MERCY’S ADOPTION MOCKED BY A MALAWIAN CAST
-Pictured: Madonna is portrayed by a black male actor in a blonde wig-
Mercy Madonna of Malawi. That is the name of the play surrounding singer Madonna’s controversial adoption of four-year-old Mercy James. Toby Gough, an award-winning British director who created the show, said this about his play: “It’s outrageous, irreverent, it’s full of music.”
“We rewrite some of Madonna’s songs to tell the story of how she ended up in Malawi, the problems she faced being stopped in the process and what Malawians feel about it. ”
“It is due to poverty that [Malawians] are forced to put their children in to orphanages. There are ways for children to be cared for in their own countries, not taken to other cultures,” Toby added.
Mercy of Madonna is being performed at the Edinburgh Fringe(in the UK) this month(August 7th-31) by a Malawian cast.
Click here to see pictures of Madonna with Mercy and son David
Source
hmmm….very interesting
wow they are making fun of a 4 year old girl…how nice.
This isn’t supposed to be against Mercy. This is against Madonna. Regardless of what anyone thinks Madonna chose to go to a country that has laws against outside adoption. She knew this and most probably expected this type of backlash from the natives of this country. If she didn’t than she really didn’t think this one through. Don’t get me wrong I have no problems with her adopting I just feel that she should be prepared for this sort of stuff considering where she has chosen to adopt from.
Going against Madonna is the same as going against Mercy. it is hard enough raising a child from a completly different culture, but to be mocked for it. what will this little girl think when she becomes old enough to understand this.
Whats done is done, let the woman and her kids live in peace. If anyone should be mocked its their own government for bending the rules not Madonna.
While I agree with where you are coming from (remember I did say that I was NOT against Madonna adopting)I still feel that Madonna knew this may come and was most likely prepared for it. She did choose this country to adopt from. She did live though all the trials of having adopting Mercy. I think while yes this may be in poor taste she can get through this as well. Plus I would hope that she would instill in Mercy a sense of self worth and confidence that she wouldn’t worry about such things either. They are doing what they feel they must (once again I don’t think it was good judgement) in order to shed light on what they believe just as Madonna must do what she believes. They are also probably feeling like Madonna has hurt Mercy way more than they can by taking her away from her heritage and culture. This is very important to them. Keep in mind we (I’m assuming you’re not from Malawi sorry if I’m wrong) are not from their country this is not our belief system so while we may find it tasteless they may be happy to get their message across by any means.
No they are making fun and becoming outraged by how many celebrates (whites) thinks it’s okay to come to there country, take their child and think that it’s okay because ” their helping society”. Whatever! How about black celebrities start finding places in the world that have poor and unhealthy white children and we gather them up. How would they feel? They are portraying how they treat the children like lottery. Pick and bull! What a bunch of bull. I support them. Duces
So its basically wrong for Whites to adopt Blacks.This is not lottery. It’s a chance at a child having a brighter future.I would commend any Black or white that looks past the PAST and diversifies their family.It shows some people are making progress within their homes if not the world.
Please, it shouldn’t matter the color of a persons skin, if they are willing to take an orphan into their house, cloth, bathe, and feed it and give the child the love it deserves so in turn they can come back to their country and help it…all the better. It makes me really angry that everyone bashes Madonna for helping this child, but it seems the people doing the bashing would never open up their doors for an unfortunate child…I think Mercy had a grandmother or some relative and she was still in an orphanage…its disgusting.
Oh and you support them? I’m sure you also support children dieing everyday from malnutrition. Hey its better than letting someone white try and raise these kids…god forbid!
I wouldn´t care if let´ßs sy Queen Latifah would go to Germany and adopt an orphan….or to the Ukraine or Russia or whatever…what is this black and white talk….the only problem that I have with the adoption is…that some of the regular adoption laws of Malawi were not followed…like living in Malawi for a year and stuff like that.
I´m sure Madonna is a good mum and will do nothing to harm Mercy and try to give as much love as possible.
Maybe the proceeds will go to ensure that millions of those in orphanages wont die there. I wonder how many kids this producer have saved from a lifetime of poverty?
it’snot their fault they doing it for the money. poor black people
You’re a poor stupid person. I’m not fully black but I take offense to what you said. Some people are just very closed minded. You don’t always have to a hundreds or thousands to be rich.
Also, poor people shouldn’t have kids if they can’t take care of them. It is very selfish. Very few wind up in my situation with a great family. Keep your darn legs closed.
Monique,
Its very easy to say keep your legs closed & don’t have kids. However, when residing in poor countries who have limited, if any at all, access to contraceptions, its very hard to do. Being poor takes alot away from people, but one thing they can control is their bodies & what they do with them.
Some of these very poor people are raped & end up pregnant. Is that there fault?
You know that’s not what I meant. I am just very passionate about poor people having unprotected sex and then giving their kids up. It’s just so selfish. No one wants to be poor, of course, so why would you put yourself in that situation. My mother did the same thing to me. I’m extremely blessed and was fostered early and adopted by the same person. But they’re are so many more that live their lives in orphanages because of careless parents.
To the girl who said poor people should keep their legs close.
You say very few end up like you, would things have been better for you if your mom had been selfless & kept her legs close?
Not me, because I’ve been blessed. But for so many others, YES! I have grown up around the foster care system and you have no idea what those kids go through.
Lala, you sound REALLY ignorant! How many kids have you adopted since you have say in who should adopt? I bet not a one!
Actually I am one of those adopted children so I know how it feel to sit there and wait. So I am not ignorant. Young lady. I go back and vistit the places I have been placed and see how children are getting treated now. How they have to look a certain way and the age they have to be. You sounD ingorant for not knowing. Do your history sweetie because I was one of those kids. I know how it feels to be placed in a lottery. Thank you very much.
Basically to all that all reply to what I said I’m trying to say that celebrities adopt children from different culture’s to make an image for themselves. They try to say yeah I help the society by adopting a child. Why not start an organization become apart of the community. Understand their lives. Don’t just adopt for image or because you got the money y not. Some celebrities adopt for the wrong reasons and that’s what I think this campaign is displaying. Anything anyone has to say after this it doesn’t matter because lol I stated my point. Goodbye
Lala, thank you so much for speaking from YOUR perspective. I appreciate the insight from someone who has BEEN THERE. Keep doing you, girl.
You are making the assumption that the children are being adopted for this reason. You can’t possibly know if this is true. I think that’s an awfully big step to do for image. I mean this woman already has her spot in the celebrity community. I still see it as a plus for the child because that’s one less who will remain institutioned. Since you have been through the process, as you said, I would think that your would appreciate being brought into a family that wants you. I feel that most people who are adopt are very special. you go to visit, but do your ever think of adopting yourself? Not a judgement, just a question.
Bottom line is, so many of the children who are adopted by wealthy families are going to have much more of a shot at a great life BECAUSE of being adopted.
Some of you sound like you would rather these children grow up in poverty and end up with AIDS than for them to be adopted by a wealthy white family.
Oh wow, such a tragedy to be raised by someone of a differnt race! Get over yourselves.
Funny stuff.
The problem is when celeb whites (or regular whites) adopt black children, it seen as patronizing and condescending. It’s like whites are saying ‘hey, I’m the great white savior to come and save these darkie children from a life decrepit poverty.’
Gee, thanks whitey. But do the darkies really need your help? Who knows.
I love the ‘adopt me’ shirt. I want one and I willing give my up for adoption to BRANGELINA!!
I’m with you, nappykat. Why do White or any other celebrities need to adopt from Africa?
To each his own, but there are quite a few children in the U.S. that are in need of adoption. There are children from every hue that would love to be adopted especially by someone who could give them all that they need to be happy and productive in life.
I don’t believe Madonna is one step closer to getting into heaven just because she took in two African babies, especially babies who still have living parents!
It is a star in her crown, though, because she could have chosen Croatia or Hungary to adopt kids from.
And I would argue even further that she could adopt poor White children from Appalachia right here in the U.S. and still have done a good deed.
I’m for keeping U.S. dollars in the U.S.
I agree Pisces. Although I do think it is great to adopt from other countries that are not as established as North America I do believe that people need to start taking an interest in our children as well. They may not be from a third world country but they do need love just as much. The problem I think arises when you look at the adoption laws here. Apparently it is much harder to adopt from here. Plus I do believe I heard of a law that gives the birth parents up to 2 yrs to change their minds. People don’t want to go through that so they go elsewhere. It really is sad.
Thanks, Toya1 for the info about adoption laws here in the U.S. That’s something I love about this site, I learn something new every time I log on, and the exchange of opinions/ideas is very stimulating as well as enriching for the most part.
I’m always checking for your comments because I find them wise and insightful.
Have a blessed weekend if I don’t talk to you again.
I don’t think American Dollars have anything to do with the adoption process. There are many giving money to other countries to help with the problems. I sure am glad that the Chinese don’t feel the same way you do, when begged them for money to keep America afloat. I am glad to see people take a child into a family and give him/her a better life. When we stand up and do the same thing maybe we won’t have so much time to give lip service to what we don’t like.
I’m glad that I don’t think like the Chinese, either, because they practice torture in that country. Go USA! Love it or leave it!
According to the C.I.A. reports, so do we here in America. But that’s not what I mean. We are accepting money to keep us (America) afloat so it is quite hypocrital of us the complain about American dollars going out of the country. And thanks to President Obama, we have moved out of that “cheney” mentality of “America, Love it or Leave it” Cause I ain’t going no where! But I digress. I don’t see the connection in the adoption of a child from a foreign country and Money. Perhaps you could enlighten me.
Khrish I don’t think people are upset that people are adopting from outside of North America. I think they are upset that there is not enough adoptions within the country. Although most of the fault in that lies with the laws of adoption here. As to your comment about standing up and doing something and not giving lip service to things we don’t like. Unfortunately not everyone can afford to adopt, not saying this is the case of the people on this site, It’s just a fact of life. Sometimes people really want to adopt and they just don’t qualify do to their finances or something else. As well there are also people in this country who had to give up their children due to various reasons and they hope that their children would be adopted into nice families. So when they see people who can adopt preferring to adopt from outside the country it understandably makes them upset and when you’re upset you share your opinions. Maybe if enough people shared their thoughts than someone who could change things would see it and help. If people are complaining for the sake of complaining than I can understand telling them to keep quite (it does get annoying) however if there is reasoning and purpose behind it, it is only fair to let them speak. After all we do have the ability not to read what they’ve written if we so choose.
Oh and I did see the gravatar link thanks:) I just haven’t figured out which pic to use yet:) Although I really should get on it this whole Toya1 thing is kinda aggravating!
You are very logical, Toya. And I’m not upset about anybody adopting children from where ever they want. Madonna was born in America and probably has dual citizenship in Britain. Being born White and free in North America, I’m sure Madonna realizes she was born with the freedom to do what she wants to do.
Please note that I have said “shut up” to noone. I also have listened to the reports on talk shows and other outlets that say exactly what you have said in your previous post to Pisces. People don’t feel that they want to wait all the time required to adopt a child and then stand the chance of losing that child. It is so much easier to adopt abroad. I know that Black/Asian kids were almost given away because they are so unwanted; and many Americans did adoptions as we came out of Vietnam. I know that we have been having this conversation for years about other races adopting Black children. Our Halle even did a movie call “Losing Isaiah” which dealt with it. And I understand what others have said, but we can’t keep bellyaching about it unless we can work together like the Jews to keep this from happening. So until that time, I simply feel, and I include myself as well, If you are not a part of the solution, then you are a part of the problem. We can’t continue to assign what we think are evil reasons for people who can afford to adopt and take these children into a family. that’s all I’m saying. I didn’t understand at all what American dollars had to do with it.
Remember you can save a gravatar to your desktop that you choose for anywhere on the web and upload it from your desktop if you don’t see one want at their site.
Khrish, you’re right about the money issue. I’m not quite sure what it has to do with this topic either. The only thing I can think of that seem to fit and correct me if I’m wrong Pisces I wouldn’t want to be putting words in your mouth. I think that maybe what she means is that when we adopt children from North America (and I keep saying North America because I’m Canadian) the money stays within our system so we can keep taking care of our children. However when you do an outside adoption their country gets that money meaning less for our children. Is that what you meant? It does make sense. What you said is true as well Khrish about others donating money to these countries to help them financially. Wow this really is a tough subject. I guess my stance on it is this I’m all for adoption whether it be here or away. However I would prefer to see more adoptions within North America. I would also like to see more donations to these organizations, side note I really have no idea how much is being donated because I’ve never actually heard anything about it. Maybe that’s the problem You always hear about the money going out and never about the money coming into our organizations. About colour, it would be nice if Black parents could adopt Black children but that doesn’t seem to be happening so I’m grateful that other people are stepping up. Although I do feel it’s important for them to learn how to care for the child properly ie. hair. I’ve seen it so many times at my job, some mothers of different races tend to have difficulty combing a black/mixed child’s hair. I try to show them some listen some don’t. My cousins mom couldn’t comb her hair and it was such an ordeal every time! This poor girl would scream because it hurt so bad. The problem was she didn’t moisturize it and to this day (she is now in her early 20’s) my cousin hates her hair. She thinks it’s a curse she wants to have white hair like her mother and friends. Funny thing is her hair is basically white textured it’s just really curly therefore needs more moisture. A child can end up with many self hate issues if the parents don’t know enough about how to handle these types of differences.
Khrish I went to the gravatar site and they said that I’d have to stick with the name I’ve chosen permanently. Not to impressed with that idea. As well apparently the name Toya is taken I’ve tried others I like as well all taken! My luck:) I guess I’ll just have to stick with Toya1 (which by the way was also taken!lol!)for now until I think of one I like even better lol:)
TOYA1 While I come to this site for relaxation, I am really a political junkie and I never see your name at any of those sites. Does Canada have the “Public Option” as a plan for your healthcare?
It’s presumptive of you to think that people do things just to get into heaven. If she’s like me, it’s not a thought that premeates my life. Just maybe she really wants to make a difference in someone’s life and that is a good thing.
TOYA1 You do have to stick with the name but you can add the gravatar. Just sign in under the name you chose and then add your Gravatar. When you sign in you will see the brose button to pull from your desktop or you can choose a picture that you see there.
I totally agree with you about the children but in 2 of my past statements, We have to accept that we are not adopting the children, for whatever reason, so we can’t really complain about people who do. Until we can reach the status of the Jewish community concerning adoption, we have to be greatful that these children are not left in institutions.
Khrish we have both private and public options. It works really well. With the public option everyone is entitled to health care. We pay into it through our taxes so we don’t even notice we’re paying for it. It covers medical doctors appointments, eye doctor’s, dental surgeries etc. Plus you get a set rate for services outside of Canada and they will pay for your travel to wherever you need to go for medical help. It covers you if you have diabetes, when you get older and need to go to the doctor more frequently, if you have a long-term illness etc. You do get much more with the coverage as well but I’m not exactly sure what and I don’t want to misquote. Now with the private option, I think you guys have this, we can look at the type of coverage a certain insurance company is offering and go with whatever plan suits us best. So basically all citizens are covered by a public insurance, majority of people also have a work insurance and we all have the option to get private insurances. I really like it because whatever the public insurance does not cover you can get private insurance to cover it. But I must say that the public insurance covers quite a bit. I really don’t see why most people in America seem so against it. The only thing it is there for is to ensure that EVERYONE can get medical care even if they cannot afford the private insurance. I hope I answered your question:) What other sites do you go to?
you get some really good discussions on Jack and Jill Politics, Slate, The Daily Beast The Root, and The Black Snob; and MSNBC. I especially enjoy watching Real Time, Rachel Maddow Show, Keith Obermann, these you can look at from MSNBC and see their playbacks.These all have great posting boards and quite good conversation. My favorite is Jack and Jill Politics.
Can you explain how you feel with there are so many Black children out there for adoption and Black people who can afford to don’t adopt them? I think that they feeling you express is something that you need to explore within yourself. It’s always very difficult to transfer your feelings to someone else.
I understand what the guy mean when he say there are ways for children to be cared for in their own countries, not taken to other cultures but that’s something he and others should take up with their countries. It’s not Madonna’s fault that these children are poor. She only wanted to adopt them. If they don’t want these kids to be taken to other countries, those countries should change or don’t have adoptions at all if the child haft to leave the country.
I don’t see anything wrong with what madonna has done whether u get your child from china or anywhere else in the world. I don’t beleive these celebs do this for attention either. These are children we are talking about.Who would adopt a child just for the sake of adopting? That’s ridiculous and besides these are black children and it’s hard for them to find a home. So if a white person wants to adopt them, i don’t see anything wrong with that.
I know there are probably alot of rich people that should keep there legs closed also Monique because even though they may have the means to take care of their children, it doesn’t mean that they actually take care of them and raise them. They have hired help to do that. So they are in no better position than the poor.
What do u mean, doing what for the money sher sher?
Check it - Toby Gough, the one who made the play, IS A WHITE DUDE!
Okay, so what is his problem with Madonna adopting Merci?? I understand why the blacks or the Africans would have a prob, but him? I don’t get it. Maybe he saw a chance to cash in and get some money.
i reckon some people jus don’t like the way madonna did it with mercy, like there being mix up over the fact that some of mercys family still wanting her and maybe about madonna bending the rules? not so much the colour of their skins, jus the way it was done i guess,
LMAO!! glad to see they find it funny. There is a bigger reason why these white people are adopting from Africa.
i dont know why, but i find this childish, they coulda took it straight to madonna with how they felt. But if it’s funny, it’s funny…
I think that white people should stop adopting black kids and let see what will happen let see, how much the adoption rate on black kids will drop because as it stand 37% of black child are adopted by white parents, let see if black people will stand up and fill in those gaps.
black people on both side of the water like to talk crap about white adopt parent. Modonna was raising all this money for the country before she ever decide to adopt a kid, she went there 11 or 12 times before she decide to adopt she said she fell in love with the people. and Angie was the same way. So she didnt stay in the country for a year, she has other kids and a life, i wont have stay either i would have did the same thing or not even bother.
I glad that anyone is steping up to save these children lives, give them a better future and a family. If you dont like white folk caring for our kids then step up and adopt yourself, or tell these black cele to do it. but they wont because that all black folks know how to do is talk the freaken talk.
Beautifully stated! I agree.
My only concern is what happens to the many children in the US who grow up in the foster care system without ever having the opportunity for a better life. Black or white, I think ANYONE who has the means to adopt should do so right here in the US. Not only adopting but also donating TIME and money to foster care and child welfare services and organizations. If what this producer has done brings awareness to the discrepancies of adopting in another country so be it. This is something that needs to be addressed either way.
This has been an ongoing controversy for years. I would like to see the children here adopted first too; but it seems that our government makes it so difficult because they worry about the jobs that will be taken if they get rid of the children. My primary concern has been that we, as a people, should have the desire to adopt our own children (Black) and then we won’t have to complain about others adopting. To my understanding, unless the rules have changed, you cannot adopt a Jewish child unless you are Jewish and this is made possible because they work very hard to take care of their own. If we would put forth that effort maybe we wouldn’t continue year after hear to have this conversation. I had wanted, when younger, to adopt but my husband felt that he could not love another child as much as he loved his own; so with that being his problem, I would feel that I had done a disservice to bring an adoptee into our family. It is really something that we need to think about as a people. While I would rather see Black children with Black parents; I would never want to see a child left behind without a family because of the color of his/her skin.
my problem is with the imagery behind all of this. it seems like madonna sees herself as some sort of a saviour. Google “the madonna and child” and then google that picture of madonna holding Mercy in the orphanage. Madonna, the singer, is trying to give us the religious imagery of her as the saviour of little brown children. Even consider her like a prayer video. What is she saying? What does the imagery say about her underlying feelings toward about African culture. That it is to be saved? To be made clean? I don’t know…You decide.
While I am not a Madonna fan, I really don’t believe that is what she is trying to compare herself to. I think that she really does want these children and will take good care of them and they will have a life that they never imagined. As I said previously, If we’re not rising up and taking these kids, we should be happy that they won’t have to spend their younger lives in an institution. When we get sick enough of it, then maybe we will get up and do something about it. Until then to want to deny her giving this child a shot at life is just wrong.
i think you’ve missed my point…
I am hoping that I did get your point. You think that she is setting her self to appear to be the savior of these poor young Black children, is that your point. That they are being used by her to promote her image? And I am only saying that if we can’t rise up and step forward to help this these children, we will have to accept that, like it or not. If you are not part of the solution then you are a part of the problem. And that is the universal “you” not the personal “you”.
The Truth said “This is the gist of why there is such a problem with Madonna just mocking what her ancestors have done on a large scale.”
This is, in someways, is what I am getting at. Historically, our culture has been seized, appropriated, and vanquished by women who look not unlike Madonna. People who said that for one reason or another we need to helped, we need to be saved, we needed to be civilized. Is that not what Madonna is suggesting in her own passive, terribly self-serving way?
If you look at world history and this country’s history, it’s proven that Whites have more than another race come and take over countries, cultures and people. They are doing it again with gentrification in poor neighborhoods all over the country. This nicely packaged thieving technique (which by the way is why America exists) has left those affected scarred for generations to come. This is the gist of why there is such a problem with Madonna just mocking what her ancestors have done on a large scale.
Again, If this action bothers you that much, then you must do more than talk. You must step up to the plate and do something about it. If you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem. I would still rather see a child given a better life than left in an institution alone. Maybe through the life she is given she can one day return home and make things better for others.
to “TheTruth”:
Get a life and keep your BS to yourself… get over it! THE TRUTH is, never judge people by the color of their skin… and those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Reject the concept of race, white or black, only labels for the brainwashed head…
THE TRUTH, not negating your reasoning even saying that you are right in your reasoning; would you rather see these children left in an institution than adopted? Which is the lesser of the two evils?
Am I the only one who notice how this website, along with Celebrity BB are against International adoption from celebs? Lets forget about race for a moment,or how we view Madonna or Brangelina. These celebrity kids were already with their new families, or in the process of being adopted. When the comments and post about adopt U.S.A. started. Co-sign with Khrish. If you’re only speaking out of envy now would be a great time to zip it. When Angelina adopted Maddox the pro comments were far less. Both websites are against racism,slurs and bulling. Both are for interracial relationships, which is good. But I smell some hypocricy. If a white American celebrity has a husband from Ghana, would you be saying marry U.S.? If a black celebrity has a husband from Germany would you be saying marry U.S.? I’m sure the are plenty of single German and Ghanian women. In closing there is nothing wrong with American celebs adopting from America. But its wrong to promote not to adopt from overseas.
Maybe they need to stop focusing on they fact that Madonna adopted Mercy, and start focusing on developing their county
I agree with this so much. Madonna already has her children and is taken care of thousands more in their home country, instead of mocking her efforts to help these children, these folks should set up a foundation to help their own people. What is bugging me is that a white man set this up and made it seem like it was the Malawians who are doing it. It’s hypocritical.
It’s amazing how many foreigners have an interest in this site about the lives and going ons of specifically Black celebrities and their families/kids.
The Internet has no borders, that’s for sure. Maybe I should report this activity to the FBI or INS.
Scary!
I would tend to believe that BCK welcomes the exchange between its readers and also would welcome the hits to this site. Why are you deciding that there is something wrong with or that there are even foreigners posting to the site? Why would these agencies be concerned with people posting. I post to sites in Italy, England and Turkey. I mean, what is your point?
I think you missed my point.
I don’t understand what you mean then. Maybe you can be a bit clearer in your above statement.
I hate how people continue to find something to criticize when two children will no longer face an uncertain future in an institution. She is taking care of thousands more children as well in their home country in several orphanages and setting up schools and scholarships, what are these people ridiculing her doing? Nothing. They are just self-promoting and making money for themselves and some white man is running the show making it seem like Malawians are behind it. I hope Mercy and David never see all the nasty press their mother got while she adopted them. I think they will find it hurtful.
I hope David and Mercy realize and read one day that they had parents who were alive, technically making them not orphans that needed to be adopted. But Madonna, I’m sure, was smart enough to pay the families and governments off.
Why did Madonna choose to adopt children who had living parents? Can she give them back now to their real parents if she gets tired of them or tired of competing for publicity with Brad and Angelina?
It’s also a look good for Madonna now since her place of birth, America, now has a president of African descent! Just look at the Dixie Chicks. If you’re an American entertainer and your president doesn’t like you, you can have problems.
Some over 50 year old entertainers will do anything to keep themselves relevant in the public eye!
Madonna’s willing to use innocent African children that have families at home to take care of them, to keep her name in the news and her career relevant and profitable.
I may have been more impressed had she adopted a real challenged child with AIDS from Africa. Now a kid like that doesn’t probably have living parents and needs a lot of money (which Madonna has) for daily medicine in order to live, needs to be raised by a person of means.
And writers here keep telling the average Black person to adopt here if we want our children( Black American) to be adopted.
Well, how many single (Black) people in America would have an opportunity to realistically adopt like Madonna, who, herself, is a two time divorcee, single mother, and posed naked walking down a street and was depicted in S&M imagery in a book? This is not what the average adoption agency is looking for when placing kids in a healthy, stable environment.
From a purely moralistic standpoint, those two African kids would have been better off being raised eating porridge 3 times a day like the rest of their villagers than being raised by a [person] like Madonna whose own first child, Lourdes, was born out of wedlock, probably surrounded by transvestites!
Black people need to educate themselves. Even older Blacks writing here project that it’s acceptable to be someone’s parent and have low moral attributes as long as you’re White and rich and wear a pointed bra while simulating sex during your act on stage that’s making you millions.
Just because Madonna is rich and White doesn’t make her a good person worthy of adopting anybody’s kids no matter what their race is.
If the children had parents, why were they in the orphanage? Why are you so upset about this woman and these children? I don’t think anyone on this site has expressed the opinion that these children are better off just because they were adopted by whites. At least I haven’t read anyone who suggested that. You didn’t seem to have objections to MJ’s children. He could have adopted Black children and he chose not to. If you would rather see children living in poverty rather than given a better life then maybe you should look inside yourself. You’re sitting here in America, working, eating, living decently and secure….You are not in the position to make decisions for what would be better for these children. I look at the son that Steven Spielburg adopted who is now a college graduate. That means he is an adult and is capable of going back home making a productive contribution to his country. Could he have done that remaining where he was “eating gruel 3 times per day as you suggest? You outlook, to me, is like saying that you are drowning in the ocean and just because the ship that offers to rescue you is maned by whites, you would rather drown. Survival is the first law of nature. Your outlook on this situation is just very strange to me. While I don’t disrespect your opinion, I don’t understand it? My mom used to say ” A trick untried is hard to be justified”. But this is just my opinion.
If you reference the recent post here at BCK showing the kids, Madonna, and her boyfriend on a boat at this site, it is stated in the article that the boy , David has a biological father and pictures of Mercy’s biological mother have been posted at BCK also.
Also, other people posting at the recent Madonna post agree with my views on the topic regarding Madonna’s motives in adopting these two African kids.
I am not upset about this , I along with other posters just have a different point of view about it. That’s as far as this goes for me.
I am aware that the children have parents I am only asking if the parents have them put away or give them away, there must be a reason. I’m not questioning the moral of Madonna, I’m well aware of those. I am just questioning your rational that a child is better off eating gruel 3 x per day than be adopted and given a better life. I mean to me the worse perpetrators of the ideal of which you speak are the religious groups. They go to these countries and offer the bible and a meal and rob the country of everything including the minds of its people and no one seems to complain about that. Matter of fact, many Blacks donate their money to help them do it. This affects way more people than the adoption of two children. As I have said before, I hate that Black children have to be adopted by non-Black famlies, but until some of us can step up and adopt them, it’s better than the alternative because it gives these children the chance to better themselves to go back and help others in their country. But that’s just me. And I certainly understand that this is your opinion, it’s just very hard for me to understand cutting off my nose to spite my face.
At least get your information correct. Only David has a living biological parent. Children in America often have both parents living and they are still adopted because the parents either can’t take care of them or don’t want to for whatever reasons. His father has long since remarried and had another child with his new wife. He gave Madonna permission to adopt David who was in an institution since birth. David was really ill as was verified by Dr. Jeffrey Sachs’ wife in the Huffington Post and Madonna gave him the medical attention he needed. So had he been left in the orphanage, he would not be alive and I doubt you would be crying over him, like the thousands of other children losing their lives and suffering daily in that country and nobody cares about unless some celebrity steps in.
And how can you say its better growing up in an institution where you are one of hundreds of others and there are only a few adults to take care of only your physical needs than to live with a family where you are well taken care of, loved, and given personalized attention and all the opportunities in the world? These children can be whatever they want to be and go back to their home countries as adults and continue the work their mother started there. She is already doing a lot, far more than any of us criticizing will ever do.
Mercy has no living biological parents, only an elderly grandmother and two uncles who approved the adoption. Mercy has been in an institution since soon after her birth. A man came out to claim he was her father after a tabloid paid him off, and where was he for the past four years? The family denied him and said he was only seeking to profit. He also sold his story to various tabloids and he even charged CBS $300 for a quick interview. He said he was happy his “daughter” was famous, now what kind of man says that if he truly cares about their child’s well being?
You can’t adopt an HIV+ child abroad and bring them into this country. There is a law forbidding HIV+ people from entering the country. President Obama is now in the process of changing this law. And why should Madonna be obligated to adopt a child with a deadly disease? You are not asking that of any other parent, why should you of Madonna? That is unfair.
Madonna adopted David back in 2006 and tried to adopt Mercy back then as well, long before President Obama was elected. What does that even have to do with anything? It’s like grasping at straws.
And how do you know Madonna’s motives? Did you have a personal conversation with her? Do you even know her? She is one of the most famous people ever, she doesn’t need publicity. She currently has the most successful tour ever, so it’s not like she’s hurting for notoriety, and she can easily get attention if she wanted it with her relationship alone or some other antic, not with a permanent, life-long commitment to two children. The 15 minutes of fame or a headline are over with quickly, but you are stuck with the children for life. In fact the publicity surrounding the adoption has been overwhelmingly negative and destructive towards her image, but she’s carried on anyways. She’s been around for a while to know better than to actively try to destroy her image like that.
Adoption is not a game nor a competition, this not about Angelina or Brad either. You seem to have personal bone to pick with Madonna rather than actively voicing your opinion to help some child’s cause or well being. Perhaps consider getting off your pedestal before you fall off of it.
@Aisha..I’ll wait till I fall off if that’s okay with you Ms. Smarty pants, snide lady!
this is a strong topic. i understand where LaLa is coming from on post AUG 13 at 4:16pm…not saying that Madonna’s motive for adoption is to stay in the public eye but i have noticed that all of the caucasion celebrities that have adopted African children seem to be only focused on the African children at all times in front of the camera. Angelina and Brad has Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh and their twins(Vivienne and Knox) but everytime they are pictured you only see them with Zahara. Angelina first adopted Maddox with Billy Bob but the way i always see her with Zahara only, even in magazines you would think Zahara was her first and only child. I never get to see little Shiloh or the twins and occasionally Max and Pax. Like Madonna, sometimes i forget she even has Lourdes and Rocco, because everytime i see her or Guy they are with David and now Mercy. And now there’s that other actress(forgot her name) that has adopted that little baby girl named Olivia. and now that’s all you see her pictured with and she also have a biological child, that we seldom see. Look at Justine Simmons, she adopted Miley but they are not zoning in on her and Miley all the time just because she’s adopted. Justine is mostly photographed with all of her children, even the girls and their gown and have their own busy schedules. You can never forget how many children she has. Some of them are acting like it’s a fad to adopt these children or a competition of who can adopt the most children from Africa. I also agree with Toya1 on comment posted AUG 16 @ 2:03pm… that although adoption is needed everywhere and the US has more than any other country can offer, how come we are not adopting the American children also?
Child poverty is a big problem in developing countries, insead of celebrites just helping 1 child, they hould work closely with da orphanage to make sure that the other kids there also have a fais chance in life maybe by providing school uniforms or schooling equiptment nd stuff like dat