Who is the real loser here?

I have watched with intrigue the drama surrounding Madonna’s attempt to adopt the Malawian girl Mercy. There have been very strong arguments for and against this idea. Those opposed, and it appears most of them in the media, have argued that Madonna is taking advantage of her pop star image to impose her demands on a poor African country. They have accused her of just wanting polish her ego and feeding the feel-good factor in her. We have been told that it is ‘wrong’ for westerners to take away children from their home countries and their natural environment. There has also been a morality twist to the whole thing. Is Madonna a good mother or role model? Madonna has not done herself any favours by getting divorced and then publicly flirting with her Brazilian Jesus (For those not in the know Jesus is the name of Madonna’s Brazilian toy boy) in front of the world’s media. Any self respecting person would find it hard not to judge her as unfit to adopt a child. My intention here is not to defend Madonna but to explore the intricacies surrounding this case and to determine who the real loser will be in the end.
For Malawians to turn round and say that Madonna is not resident in Malawi so she cannot adopt a child when they have allowed her to adopt before is ridiculous. One can almost see that the courts and the politicians have now decided to protect their tattered reputations by refusing Madonna this time. Having allowed Madonna’s controversial adoption of the first child they are now using Mercy to make a point. So while we are sitting on our high horses judging Madonna for polishing her ego we also need to start looking at how the courts and politicians are also polishing their egos. In fact one of Madonna’s lawyers has argued that this provision may be “…unconstitutional because it negates certain rights of the child.”
The other argument that it is wrong for a child to be removed from her home country and her natural environment is very persuasive. It is always good for a child to grow up among her own people and in her own culture. However, I do not believe any child’s natural environment is in an orphanage. This child has already been uprooted and removed from her natural environment. While change is upsetting to most children, for this child change is normal. I totally agree that it would more desirable for the child to be adopted by a Malawian family but what are the chances that this will happen? Malawi is a poor African country with most people living on less than one US dollar a day. The opportunities open to children, even those with families, are very limited so if there is a chance that this girl will have a good education which will provide a good foundation for her own future then maybe we need to be less judgemental. It is possible that this child may one day be able to help others who may be less fortunate if she is allowed this chance to start a new life.
I am sceptical about Madonna’s moral compass but I believe that she is able to provide for this girl better than any orphanage or Malawian family can ever do. Life will be way better for Mercy in Madonna’s home than in any other options on offer. I would hesitate if there was evidence that Madonna is failing as mother or that she is abusive but there is no suggestion this is the case. Those who oppose her seem to think that Madonna should not be allowed to have her way because it sets a dangerous precedent. If those campaigning against Madonna’s adoption had faced a dead end life in an orphanage and had been offered an opportunity of a lifetime would they pass it for morality? It is all too easy for us to make moral judgements from the comfort of our bases in the western capitals.
Madonna will be disappointed, maybe even angry if she cannot adopt this girl. She will walk away with nothing more than her image and ego bruised. But Mercy won’t have it easy. The real loser in this case is Mercy. It does not matter whether you are against Madonna as a matter of principle or because you think she stinks as a role model you still have to admit that when Madonna walks it will leave Mercy stuck in an orphanage with a man who claims to be her father but is not prepared or able to change her life for better.
We must stop focussing on Madonna's personality in this whole debacle and start focussing on Mercy. Some people have argued that Madonna should give money to the orphanage and leave Mercy to be cared for there. Do you really believe that life in the orphanage is better than life in a proper family home? I wouldn’t have picked Madonna for a mother for this girl but she is the best Mercy has and in that I believe it is right to allow this child a chance at better life in America. Mercy deserves this opportunity. Those campaigning against this adoption should realise that they are condemning Mercy to a life of poverty when a door of opportunity stands open in front of her. Maybe Madonna’s lawyer is right. Maybe we need to start looking at the needs and rights of Mercy more than we have to date because unfortunately the real loser in this whole saga will certainly be Mercy.