a viable alternative (adoption) exists.
I echo her question. Is it truly better for the child to grow up in an orphanage -- likely undernourished physically, emotionally, and spiritually -- or to be adopted by people of another race, from another country, and have the opportunity to live a productive life?
Does an alternative exist for Mercy James and millions of children like her?
Let's discuss this important issue, readers. Please chime in with your thoughts.
