Comments on: "Dad" Opposes Madonna Adopting Daughter

"Early Show" World Exclusive: Malawian Man Explains His Reasons

[rgraham2]

I believe Madonna's heart is in the right place, wanting to adopt an African child, but I sure wish white Americans would think about adopting African-American children right in their hometowns. So many African-American kids are in foster care these days, even tiny babies -- people, please investigate the possibility. Some Black people have issues with whites adopting black kids, and I can see their points, but studies have shown that this type of adoption isn't such a big deal in the lives of most kids and parents.

[SusanStoHelit]

The child's family says he's not the dad, they don't know him. I'm wondering - is he the dad - or is he some random idiot who sees a chance at some money or fame?

[mollydtt]

Please let the father have his daughter. What could be so important to Madonna et al. that they have to take this child away from her family and culture.

The more Madonna fights this, the less respect I have for her. But, also I question the priorities of the Malawi adoption officials. Something is not right, and they need to get their affairs in order before they have this happen again.

[ElectricBlue44]

Why is Madonna referred to as a Superstar???? How about SuperTease or SuperTramp??? Why is this news in the first place??? And why isn't she looking to adopt some hopeless kid from Detroit?? Plenty of them there.

[Oregon_State_OSU]

andreanonymous

This story proves what I've known all along, Madonna and her crew
are the lowest of the low (I read that's what Guy Ritchie said about his ex not long ago)

Remember andreanonymous there are always 2 sides to a story and GUY RITCHIE sure DID NOT TURN DOWN THE 75 MILLION DOLLARS he got from Madonna and the Divorse & Guy Ritchie was already had millions of dollars but sure did not refuse an extra 75 million >> what does that tell you andreanonymous ?

andreanonymous > lay down your Hate for Madonna and put the child first.
andreanonymous > Your very Self Centered and Selfish, put the child first !!!!!

[Ndukanachi]

I am a 42 year old African-American woman who lived and worked in Malawi, Central African from September 2002 until September 2004. My husband is from Lilongwe, Malawi and we are the natural birth parents of a four year old daughter. Although Madonna means well, what she doesn't understand is that by adopting Malawian children, she is disrupting the social order of the land in a negative way.When Madonna adopted the first child, his natural father, was immediately moved from the lowest tier to the highest tier in the social hiearchy. This is against Malawian culture. For example, except for business purposes, villagers and servants, should not socialize with civil servants such as teachers and policemen. Civil servants do not socialize with university professors and NGO workers. In turn, these individuals do not socialize with governmental officials. When individuals create relationships with ousiders who provide them with financial support, they move from one social group to another instantly, which is unfair to Malawians because they believe a person should only move from one class to another based on education or hard work. Then, by moving little David Banda, Madonna is stripping him of his culture, the language, Chichewa, the food, nsima and relish, and the spiritual beliefs of his people, whether Christian or Muslim. As a white woman, she will never be able to teach him these things because she is not a Malawian. She is a musungu, which is a term for "white" person. Surprisingly, even if your skin is black, you are considered a white person if you are from America or any other predominately white nation. Black children who are adopted by white parents have a hard enough time as it is and I've heard the stories of hundreds of Africans in America who are treated badly because of their hair texture, the color of the their skin, the speech, etc... Madonna can best help by providing orphanges with food and clothing and money for the salary of care givers. When I lived in Malawi, teachers made 50 per month. On this salary, they fed their families and paid their rent. Little David's plane ticket alone would have provided food, clothing, and shelter for an entire orphange for over a year. For example, the CIA Director at the Embassy told us to keep our laptops hidden because if stolen, they would sell for 1,000,USD which was a lifetime salary for the average Malawian. Maybe you still think my argument is senseless, but let me share this final story with you. My mother-in-law, who lives in a village outside of Lilongwe, is divorced from my father-in-law. Their 7 children, who are 30 and above live in the same village as their mother. The grandchildren often stay with her. I've visited the village several times and even spent my first Christmas in the country there. Months later, theives came into my mother-in-laws first house, where her 9 year old grandson was sleeping and demanded money for cigarettes. (My mother in law slept in a seperate house.) Because news travels like lightening by word of mouth, I'm sure they were aware of my American presence and assumed that because I was an American in-law, I was supplying the family with money. The boy told the theives that he didn't have any money for cigarettes but promised to have cigarettes the following night when they returned. He did not tell anyone because the theives threatened to kill his family if he told of their presence. The following night, when the thieves returned, the boy had managed to collect 9 cigarettes. Because he didn't have an entire pack for each of them, they beat him and broke his leg. His grandmother, who discovered her wounded grandson the next morning, struggled to take him to the hospital. The leg, which eventually set up gangreen (sp) poisoned the boy's blood and he died. Because I am not a celebrity, you won't hear ABC, NBC, and CBS, report stories like this one or about the story of how muggers threatened to kill me while I was returning from a minister's house to pay my tithes. But as a person who worked in the trenches in Malawi, I learned some things about the culture, things that Madonna and Oprah may think they understand and things they may even want to understand, but won't turly understand until they live among the commoners. Again, her best bet would be providing schools, food, clothing and shelter so that she EMPOWERS Malawian children and adults.... Mechelle ([e-mail])

[Oregon_State_OSU]

andreanonymous

So what is the difference between Madonna adopting children of other races & Brad Pitt and Angelena Jolee. MIZZ Angeline Jolee & Brad dont have a spottless track record you know

andreanonymous >>> You would rather have that child live in Squalor and Poverty then have a Privilaged Life that Madonna can give that child >> thats extreamly selfish of you !

[andreanonymous]

I am so upset about this case and people's blind allegiance to that mad-woman.
GIVE THE FAMILY MONEY, you who topped Forbes list, you who supposedly cares
about others. This story proves what I've known all along, Madonna and her crew
are the lowest of the low (I read that's what Guy Ritchie said about his ex not long ago)

This is a David and Goliath story, a story about good vs. evil, greed vs. love. BY THE WAY, THE FAMILY KNOWS IT IS JAME'S CHILD, so why does everyone, including the PRESS, keep saying 'supposed'. It is obvious it is his child. STOP catering to the Mad-woman and tll the truth.

[Oregon_State_OSU]

The father would rather have the child live in poverty and squalor. He showed up out of the wood work and is now causing issues >>> DNA TEST HIM and see if he is the Father.

Madonna will give this child an Education and a Privilaged Life Style.

I support you Madonna & the best of luck.

[YCantWeAllGetAlong]

What I don't understand is why all of a sudden, everyone is calling the potential father "scum" and a "sperm donor". How do we know this? Family and parenting laws in other countries can vary vastly from our own here. He claims to have received a letter stating the mother and child had perished in childbirth. We don't know the story here. There has been no DNA test that clearly rules him out. The family might not be admitting to knowing him for cultural reasons. Maybe they weren't married? Who KNOWS. All I know is that to use blanket statements about an issue we know nothing about doesn't make any sense.

The poster ticorsello posted at 5:47 PM about Madonna stating, "she wants to raise a child who has NO ONE". The article clearly states that she has a grandmother. Is she NO ONE? I think not. You can clearly see that people make statements even if they don't even read the article. Just because a child is in an orphanage does not mean they do not have family. Many poor families, including children with both mother and father and other siblings at home, find themselves in an orphanage because the parents cannot afford to take care of the child. I will reserve judgment because I do not have personal knowledge of the situation in order to draw any conclusions.