Thursday, March 06, 2008

WHAT MY JOB MEANS TO YOU.

I am an adoptee. If you are here to learn about adoptees, good. If you are here because you fear me, then good too. I am here to educate you on what it is like to be a closed era adoptee. Lets get one thing straight. I HAD A GREAT LIFE WITH MY ADOPTIVE PARENTS. Is this understood? I will no longer debate this with any individual anywhere. I am sick of it. Just because I report on adoptee rights issues, natural parent and adoptive parent issues does not mean I had a "bad adoption experience." My bad adoption experience started when I contacted St. Elizabeth Coleman Adoption Agency and had Katrina Carlisle contact my mother. It was the "learning" experience that I got afterwards that made me turn very very sour on adoption. It sure as hell wasn't my adoptive mother or even my natural mother's refusal (although I seriously doubt that she was not even contacted). It was the delightful road to discovery that really enlightened me. It really pissed me off. Do you get that now? Is that clear enough for you?

My job description is to tell you that sealed adoption records stink. My job description is to tell you that unscrupulous agencies abound (i.e. the previously mentioned adoption agency, LDS Social Services, attorneys such as Patricia Stowbridge, Michael Shorstein, and Brian Kelly, Gladney Adoption Center, and countless others). Do you think that you could really live with yourself if you knew that these agencies violated a natural parent's rights on any level? I can tell you that they would do the same to you if they had the chance. They want that dollar. What if you knew that they would later look to target your child to force them to relinquish? It happens all the time.

If you are an adoptive parent, remember that these folks seek to deny your child's history. It may not be important to you. You may even try to dismiss it. Guess what that history is part of your child. Are you going to dismiss your child's needs? I am here to tell you that it is important. Make sure you get all the information that you can. Just read all the links of adoptive parents who "get" it. They understand that its their obligation to make sure that their child has their history. Its not your history but it does belong to your child.

The work I do in adoption reform is for you as well as myself. It is also for the millions of other adoptees, natural parents and adoptive parents. It is high time that these agencies' books see the light of day. Not just for my sake but for all living adoption.

Got it? Good.

2 comments:

Deborah (Rykoff) Bennett said...

Way to go, Amy!! GREAT post!

Anonymous said...

Yay , Amy!