The article, ‘Madonna and David’( is a comprehensive discussion of social issues raised by an inter-continental adoption. There are value judgments made in the press and across the internet about the relative moral worth of the materialistic Western culture the boy will be raised in, versus the simpler and mythically uncorrupted lifestyle of the indigenous African. So long as these arguments remain at the level of "talking heads", there is probably no reason for concern. However, one assumes that Madonna will share the responsibility for caring for the child with nannies and tutors who might not be so discerning. I'd feel terrible sadness for a child who was taught to yearn for a romanticized paradise were he ever to dare to complain about London traffic noise or Washington politics.

Thank you for including Luleka Mangquku's eloquent portrayal of the helplessness and guilt-feelings of onlookers to the Rwandan genocide (Pambazuka News 150: Special edition on Rwanda). The end of the commentary raises the question of forgiveness and the difficulty of forgiving the untrustworthy on "seventy times seven" occasions.

I must protest the misuse of the Christian gospels by both Rwandan gacaca and the church in erecting this obstacle across the path of justice.
The Gospel According to Matthew (18:15-22) provides a process for forgiveness that includes confrontation, first by the injured individual, then by his/her community, then by the church itself, for the requisite repentance of the perpetrator. The Gospel According to Luke (17:3-4) requires forgiveness after the perpetrator requests it.

If the Christian gospels must be invoked for healing the monstrous wounds of Rwanda, let the process begin with truth-telling and forgiveness-seeking by the perpetrators, not the victims. Diffusing responsibility to include the victims promotes further injustice.

Ten years further down the road, as the wounds continue to fester, blaming victims for not divulging enough of their humiliation nor pardoning sufficient numbers of the murderers of their families would be the ultimate sacrilege.

Two questions (Pambazuka News 137: 2003: The way it could have been). Why is the "leftist" press in the U.S. ignoring this change of heart? And why is Lockheed-Martin the only U.S. company still hiring people like me who'd rather be building infrastructure than tearing it down? Seriously, I hope you wouldn't mind if I reposted the entire editorial on Alternet. I'd also like to act as if it's serious reportage and quote bits in my next email to the White House. I intend to say that, given his change of heart, I rather fancy voting for him. (snerk) Thank you for keeping us so well informed about the things that matter.