Madonna under fire

Of course Madonna should be allowed to adopt. She's already proven she is a great Mother, and quite frankly it's no one's business if she wants to adopt; whomever she adopts, that child is a lucky one. If this were someone who wasn't a pop star this article would not have even made CNN. So why is it making news now???? Leave the people who are trying to make some good of the less fortunate alone.. GO REPORT ON BULLIESOF THE WORLD!! This is NOT news!!!

Madonna is unstable and is responsible for ruining countless marriages, including her two marriages and A-rod's marriage. We don't need children being raised with Madonna's values.

Why, for the love of God, why can't any of these celebrities adopt children in AMERICA that need care and love and homes and education? Sorry that it might not be as fashionable, or that we are not a third world country, but there are plenty of children right here in America that could use the same sort of help. Stop trying to save the world and look in your own backyard.

Madonna should be able to adopt...but in what case? A child in need from a different country that has a family, if not parents, to take care of them? Okay, so maybe that will not grow up rich and comfortable, but they will grow up with love I'm sure. But I believe that is those people in those countries responsibility and duty to care of them. They brought the into this world. How about all of these celebrities that want to adopt foreign children...like all the little pop stars have little doggies...Why don't we try helping the starving and unfortunate children in OUR OWN COUNTRY!! People look at celebs like they are doing such a wonderful thing...yes its great, but don't you think we should take care of our own children first!?

I imagine that almost any environment would be better than being locked in a mansion with psychotic, menopausal, self-absorbed Madonna. For all her success and money, the Material Girl can't buy good judgement or the ability to see beyond her own needs.

I'm adopted and I thank every day for the love, circumstance and opportunity that was given to me.
Absolutely Madonna should be allowed to adopt. One child given education, love, and the chance to grow up in a better environment, is One more Person who can go back and help others.

Madonna is following her heart in wanting to provide a loving home and a future to a child. She can't adopt every child in the world; she's doing what she reasonably can do to make a difference. She is both adopting AND focusing money and attention on the problems of orphans in Malawi. I think that to expect more from her – or criticize her efforts to improve the lot of children in Malawi – is absurd. Good on you, Madonna – and enjoy your children.

She should be able to adopt, but she should not choose to adopt this child. It's hard to believe she is being charitable, but rather easy to believe she's seeking publicity. I agree with Nutt that the best thing she can do is to give her money and work to raise more to better the quality of life in impoverished nations so children, orphaned or not, can stay with their family and be raised in their own culture – way out of the camera's eye.

Of course she should be able to adopt.

If one person can save one child, I see no problem with it. I believe we need to save them on the ground, but in the meantime, to save a human life – there is nothing more blessed in this world. I've heard people complain about Madonna before, while adopting anothe child. I've never heard any complaints when Brad and Angelina adopt any of their many.

Why Doesn't Madonna adopt a child in the United States? We do have orpahns here...

http://www.Solamaya.org

I believe that Madonna should be allowed to adopt children. I was adopted as a baby from Bangladesh. I had an extended biological family who would be able to take care of me, but it was their choice to give me a better life. I feel blessed every day, and I strongly believe it was the best course of action.

I am now an adult, and I have made it my mission to share the blessings of the amazing life and opportunity that was given to me, with those who did not get the same chance.

It is important that celebrities adopt children, because they are in the limelight, it shows a spirit of love and acceptance that can be widely shared with the world. There are many children who need good homes.

I would never change my experiences, and I am grateful to my biological family for sacrificing their love for me to have a better life.

Erica – you hit the nail on the head. I am so tired of these celebrity adoptions in other countries, when there is so much need in the U.S.
They collect these kids like designer handbags, the latest fad – and guess who raises them? Their staff.

Why not adopt from the millions of American children who need loving, secure, safe environments? I wish people in high profile places would think about adopting from our own country.

Hey, Madonna can adopt me! I'd LOVE to live in a mansion!

LMFAO!!!

These charities are so out of touch it is scary! Why would they want deny this poor girl a chance at a decent life that she will probably NEVER have in her present situation? These charities are a joke. I am Malawian and I would know. These charities take your donation money and use 70% of it to pay for renting their fancy houses, driving fancy cars and supporting their alcohol and nicotine addictions. They don't do much to lift anyone out of poverty. These charities will do NOTHING for Mercy but keep her in poverity. Mercy will be one of the luckiest girls in Malawi if Madonna adopts her.

This individual just wanted to give madonna a hard time. He pointed out the suppose negatives from her actions while failing to represent all the positive work she have done. Currently, the United States is spending millions in Iraq to improve the state, while we are in the middle of a depression but madonna adopting a child makes her unamerican. That argument is flawed.

I think what Madonna is doing is alot kinder than Middle Class families in the United States chasing down young white females who are in trouble and through their "lawyers" or "brokers" manage to take advantage of these young girls and "adopt" their babies. Has anyone ever done a study on the after effects of birth mothers or their families? There are states where a young birth mother relinquishes her rights to change her mind only days after giving birth, when her hormones are totally out of whack. Which, does anyone ever take into consideration that once pregant, a young girl's hormones are then put on that whole out of whack cycle? She is in no way totally capable of making a life altering decision to "give the baby up for adoption". Perhaps a few weeks or months after birth once her system is back to normal, then she can make the decision, but not prior to that. BUT...no one in the United States is going to tackle this issue because we don't know truly who these people are. They could be co-workers, they could be the nice family down the street...they could be relatives....But what many of them did was take advantage of a young pregnant girl.......and play it up and make it all pretty that they are the "perfect couple" who DESERVES to have a child.....no matter who's child it is. And does anyone ever do research on how many adoptive couples actually keep in touch with the birth mother YEARS after the "open adoption" takes place? I bet the percentage is very low.

So, in respect to Madonna, she is NOT chasing after a young girl in trouble.

Do you see the conditions these children live in? Of course she should be able to adopt wether she is a controlling pop star or not. These children deserve a second chance in life and not die of malaria or starvation, etc. She is not robbing this child of his heritage. The living parent should be so lucky that his or her child will be well educated, fed, have medical care and will be able to takecare for them in the future. We hear cases in the u.s. how adopted parents starve and beet these adopted children and we wonder how they got away with adopting children. Just because she is Madonna people should not judge.

I have a real problem with celebraties who adopt outside of the US. There are so many children in the US alone that would love to be adopted into a family of priviledge such as Madonna who is obviously a loving and caring mother. What is the deal with adopting kids in other countries? Are our US kids in need of families not good enough? We should be taking care of our own before we go to other countries. This has always been a huge issue for me. It's not that I don't feel for the homeless and needy in other countries but somewhere along the way, we forget about what's going on in our own back yard. Madonna....find a child in the US that would LOVE to be a part of your family!!!!!!

Move children from their impoverished environment? Yes, help the nation, but what should be done in the mean time. It will take time to help that nation.
I would like to point out some statistics on orphans in Eastern Europe. Please remember these statistics are from what I recall reading some time ago.
Of the orphans that age out in the system, 60% of the boys will become criminals and 80% of the girls become prostitutes. Add another 10% that commit suicide. It takes time to help a nation. What should be done in the mean time for these orphans?
An argument against international adoptions is that the child will lose his/her cultural heritage. That is false. America is a multi-cultural society. I have seen families that adopted foreign born children stress and maintain the child's culture. I recall one parent stressed to her adopted son to speak his birth language with those from his birth country. Finally, there is one important point the critics over look. Mandona found her son/daughter. When an adult sees a child as his/her son/daughter, that child is his/her son/daughter. Should the American solider from Iraq been allowed to adopt a handicapped Iraq orphan? The orphan called this solider “dad” in Iraq language at the orphanage. This Iraq child saw this American soldier as his dad. Would this child be better off staying in and aging out in an Iraq orphanage?

Madonna is right. It isn't any of our business. If she can do it and has the means to, so be it. She looks to be like a great mother. More power to her!

I think its a great thing that someone like Madonna can stand up and do what is right by helping a child from a country like Malawi and provide them with a life and world class education. As a person of color living in America, I absolutely understand the power of education and opportunities and options it can bring. Education can bring the world to a young impoverished kid's doorstep. Americans haven't quite got that yet. The things we value are the things that will continue to be catalysts for our undoing. We are greedy without a cause!! Why do you think people like Oprah and Madonna go half way around the world to build and invest in schools for young girls? Its called return on investment (ROI)!! We sink millions of dollars in schools here in the states daily and public education in this country is CRAP. But then we go and blame the teachers!! Adults in America dont appreciate and value education therefore our kids dont either!! Face the truth America!! WE SUCK!! These young African kids are hungry to learn and appreciate the opportunity. We on the other hand, wonder why we have work for what we want, and why we can't have it all RIGHT NOW!! Only major catastrophe will shatter this illusion of life we have created.

I feel that Madonna or anybody else who finds it n their heart to want to adopt a child and offer it a better life than it would have othwerwise should be applauded not critized for giving the gift of life, hope and stability to a deserving child. Large charity organizations like feed the children are doing a good job too. Every little bit helps and for someone like Madonna who is forunate enough to be able to afford to offer a child a good start in life, then why not just get out of her way and stay out of her business.

As an adoptive parent of a child from Guatemala, I am sickened by these "charities" so called mission to keep the child in the country. A child that has a limited chance just to survive past the age of 2. Congratuations, it worked in Guatemala, adoptions are now closed. And, guess what just walk out on the street and you will see abandoned babies left to die in trash cans. Oh yes, it is so much better to leave them in their environment. And, to all of you who say why not adopt American? Come on, should any person be valued less just because of their place of birth? We are all humans. By the way have any of you adopted Americans? I think not...don't judge until you know the full extent of the consequences of your thoughts.

She should adopt as many as she can afford. Mr Nutt of save the children thinks that Madonna should not adopt but instead help Malawi come out of poverty. Am from Africa and I know first hand the cause of poverty. Corruption of the highest order. Leaders in power steal all the government's revenue while the rest of the country dies of hunger. No amount of money from anybody can clean this kind of corruption. So if a poor child gets a chance to be adopted and raised elsewhere from the poverty, then I think it is the best chance for that child to be successful in future. Mr Nutt reminds me of the British colonialist who stole from Africa. He doesn't think that an African child should have to compete with white kids in his country. Thank God there's Kenyan blood leading the greatest nation in the world.

Mr. Nutt is really a Nutt!!!!! Wasting so much time and efforts with this issue. The kid would surely be better off with Madonna. At least he can get a good education. Hey MADONNA! ADOPT ME!!! I"M AVAILABLE. I'm 33 years old and obedient.

Its really funny and shallow how we like to focus on the tabloid fodder that is supposedly Madonna's personal life when none of us know her personally. Unbelieveable people!! If you would like to do something, donate your lunch money to a cause that is slated to help some less fortunate. I cant imagine being judged for trying to help a kid change their life, and quite possibly the lives of those in their home country. What a cruel joke!!

If any regular person attempted to adopt and were in the same circumstances, they would be denied. Madonna is in the middle of a nasty divorce (her second divorce), she helped ruin A-rod's marriage, she travels constantly, so the child would not have a stable home environment.....but, Madonna has lots of money, and the average citizen does not, so she will get to adopt any child she wants. That's how the "wonderful" system works.

I agree that it's Madonna's business if she adopts wants to adopt a child from a foreign country. I just don't believe celebrities should have an easier time doing do than anyone else in the U.S. I think Malawi is just following normal adoption procedures for their country and not taking her celebrity into account. Go for it, Madonna! Mercy will be a lucky little girl with a great mom and family.

I think it's great that Madonna is helping impoverished children with her foundation. In regards to her adoption I think it's a bad idea that shouldn't be allowed. She seems to relate to these adoptees like Paris Hilton relates to her dogs – like they're little show pieces.

I completely agree that the solution to helping indigent children is NOT transporting them across the world to live wild lives in mansions with famous stars. I think it is egotistical for such stars, however well-intended, to think otherwise. They should simply dump millions into making the child's true environment a better place. But, why does Madonna keep getting all of this slack when people like Angelina Jolie have been doing this for years? How is it different?

I couldn't care less about Madonna- Mr. Nutt's argument is what really gets under my skin. The argument "children should be assisted were they are" assumes that charities are capable of, in any reasonable time frame, assisting a given nation in creating the type of environment necessary for the people to thrive. This is ludicrous. Lack of infrastructure, formal education, and meaningful government involvement take decades- if not centuries. I would love for Mr. Nutt to explain how a female child born in a strict Islamic nation has a chance in the world of ever acheiving what she should be able to. As someone who is interested in adopting a child, I can say from personal experience that we do have a very high domestic adoption rate, and that Americans should absolutely adopt our own. That said, there is nothing wrong with assisting children born in other nations- and it is entirely possible that with a loving, supportive family, a child hailing from a broken nation may return one day to help restore that country- because they are empowered with the education and abilities to do what one NGO could not.

Offcourse, she should be allowed...the bottom line is that , there will be ONE LESS poverty stricken, malnutriened child ! And people should only support this fact... there are not many ppl who will do something like this....why discourage these ppl who are helping others out.... it's definately no-one's business to comment on someone who's working so hard for such a good cause!

Mr Nutt really should learn to mind his own business. Just what is it about the environment of Malawi that makes it such a wonderful place to raise a kid?

i thing it is great that she wants to adopt, that child has a chance in his life.

I am an adoptive parent with a little boy from Korea and waiting for our little girl from China.
Madonna should not be able to adopt unless she goes through all the proper channels that us "normal folk" do. Just because she is a celebrity with millions of dollars, she shouldn't be able to do what she is doing.
Get in line, Madonna. We have been waiting 3 years for our little girl and it is not fair that she can just adopt so quickly because of her money.
She isn't adopting a child, she is buying one.

she has $$$$$$$$$$$$$ so let her adoptall the kids she wants. At least she can afford them and she will get a lot of media attention in the meantime (which is something all stars aspire to)

Madonna,probably wants to adopt this girl ,so she can mold her into someone like herself.Madonna is the devil's delight and not a good role model.....

I think that any person who has had a background check, a homestudy,and has some sort of support system should be able to adopt. I do not think it matters the income level or profession, these are also verified before selection takes place.
I also do not think it is wrong to adopt outside the U.S. It's wonderful that Madonna and others can put light on these situations. Yes, help, donate money, adopt if you can. My only question is why not here in the U.S. There is a huge need to adopt all around us. They to are in unfortunate situations, CPS, over corwded group homes, hunger, poverty. We have it all, or are they just not en vouge?

Why can't she adopt an American baby. There are plenty of 4 year girls in foster care or orphanages here in this country.

She just got rid of another husband so now it's time to find an orphan and adopt him/her? Enough with the stars adopting all of these kids. We have children here in the US that need a good home. Why can't the stars help these kids?

She can't even handle her own affairs. I guess it's the thing to do, adopt a poor kid and raise hm to be your waiter.

I think that Madonna should be able to adopt- she is doing a great job with her children – and if these children in orphanages do have family- then why are they not with their family and not in an orphanage. And if these Children are in Orphanages then they should be able to have the chance of "normal" family and childhood, and be adopted.

NO. Madonna should, as well as other people who are not celebs, adopt poor children from America. Our own country has problems from poor children who never have good parents. I think that people who feel that they have to reach out to other countries to lend a helping hand are not looking in their own yards for the clutter. There is nothing wrong with providing finacial assistance to other countries. But we need to first focus on our own citizens. What good does it do to teach and educate all of the world when you can't go to the grocery store or the mall in your own neighborhood without being mugged by someone who slipped through your own system. These people should examine their own intentions carefully. Furthermore, we all should consider these things, as well.

Kellie, have you ever adopted? One of the reasons we chose Korea was because of the BS trying to adopt within the US. Maybe it has changed recently, but 5 years ago when we started the process of adopting our son from Korea, it was ridiculous what it took to adopt within the US. (not to mention the wait)

Erica and Barb,

As the single mother of two special needs daughters adopted from Eastern Europe (one, literally left on the street at 6 months old and the other left at the hospital at birth due to her physical limitations) I say to you-we have foster care in this country, it might not be great but it's a hell of a lot better than the orphanages I've visited. Don't believe me? Never been to one? Never witnessed abject poverty the likes of a 3rd world country? Then shut your mouth, go visit one, look those children in the eyes and tell me they matter less than an American "orphan" (oh, sorry I mean child of an incarcerated crack mama).

The reason people are quick to adopt overseas is because they are almost ALWAYS closed adoption which means the birth parents have no contact with the adoptive family. In America it is much harder for that to happen as open adoptions are more often encouraged. Imagine the privacy issues celebrities have already. Your child is something you'd want to protect. Also, I DO believe she should be able to adopt. I ALWAYS feels it is in the best interest of the child to be taken anywhere in the world so long as they are providing an environment where that child will be loved and cared for more than anything. If the adoptive parents are able to provide superior educational opprtunities and better health, then absolutly yes.

Best of luck Madonna. I hope you get your little girl who we all know you will love more than anything on the planet.

If she is willing to move to Malawi so that the child can remain close to her other living relatives, then perhaps it might be OK for the child. She needs to be more sensitive to this piece of the issue. I happen to agree with the spokesperson for Save the Children UK.

I fee the same way as Mike. If she was not famous person she wouldn't even be in the news.

If, as Mr. Nutt claims, that there is a parent or other family for the children to live with, why are there orphanages and children in them? However I feel that if someone from the childs country wants to adopt than that should be a factor. If someone outside the country is interested in adopting, the personal involvement(are they handing the job of raising the child to a nanny, if so that person should be adopting) of the prospective parent should be a factor also. I don't think stars should just be given a 'blank check' to adopt or be able to use the adoption as some sort of publicity stunt. I don't feel that adoptions from outside the country should be banned outright, but studied on a case by case basis. As far as Madonna adopting, as long as it is not for publicity, and the adoption passes all other requirments from Malawi, let her adopt.

Listen, Cindi...I think it's wonderful that you've opened you heart and home to some very special children. However, it seems that celebrities in particular have this need to adopt children from overseas because it's the "in" thing to do. I don't think your tone is necessary...you are no better or worse than anyone else. Please don't tell me to "shut my mouth". Not every child that needs to be adopted is a "crack" baby. Talk about narrow-minded.

No for one I think a child should have 2 parents when possible. Also we have many children right here in the U.S. that need loving homes even if they are older. We should take care of our own first!

I thought it was rather ironic that in an earlier article Dominic Nutt made the statement that "many of the children in these orphanages" have families that will care for them. Let's get real here! If they had families that could care for them, then they would not be in orphanages! Of course the ideal would be to keep these children in their own countries, but this is the real world where their situations are quite hopeless. My children come from Russia. Until I went to adopt them they lived in orphanages and were never visited by family. My sister adopted a child from Kazakhstan; written on his court paper work are the words, "no one cared about the fate of this child". So Mr. Nutt, perhaps in your imaginary world families are able and willing to care for these "social orphans", but in the reality this does not happen. Also, his comment about children being "sent back" is just false. This just does not happen. This man clearly has an agenda and has no understanding of international adoption. This charity could not have chosen a worst spokesman. For those of you who are so gung-ho about adopting from the US and helping these "millions" of children in our "orphanages", my question for you is: how many children have you adopted from your community? As for Madonna, I see no indication that she is a bad Mother. You rarely see her children photographed, unlike Angelina who is what we in the world of international adoption call "a collector". I don't think that she should be allowed to adopt any other children....sorry just my opinion.

Toonz, Why yes, I have! In the past five years I have adopted three individual children right here in the U.S. Within my extended family there are eight other children all adopted outside of the U.S. I stated that I found nothing wrong with adopting outside. I am a child advocate no matter the country of origin. However, it is not hard to adopt here in our own country. I just wish other people knew that.

Please stop exposing these children to our celebrities crazy, freak lives. They are not a platform for normal development. The constant scrutiny, cameras and gossip. Money is not a factor that should allow you to raise children, no matter how trendy it is right now. Are these children going to receive the care they need down the line, when it is not trendy or new, or will nanny after nanny be their stable form of care replacing a mother? Please stop giving these children to our famous. Have many child stars, or children of stars grown up to be healthy? They deserve normalcy and comfort of the same person to counteract what most have been through in their short lives already.

There are thousands of children who need a family. The other side of this coin is this: What about those of us who can't pay thousands of dollars to adopt a child? The state adoption/foster system is so broken it will never be fixed. For example, you can foster a child for years and then, when their drug addled abusive parents decide they want the child back – the court says "sure – go ahead and remove the child from a loving stable environment back to your dangerous and deathly lifestyle." We don't need to bash Madonna – we need to fix the system so more children can be brought up in loving homes by people who want to be parents and make a difference in their lives.

There are millions of children living in poverty in the US as well. It makes me wonder why Madonna is adopting from an African nation with an iffy adoption policy on foreigners/single parents rather than from the US. I just can't shake the feeling that she is using money and influence to get her way in Malawi. That being said, any publicity that draws attention to the suffering in Africa is helpful. This adoption, lilke the adoption of little David, doesn't pass the "smell" test.

I GREW UP IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY, AND I WILL SAY FOR ALL YOU AMERICANS IT'S INSULTING THAT YOU HAVE THIS MENTALITY ABOUT POOR YOUNG CHILDREN THAT HAVE NOT ASKED TO BE BORN POOR. sO WHAT IF THEY ADOPT FROM AFRICA OR ANYWHERE ELSE? DOES IT MATTER IF A CHILD NEED A HOME? i UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ADOPT OVERSEAS, BECAUSE YOUR LAWS IN AMERICA MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO ADOPT.

I WISH THAT YOU COULD ALL STOP SEEING WHERE THEY COME FROM AND SEE THESE INNOCENT LITTLE LIVES AS YOU SEE YOURSELVES. WE ALL NEED LOVE AFTER ALL. YOU ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD SCARE ME BECAUSE I THINK YOU WOULD SEE ME ON THE STREET HURTING AND WALK AWAY BECAUSE I AM FOREIGN AND FROM A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY.

I HOPE GOD HELPS YOU SEE THAT WE ARE ALL THE SAME AND HAVE THE SAME NEEDS AND, THAT HE LOVES US ALL EQUALLY.

Madonna should be allowed to adopt. It's ridiculous that any one can comment badly on her ability as a mother… not even the men that she has been involved with have said such horrible things. It is NONE of any ones business. And if this can benefit one person who otherwise would go unnoticed in life, to being properly taken care of, fed, educated and supported financially … then why would any one be selfish enough to deny them that opportunity?
If anyone who is actually dumb enough to say they are against Madonna adopting a child from a developing country…. Can you tell me what you are actually doing to help impoverished children in your own country!?!

Madonna should be allowed to adopt. Its ridiculous that any one can comment badly on her ability as a mother… not even the men that she has been involved with have said such horrible things. It is NONE of any ones business. And if this can benefit one person who otherwise would go unnoticed in life, to being properly taken care of, fed, educated and supported financially … then why would any one be selfish enough to deny them that opportunity?
If anyone who is actually dumb enough to say they are against Madonna adopting a child from a developing country…. Can you tell me what you are actually doing to help impoverished children in your own country!?!

I can't believe the comments that are being made negatively towards international adoption. Just because Madonna is in the limelight, do you know that there are so many children who didn't ask to be in poverty or be born with HIV+, to loose their parents, to live in an orphanage, to be abandoned because it didn't fit into your culture because you were born a gilr – some societies still treat girls as second class citizens. Many of these negative comments – you need to look outside yourself. The orphans in the US have so many more benefits and their needs are being met. Have you seen what the orphans of this world go through? Can you imagine not knowing where your next meal is going to come from? When was the last time you ate? Last week. Our family is in the process of adopting and we have looked at domestic v. international adoption. Have you?

We have a son who has special needs, is wheelchair bound and we want to open our home to an orphan/child who needs us. We are middle class America – it doesn't take much to see the need. Our nation has some really selfish people in it.

Adoption is not going to change the world, but we can change the world for an orphan.

I believe all of these celebrity adoptions are ludicrous. Is appears to have become a hollywood fad. Bradd Pitt and Madonna and then who knows? She can't even stay married let alone be a good mother. Besides, she is single again and simply not capable of providing a mother and father healty family environment for this child. VETO VETO VETO. Go on and sing Madonna and do what you are best at, but leave this adption thing alone and concentrate on getting your own messed up life together first! NO ADOPTION FOR MADONNA.

it's better to save one than none

I am an African and Live in Africa. Madonna should be allowed to adopt the child. The charity organizations that oppose this adoption are not for the interest of the girl but their own survival and self interest. Madonna should not be punished simply because she is rich. She should be allowed to follow her heart just like anybody else. Talking about environment for the girl is simply absurd as she is a human being just like Madonna and the rest of the Europeans she is not a frog who requires special environment. Madonna will give her the opportunity to live a decent life and maybe care for the ones she left behind in Malawi.

My thoughts are the same as one of the only Africans to give their views in this forum, Milton Nyerere. As an adoptive parent of 2 African children I am incensed at Domininc Nutt's incredibly naive, stereotypical, misinformed and dangerous comments, Has this man ever been to Africa? I believe hundreds, if not thousands, of African children will die directly as a result of his comments.

For the record here is an extract from the email I sent to "Save the Children" this morning:

"It is beyond comprehension that you would plaster your ill-informed, politically correct ideology all over the world media, just to have a cheap shot at a Celebrity.

You dream up totally perfect scenarios for imperfect, dysfunctional situations from your comfortable air-conditioned offices
in London. Have fun grabbing your big mac on the way home and settling in to your soft couch in front of the plasma while another kid dies in Africa as a direct result of your incredibly irresponsible diatribes in the international media.

I had vaguely heard of your organization and had (of course with a name like that) tacitly supported it. Not only will you will never
get a cent from me in my lifetime, you have made a mortal enemy for life. At every opportunity from now on I will I actively oppose your
organization in every public forum. May you all rot in hell for what you have done to these children and their prospects for not only getting
a new chance at life, but now, I fear, for even being able to continue living at all. You are an unspeakable organization."

Why International Adoptions? Aren't there plenty of kids in need of adopting right in our own country? Charity begins @ home!

Nancy et al,

For once and for all, there are virtually no kids available for adoption in Western countries, Generally this is due to the massive abortion rate.
This incessant "why don't you adopt from your own country?" is starting to drive me insane. Don't you think most adoptive parents have already considered this? Also nobody chooses to "pay thousands" for a child. This is the consequence of what the authorities choose to charge adoptive parents from both countries involved. Why then accuse the people trying to do the right thing, how about asking the countries why they charge thousands for the process instead? Finally what about this comment from one of my fellow 'posters" "I just can’t shake the feeling that she is using money and influence to get her way in Malawi."
Hmmm, I see it now , Madonna is trying to take over the piles of dog poo and maggots on the streets of the poorest nation on Earth, that's her master plan! Thanks for sharing that with us Mr. Mental giant.
Please try to do things in this order: 1. check your facts, 2. post comment.

I am an African and indeed a Malawian.I love my country no matter what.But I know the challanges and hardships people especially living in the rural areas go through here in Malawi.

On other hand every human being has right to express whatever comes in his mind in whatever way.But the bottom line is that by the end of the day one should also know that he has to take responsibilty for his words.Therefore come to Madonna's adoption of this child,is a challage and responsibility each and everyone of us,people of goodwill should emulate and follow if we have to make the world good place for living otherwise children are crying and people are dying of curable diseases and infections becuase of poverty.So why should we pretend to be more civillised and law abinding people?Laws are made for the benefit of human kind.Lets give this child opportunity she deserved explore and experience good life she is called for.

The Madonna saga of adopting children from Malawi seems to be a battle between two cultures, reading from the comments available. For the poor African subsistence farmer, it is manner from Heaven. For a western based NGO whose founders and policy makers are born and bred in western nations. The NGO's argue that it is best the children are raised in their environment and yet when they set up shop in African their top decision makers are foreigners with very little background of the local scenario.

i'm amazed at the backlash towards int'l adoptions that's resulting from this madonna issue. i am one of 3 happily adopted children from south american countries. i am 24 with siblings who are 27 and 18. we were adopted in the 80's and early 90's before it was "trendy". and while my parents like many others had the option of adopting within the US, they chose to extend the opportunity for a life that included healthy food good education and a value strong upbringing. please do not judge them or people like them for making that decision. its a personal decision, and if the officials of both represented nations consent everyone else should stay out of it.

I support Madonna's adoption. She is personally helping Malawi, supporting facilities and bringing worldwide attention to them. As one of the Republic of Korea's (SK) early adoptees A-20, from Holt Intl. Children's Service, I was adopted in 1956. I was half-blooded, a breed, despised or shunned by most ethnic groups. Over 12,000 children of US and UN troops were accounted for from 1945 to the mid-60s when the wonders of Science and Planned Population Federation of Korea (yes, you read correctly-google it) eliminated these most unwanted. Official records show 225,000 Korean children have been adopted to Intercountry adoptions. About 90% were 'successful' but there have been abuses. Malawi should make her a goodwill Ambassador, right make it official.