Tuesday, June 29, 2010

HURRICANE IL HB 5428

As many of you know adoption deformers are coming out in numbers. Unfortunately this is an attention getter. Innocent new advocates can get caught up with the talk that deformers dish out and actually begin to believe that it is okay to leave some adoptees behind as long as some will have access to their original birth certificates (OBC).

Not long ago Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) made it sound to the public that the bill she sponsored was great while telling others that it was not the best bill. Deformers do tend to talk whichever way the wind blows. Of course it was just not Rep. Feigenholtz that created a lot of damaging wind in IL. The wind was so strong that we reformers did not have much of an opportunity to air our views and when we tried, the wind just hushed us right out. "Hurricane IL HB 5428: blew in a horrid new law that we reformers must now do something about.

One major step will be to knock deformers down, help them back up and make them realize that we will not tolerate any adoptee being left behind.

I have no way of knowing if we have any IL adoptees born on Jan. 2, 1946 but we must have some born in 1946 who do not have access to their OBC while those born prior to Jan. 1, 1946 do. Many of us know what it is like to stand in line for a long time, only for the person in front of us to be told they are the last one in. But that is absolutely nothing compared to being a 64 year old IL adoptee who has waited for many years to hold their OBC in their hands but then be told they are not quite old enough. True in Nov. 2011 they can request their OBC, and if no birth parent identified on the OBC has claimed anonymity, they will receive it. But if one has, they will receive a redacted version that will not mean nearly as much to them. Something is wrong with the picture, don't you think? Chances are very few birth parents will go this route but still why should there be strings attached when their biological mother and possibly the biological father too had their legal right severed in a court of law many years ago. Keep in mind too that some of the 64 year olds could pass away while waiting for Nov. 2011 to arrive.

I know that those new to adoption reform might be confused over who to beleive when they hear that it is okay to support a bill that leaves some adoptees behind while others only support ALL adopted adults having access to their OBC. But I'd think they could just give thoght to how this might apply in everyday life when they, a spouse, or a child are not treated the same as everyone else. It is upsetting and should not be tolerated.

Please throw out your deformer shoes and grab a pair of reformers!