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The News Gazette (7/16/10)JOAN GRIFFIS: ILLINOIS ANCESTORSAdoption billMary 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").
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.
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!
We can only suspect what blew HB 5428 through both houses without much opposition from legislators. The text of the bill is evidence that if it would become law, many adopted adults will still be treated like children. But birth parents would again have rights that were terminated years ago. The previous court order would mean nothing. I won't go into my thoughts as to what precedent this could set in regards to rulings of judges. I wonder what notary publics think about redacted original birth certificates. The notary seal does not seem to mean much in IL.The wait is on as to if Gov. Quinn will or not sign the bill into law. I honestly don't know how he can sign it in the midst of a fiscal crisis. It is stated on White Oak Foundation's Web site that the year-long, nationwide public campaign will not cost taxpayers. However it fails to state who is going to pay this bill. Neither is there ia statement as to who foots the bill for the state registry and confidential intermediary program. The last I heard IL has a $13 billion defict but maybe there is a large piggy bank stuffed full with currency!Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, sponsor of HB 5428 and Melisha Mitchell with White Oak Foundation are keeping us entertained during the wait to see just what Gov. Quinn will do. However the disrespect and misreprsentation shown by Sara and Melisha are far from being humorous.Sara or someone using her email address sent a reply to concern shown by Lori Jeske. No matter who wrote this reply Sara is responsible. It is a must read at The Daily Bastardette. We advocates who dwell on all adopted adults being treated equally by having access to their original birth certificate were referred to with disrespect. Many think of us as troublemakers but to be called "ungrateful bastards" by a state representative is totally out of line. Street talk is that she is an adoptee - hard to believe, isn't it?While still shaking my head over Sara's behavior, I checked out White Oak Foundation's Web site to see what Melisha Mitchell might be saying about HB 5428. She refers to we opponents as "sloppy fact checkers". She does show a bit more respect than Sara! Maybe that is why she is entitled to misrepresentation of the bill. It is a must read but I will point out one thing that stands out as not being told just the way it should be.Melisha states that the State Registry will not be strengthened. She says that this legislation would eliminate the need for an adopted person seeking his/her birth record to be signed up with the Registry. But yet according to the text of the bill, if I were to request my original birth certificate, I would have to register with the Registry. Of course I could not even do it until November 2011. My birth mother is a deceased adoptee so in order to request hers a death record must be filed with the Registry by either a confidential intermediary or suviving relative of hers. Wonder if I would be considered to be a relative? Possibly unless a confidential intermediary decided to charge me for a red tape process. The state would continue to be treating me like a child, especially when it comes to trying to obtain my own original birth certificate.. But yet Sara claims that HB 5428 will treal IL adoptees just like those in open records states. Who is she fooling? Obviously she has fooled many legislators and some of the public, including adoptees who believe in baby steps.The past few weeks have been quite interesting in IL. As the strong winds continue to blow through the prairie I wonder just what will be said next from Springfield or Chicago. It probably won't be good
Rep. Sara Feigenholz (D-Chicago) and her buddies' performance of deceit in Springfield has resulted in the most horrid bill possible lying on Governor Quinn's desk for his signature. They call it adoption reform when in fact it is distort.Granted there will be a group of adoptees born prior to 1/1/46 who will be able to receive their original birth certificate with no strings attached. But God pity those born on or after this date. Termination of rights in Illinois now means that birth parents can choose anonymity. It does not matter that years ago a court order severed the legal relationship between parent and child. The child could be 60 years old now but a birth parent(s) can prevent him or her from having their original birth certificate. Oops, maybe they will receive one with birth parent identifying information redacted. One wonders how a notary would feel if they knew years later that a legal document notorized by them would be revised. I guess legal just has a different meaning in IL and one of these days money will be spent to notify the public.Speaking of money - I've not heard anything about the estimate of what it will cost for the OBC-Public Information Campaign Oversight Committee to conduct the year-long, nationwide announcements to inform as many as possible about this new law about to go into effect, if Governor Quinn signs HB 5428.Illinois currently has a $13 billion deficit. But why not cut programs for the needy and seniors, lay off teachers, just not pay some bills...? After all it is more important to keep an ineffective registry and confidential intermediarey service intact. By the time another 25 years have passed maybe the registry will have matched 10% of the registrants. By all means keep those working for Midwest Adoption Center employed. They need to save lots of money because if they ever become disabled or a senior citizen, there might not be any state agencies to help them. I've heard and read so many lies about HB 5428 that the TV remote and the local newspaper are starting to feel slimy.
Adoption reform in IL has steadily been going down the drain. As we feared the full Senate did pass this horrid HB 5428. Sneaky Sara and her cohorts have been lying and playing dirty politics. I know that is nothing new but this latest show will not only harm adoptee rights in IL but to those in other states who follow suit. Many of has have been preaching how serious this situation is and unfortunately it seems that some have to be burned worse than they already have been before they wake up. I will get off my soap box because the most important step you can take right now is to contact Governor Pat Quinn and urge him to VETO HB 5428.Will you get to directly talk to the governor? Most likely not but he has office staff that will relay your message. The Springfield Office # is 217-782-0244 and the Chicago Office is 312-814-2121.Please don't sit back - call NOW!
Gay had written testimony in her hands and read it word for word on April 13th before the IL Senate Judiciary Committee. I am a witness to that since I was present at the hearing. I have permission from Gay and her husband to place it on my Blog site. I respect their privacy so I have not included Gay's date of birth, their home address, phone # or email address. But other than that in its entirety: April 13, 2010To the Members of the Illinois Senate Judicary Committee:My name is Gay Ellen Brown, I am a wife, mother of three daughters and grandma to Jacquline, my name sake, because I was born Jacquline Lenn Thompson on _________ in Chicago, Illinois and I am also an adoptee.I flew in from New Jersey today to make my plea to you to stop the HB5428, it is unfair and unconstitutional to all adoptees born in Illinois.My 51 year journey of self discovery of who and what I am came to a grinding halt last year because I wsas diagnosed with pre-cancerous conditions which required surgeries. My surgeon felt it necessary at this point in time to test me for the BRRCA gene for breast and ovarian cancer, however, my health insurance denied coverage for this very costly test because I can't prove anyone in my immediate family has this cancer and that I am not of a high risk group such as Swedish or Hungarian, but how do I know if I am? If I do not know my own heritage. If I had my original birth certificate I would know.Growing up I always wanted to know answers to the questions every adoptee has. But today those answers could save my life or give me a better quality of life. I am also a birth mother who CHOSE to keep my daughters and I can't even protect them from possible inherited conditions that I may be passing down to them.The discrimination we endure as adoptees must stop now, and our basic civil and human rights must be restored. Our original birth certificates belong to us and not to the state of Illinois.Thank you for your time and consideration into this matter.
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