Madonna & Child

It seems Madonna will be appealing Malawi's court decision against her adoption of Mercy.  But the judge who issued the ruling makes a good point in her decision.  She says...

"It is necessary that we look beyond the petitioner ... and consider the consequences of opening the doors too wide," the judge said.

"By removing the very safeguard that is supposed to protect our children, the courts ... could actually facilitate trafficking of children by some unscrupulous individuals."      

Now, I must say an 18 month residency requirement does severely limit the amount of foreigners able to adopt from Malawi.  Such a long wait would necessitate moving to the country long-term which many are simply not able to do.

There's a very interesting opinion piece in The Los Angeles Times today that highlights this conundrum.  Click here to read it.  (And, by the way, I don't think I am related to the fellow from the University of Wisconsin that the author quotes in the story!)

Thoughts?  E-mail me.

(By the way, I would like to thank all the Africa Matters readers who sent me well wishes over the weekend regarding the adoption of our little son from Ethiopia.  Many say he is a very lucky little boy to be brought to the States.  But really, we are the lucky ones, blessed with a wonderful child. To read my previous post discussing my adoption, click here.)