Friday, July 16, 2010

IL's New Adoption Law

The News Gazette (7/16/10)

JOAN GRIFFIS: ILLINOIS ANCESTORS

Adoption bill

Mary Lynn Fuller, P.O. Box 184, Urbana, IL 61803, has written to tell that the adoption bill recently signed by Gov. Quinn is "horrid"and her lengthy letter details the bill's unfair provisions. As an adoptee herself, she "would be more than happy to receive email from anyone with questions" (or offers to "help turn this mess around") at mlf@marylynnfuller.com."

(A scanned copy of this part of the newspaper is at www.marylynnfuller.com (click "In the news").

Monday, July 12, 2010

DEROGATORY INTERNET ADOPTION PUZZLES

Careful thought was given to whether I should write this blog or not. Once I decided that I should defend myself, a busy schedule kept me from doing it until now. There is a difference between criticism and telling lies about someone you don't like.

It was crafty how blogs and newsletters were referred to so that a few words could be taken from here and there to form lies. Perhaps jigsaw puzzles became boring since all pieces to the right one do fit. I did wonder if this was a result of my speaking out over what I saw with my own eyes or because someone did not receive what they had asked for; or perhaps both.

There are organizations that I don't believe in since they don't support open records for ALL adopted adults. There are some who do until the going gets tough and a legislator wants to add some conditions and it is thought to be okay. It is entirely their choice just as it is my choice to not support a conditional bill.

I was one of many who did try to stop IL HB 5428 in its tracks. The bottom line is that it does not treat ALL adopted adults equally and anything less is just not acceptable to me. Somehow this new law must be changed, the sooner the better. But those who want to bad mouth that we were not successful in stopping the horrid bill from becoming law must have selective memory to have forgotten that the bill was whisked through terribly fast. A legislator who had told me that she would keep me informed about any adoption legislature is now a liar in my book. I am doing all that I can to see that she loses in the November election.

I do encourage those who read something derogatory about someone to read back through blogs and newsletters to see for yourself as to if it is really true. Never will all of us among the Internet adoption community agree 100% on everything. It just is not a perfect world. But we activists for adoptee rights have a tough battle on our hands and to waste time on being crafty is using energy that could be better spent.