Adoption

B is on the computer playing Hello Kitty and D is in the swing taking a nap. That leaves me with a few minutes to check out the day's news. The one controversial story I don't really get is the one about Madonna's adoption. Part of the supposed backlash is about the laws being broken. Adopting a child in Malawi requires an 18 month stay. That is a completely unreasonable law, perhaps designed to discourage international adoption, but it is the law. And since it is the law, everyone should have to abide by it. Even rich celebrities who are pouring lots of money into the country. The other part of the backlash is the question raised by some as to whether this boy should be adopted at all. This I don't get. The argument is that she should give the father money to raise the boy and allow him to grow up in his home country rather than taking him to England. The father put him in an orphanage to begin with so it seems he's already given up his parental rights. The father is ok with the adoption anyway. It is not always better for a child to stay in the country where he was born just to remain with like people. Besides, a one year old doesn't really have a lot of culture shock or culture adjustments. If anything, his world will probably become more stable and steady than it was in the orphanage. The idea that a one year old might not be able to cope with the change from an orphanage to a wealthy western home, just doesn't hold water. I don't remember reading this much fuss when Angelina Jolie or Meg Ryan or any of the other celebrities adopted children from other countries. It doesn't make sense. Then again, I don't know any of these people and have never heard of the orphanage. Plus I'm relying on the news stories for truth. So who knows!