David Taintor

Hollywood stars have a lot of money; that’s no surprise to me.

What does surprise me is how some think their money can buy children from other countries.

Angelina Jolie started the “trend” by adopting Maddox from Cambodia in 2002. By 2005, she adopted Zahara from Ethiopia, and two years after that, she adopted Pax from Vietnam.

But at least she did it the legal way, unlike Madonna.

In 2006 Madonna adopted David Banda from Malawi.

According to a Aug. 1, 2007, Daily Mail article, Madonna paid œ1.7 million to bypass the Malawian law forbidding international adoption. This was highly controversial, but she still left the country with David in her arms.

You would think Madonna learned from this mistake, but now she wants to adopt another girl from Malawi. Doesn’t she get that it’s illegal to have an international adoption from that country?

I see that she has so much money, and she says she wants to give a better lifestyle to these children.

If celebrities have so much money, and they say they care so much for these children, why not just give them the money they used to fly to the country, do the paper work, and also the little extra they gave to speed up the adopting process?

I think adoption is a great thing, and I agree that those children also deserve to have a family.

But sometimes I feel people should adopt children from not only different countries, but also different cultures.

Children are not collectables, and people should not see these children as their chance to make up their own “small world” at their homes.

What I don’t agree with is how not only celebrities, but also people, go abroad and spend so much money on adopting just one child, when they could use that money to help many more.

It is sad to think that these children might not have a family or that they live in such poor countries. But I also think that if all those people that save money for all the expenses that come from international adoption would give it to those countries, not only could they help those children get some education and health, but I also think that their parents could benefit from the health benefits, which would lead to less orphans.

I know not many people will agree, and they will still be adopting kids from poor countries. That’s great. I’m not saying people should stop adopting, but maybe it would be better if people took into consideration where these kids came from.

If there are people out there who want to adopt from another country, they should first ask themselves if they are going to keep their adopted children’s culture.

According to a March 28 Associated Press article, a British children’s charity has urged Madonna to “think twice” before adopting the girl she is planning on adopting.

The article stated the Children UK spokesman Dominic Nutt said many international adoptions are unnecessary, and children should be kept in the care of their extended families or within their communities.

I agree because how would you feel if they took you away to another country where you didn’t know the language? How would you feel if most of your life you felt like you didn’t belong where your adopted parents brought you?

I think the best way would be for people to adopt children from their own culture. I don’t know how many American children are orphans, but I bet it is a large number.

Who is adopting them?

When it comes to adoption, I understand that the adoption process in the United States is quite difficult and it can take a long time, but when someone really wants to help, they do it the
right way.

According to the article, Madonna said in an interview in a Malawi newspaper, “The Nation,” that she was considering another adoption but would only do it if she had “the support of the Malawian people and government.”

Of course the government will yield in the end, especially if she pays more than the previous œ1.7 million.

Madonna is not only taking advantage of her wealth, but she will again be breaking the Malawian law, which requires an 18-to-24-month assessment period before adoption, the article stated.

Adoption is a great thing, and I think those who can do it should do it. If you ever think about adopting, take a moment and look at the children in your own country.

If you really want to adopt from another country, think again about how many children you would be able to help with all the money that would be spent on the process, as well as allowing them to grow up among their own people.

Claudia Lozano is a senior print journalism major and editorial editor for The Spectator. “Breaking Boundaries” appears every Thursday.