Write to your newspapers re: IL HB 5428

I've had another letter to the editor published. Go to www.marylynnfuller.com, click on "letters to the editor" in the navigation bar and scroll on down past the one that was published in The News-Gazette on 3/30.

"Urbana woman says bill harmful to adoptee rights", Paxton Record, 3/31/10

We MUST stop HB 5428 in its tracks. Public awareness never hurts and one of the easiest ways is to write to the editor of the different IL newspapers. See http://newslink.org/ilnews.html#major for links to newspapers. "Contact us" is usually at the top or near the bottom of the individual Web sites. Many editors can be emailed while there will be Web forms to complete at some of the Web sites. Include your name, city of residence, and phone #. Your phone # will not be published but you could receive a call to cofirm that you actually submitted the letter.

IL HB 5428 and IL Newspapers

The IL senators serving on the Assignments Committee for this horrid bill don't seem to want to be contacted by email. They do have phone and fax #'s plus physical addresses. But I consider it vital to get newspaper coverage for HB 5428. You do NOT have to live in IL to write a letter to editors. Go to: http://newslink.org/illinois.html#major and you will find it quite easy to go to the individual websites. A few newspapers have web forms for writing letters while others have email addresses. An Illinois Open Organization Action Alert is forthcoming that will provide a string of email addresses that you can just click. Write one letter if you wish or change the wording a bit for each one - it is up to you.

This morning one of my letters was published in The News-Gazette - go to www.marylynnfuller.com and click "letters to the editor". I have more letters to send out and I hope that you will join me in this needed effort. HB 5428 has got to be amended to treat all adopted adults equally or it has to be killed and not pass through the Senate.

Illinois Open Action Alert

Immediate help is needed to stop IL HB 5428 in its tracks. Illinois Open Organization's Action Alert is posted at www.ilopen.org plus a sample letter for you to write to senators.

Please don't sit back and think others will take care of this. Everyone's help is needed!

GIANT STEP BACKWARD IN ADOPTION REFORM FOR ILLINOIS

Our state representatives have been busy and zipped HB 5428 through the House and now it is in the Senate. We MUST stop this bill from becoming law. The 80-page nightmare of regulation not only keeps the state registry and CI program intact but treats adopted adults as if they were toddlers.

Let's face it adopted adults are allowed to vote and they fight in wars but when it comes to a civil right being restored to them, forget it. We need legislation where ALL adopted adults are treated equally. We can not allow a bill to become law that allows birth parents to have a say in whether their son or daughter can have their original birth certificate.

The bill allows birth parents to file anonymity with the state registry. An OBC-Access Public Information Campaign Oversight Committee will be appointed for a year-long nationwide campaign to inform the public in earnest about the conditions under which an adult adopted or surrendered person may receive a non-certified copy of his or her OBC. I guess it does not matter that Illinois has a severe deficit so is making budget cuts that affect the needy and elderly. They can find money for this type of legislation that is so unnecessary?

The state registry and confidential intermediary program would remain intact. Of course it is benefiting Midwest Adoption Center and should be a conflict of interest if they had any part in writing this bill.

Identifying information pertaining to a birth parent who filed a denial will be redacted. OBC's were signed by attending doctors and notorized. So now it would be legal to alter what was a legal document? I wonder how many notaries approve of this. Would this be a precedent in IL that all notorized documents can be later changed?

PLEASE contact your senators and stop this bill from becoming law. Don't sit back and think that your neighbor will take care of it. We need everyone to contact their senators and not just those personally touched by adoption. See Illinois Open's Web site for how to contact your senators. There is a link on the first page too on how to learn who your senator is - just type in your address at the Web site that you will find a link to.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF A BROTHER

At the age of 56 my beloved brother John lost a long courageous battle with cancer. As I once told him, he was a true inspiration to all cancer patients plus those going through any type of tough trial. John was one to radiate love and encouragement. He often said, "you do what you have to do" with no sign of self pity.

When it seemed that the end was approaching, friends asked how they should pray for John. I told them to ask God for it to be His will that John not become bedfast. He was always so active that I was concerned about how miserable he would become if completely immobile. I can only imagine how tough the battle with cancer was and I did not want John lingering in a state where one loses their dignity. Praise the Lord that prayers were answered.

John will be missed and I regret that I did not know him much longer. But I feel blessed for the time that I had with him. In 2004 he and I really enjoyed going up into the Santa Ana Mountains in CA. He pointed out property to me that he had admired for a while. We talked about how neat it would be to own it and the gorgeous view there would be from any window. We enjoyed other quality time together that I will always cherish.

Thank you, John! I'm sure thinking of your courage and inspiration will always help me through difficult times.

Both John and Joann (refer to my 6/9/09 blog) have passed away. Our time together was short but precious!

Adoptees and Medical History

It is not uncommon these days to pick up a magazine and read about the importance of knowing one's family medical history. Of course I never read anything about all the adopted adults who don't hold a clue about their own. Although I'm a reunited adoptee and know a lot about my own my heart goes out to those who don't.

There are social workers and legislators who think medical history provided by a birth mother at the time of relinquishment is sufficient. They don't seem to care that even just a few days later she might have been diagnosed with a serious illness. I doubt that there are too many of us that can say our health has not changed within the past 18 years.

Of course just what social workers and legislators do get and what they admit to are two different things.

In IL we have a disgraceful state registry and CI program in place so adopted adults should consider themselves equal to queens and kings! Just who all is benefiting from them financially would be quite interesting to know. But in IL corruption walls tend to come apart brick by brick while there are workers replacing them as fast as one falls out.

So the majority of IL adopted adults must continue to get their medical checkups and tell their doctors that their birth mother was in great health years ago. There sure is something wrong with this picture.

The primary election is approachng so maybe it is time to clean house in IL and bring in new legislators!

ADOPTION SLOGAN I DO NOT LIKE

It would make me very happy for "Adoption Not Abortion" to be replaced with "God says: My Life is Precious".

I know that there is at least one adoptee who feels adoption and abortion gets rid of "the problem". It is one of the most absurd things I have ever read. I'm sure that many birth mothers would back me up by agreeing that a baby is not "a problem". For an unwed mother to become pregnant creates a predicament that must be dealt with. Sometimes even married women have a decision to make as to raise a baby or to plan relinquishment. But human life is just that and should not be categorized as "a problem".

In my own honest opinion I do not feel that adoption should ever be compared to abortion. Adoption provides a home for a child whereas abortion kills the fetus. A heartbeat is just days after conception so that is why I used the word "kills". Granted there are bitter adoptees in this world who might disagree with me and say that they were killed when placed in their adoptive home. But they are still breathing and surely are enjoying life in some ways.

Needless to say, I'm strictly against abortion. One time someone said it was because my birth mother could have had an abortion and I'd not be here. She is deceased so I can't ask her if she considered one but I'd bet on the answer being NO. My feeling is that the majority of birth mothers never even gave it thought because parting with the baby is not what they wanted. They or their parents felt it was the best thing to do for the child. I won't go into that subject since there are adoptees who say it is not in the best interest of the child. I strongly disagree with that too.

But I do hope that those who don't like "Adoption Not Abortion" will speak out as I am doing. Changes are never made unless we do speak out about what we don't believe in. Changes don't always happen but they definitely will not when people remain closed-mouthed.