Madonna on the rocks
Pop star Madonna will not be allowed to adopt a second child from Malawi, the three-year girl Mercy James Chifundo, the Malawi’s High Court said last week.
The ruling will please campaigners who say that authorities have given the singer special treatment. Which is a load bull crap.
I know societies like to claim that we have equality before the law – but we all know that some among us are more equal than others. The fact is that Madonna is someone special. Not everyone can adopt a platoon of kids of all races. Just try to adopt one kid and see.
Earlier the Malawi government, which came under fire after Madonna adopted a 13-month-old, David Banda, had said that it would support a second adoption. Court registrar Ken Manda told reporters that Madonna’s bid to adopt Mercy had been rejected because the star was not a resident of Malawi. Which is simply hogwash?
The decision came as a surprise since Malawi’s Child Welfare Minister Patricia Kaliati had earlier come out in support of the singer’s application for the adoption of Mercy. Madonna has appealed against the ruling. Of course and I am sure under the pressure from the Malawi government the High Court will see ‘sense’ and let Mercy go.
I am sure if Madonna had chosen to adopt kids of Malawi High Court judges themselves instead of Mercy James, she would have been feted all over Malawi. It’s the usual game of hypocrisy. When an African kid is given a chance to live decently some hypocrites come up with high-faluting ideas about ‘child trafficking and human rights.
Mind you, this is in country which has a million plus orphans, half of whom have lost parents to AIDS.
On her visit to the country, Madonna was photographed with the father of David Banda whom she had also adopted. The father, in a natty suit, probably bought by the star, was all teeth with joy. You could tell that he could not believe his luck.
In the Wazungu who are against Madonna’s move, you sense a sneaky whiff of racism. How come hardly a noise is raised the Wazungus adopt South American, Indian and far eastern orphans, while they foam in the mouth when a Black kid is about to be adopted?
I would have thought the case was of the star and the kids’ parents to decide. Last year Madonna spoke of being drawn to the people of Malawi, particularly the children.
Madonna first travelled to Malawi in 2006 while filming a documentary on it’s devastating poverty and AIDS crisis, and later decided to adopt a child there.
The Malawi government had earlier said that Madonna had helped the country and was a worthy mother who was supporting over 25,000 orphans. Madonna’s charity, Raising Malawi, plans to build a multi-million dollar school for girls in Chikota village outside Lilongwe.
Are the courts going to tell us whom and what to like? I think Big Brother is really breathing down people’s neck! But we should cut the hypocrisy, Mercy James Chifundo was not about to be a victim of child trafficking!
3 comments:
I expect more from a seasoned journalist than to throw in the race card based on irrational speculation.
Protests against her adoption have naught to do with the 'race' of her child and everything to do with the belief that such actions i. reflect judicial inequality based on class and wealth (rich celebrity? Take our child) ii. do not consider the importance of being brought up in 'your' culture (ask the african-american / chinese children being brought up in white homes) iii. could launch a trend to 'help' us poor hungry ever-begging backbone less Africans by saving their children. Look up the history of aborigines in Australia and Native Americans in Canada for more on this subject.
Also note that the only reason this case comes is so debated is not the race of the child but the media-power of the adopter. Interracial adoptions are most always white parents - black/brown/yellow child - and the race card is never pulled.
Your blog is based on your reputation, sadly you are either soiling it with your readership or spreading foundationless 'truths'to those who don't know the subject but do trust you. One of your pedigree should use wit with regards to the news, si kuzusha maoni ya wapita njia.
I look forward to more of the journalistic pieces I'm used to reading from you.
- Mtanzania who almost cried in Addis, watching 20 odd Italian and French couples fly off with gorgeous Ethiopian babies.
Mtanzania who almost cried,
You are telling Adams truths are foundationless which in itself does not make sense. Since when something which is the truth be without foundation?
The Madonna case can be seen from different perspectives Adam has given his, no doubt there are a lot of people who share his vision including the common people of Malawi. Some of you are trying to tell people like Madonna what to do with their money which they have earne legally. Maddonna has done it once can you hypocrites tells what has gone wrong with the first kid she took. Culture and poverty do not mingle so cut the crap trying to make us believe living in a culture where there is a risk of dying from maralia (she is under five) even if she survives never to get proper education.
"could launch a trend..." I do not get what you are trying to say, do you real follow what she had done to Malawi society or you just choose to read what her ctitics choose to feed you? After all if a family is struck with hunger and there is very little food, you give it to one person and when they have the energy they can go out and bring food for everybody. She cannot be starting charities in corrupt countries where they will be pocketing the money instead of the intention. We know those a NGOs to be for personal gains.
I am very mad and if I were a relative of this girl this judge would be a dead meat.
ADam,your style is beyond comparison. Keep going maaan! You will reach there! Thousands of internateurs visit and read your blogs and love the stuff found therein!
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