Saturday, May 03, 2008

WHEN YOU GOOGLE ADOPTEE

Is it just me? Has anyone else noticed this? When you google adoptee or adoption, the adoption of animals comes up as well. When someone discusses the adoptee, we are usually an "it." I feel like screaming at my screen or at the television, "We are not its and we are not animals." We are human beings with feelings and thoughts. We should have a say in adoption. We should have a say in the laws that are created in our "behalf." It really irritates when I hear someone who is an adult call themselves an adopted child. You are not a child. You are an adult with the same rights as every other individual in this country. I wrote that recently to a Texas Representative who is considering sponsoring legislation in the fall. I also told him that I would search and find for him if he was so inclined. Texas is so easy to find in.

I have also written the Texas Right to Life group. I have actually gotten some good responses. Here is my letter:
My name is Amy Burt. I am hoping that someone, anyone, read my last email. I am hoping to help you and help Texas adoptees in the process. I am praying and hoping that you will call or email me back on this issue.

We both want to reduce abortions in Texas. Texas from what I understand is the second highest provider in the country. I believe that there was over 79,000 abortions in Texas alone. We are second to New York. Do you care about children? I am sure the answer to that question is a resounding yes.

Sex education would help. I think giving teenagers the knowledge of how their bodies work is vitally important. I don't think all forms of contraception should be taught in schools. I believe that should be up to parents. In fact, I am already beginning that process as I have two daughters. I realize also that you want adoption taught as an option.

I want to bring some of my members over to you. The only way to do that is to have you support adoptee rights. I do realize that you think adoptee rights might force more mothers to "safe haven" their children. By chance, have you read the Birthmother, Good Mother paper put out by the National Council for Adoption? How do women really view adoption? The birthmothers of the past have all told their stories. You just have to read the birthmother bloggers out there. Some are angry and others want to make changes in adoption. They won't come to your side until you come up with ways that women can parent their own children as an option. One of my favorite bloggers, Adoption Roadkill, asks folks this question. "If adoption is so great, which child are you willing to give up? It would probably be none. Just like me. I thought that question was hostile for quite a while. Then I realized as mother that she is correct. The way adoption is practiced by members of the NCFA is pretty harsh. A woman would have to spend the rest of her life not knowing her child or who the parents are of her child. Open adoptions close all the time. The mothers and fathers are often kicked to the wayside. They are left to wonder for the rest of their lives. This decision ends up wounding them for the rest of their lives.

There are folks like me who help them search and find. I helped a Gladney mother find her daughter this past weekend. I have been working with others as well. If you want women to consider adoption, make it better for them. One way is adoptee rights. This is how I look at both issues. In abortion, the woman knows her child returns to the Lord. She knows that her child is safe. In adoption, it is a major crapshoot. Just look at those Korean adoptees who were killed by their adoptive father. Mothers read those kind of stories. Who wants to place their child in that kind of environment?

I am enclosing a list of links for you to review. I am also including the raw statistics out of Oregon and New Hampshire. In Oregon and New Hampshire, they stayed out of this when they realized that adoptee access laws actually promoted their cause. Adoptions rose, abortions declined and there were no stalking adoptees. There is no statistics on safe haven issues. I haven't heard too many stories coming out of Oregon or New Hampshire about babies being dumped.

Right now you have some interesting bed partners. The ACLU and Planned Parenthood are also against adoptee access. All adoptees and their families want is the OBC. It would not be public information. With a birth, marriage, divorce, and death index in Texas, it is so easy to find. Adoptees and birth parents are finding each other daily. Sometimes with help and sometimes not. I have already helped about ten people find in the last couple of months.

With all this infomation, I hope that you can support us or stay neutral when the bill is introduced in 2009. Afterall we are about the children, lets give them a voice and a choice.

Sincerely,
Amy K. Burt

Their response:

Thank you for writing to us concerning the proposed legislation on adoption. I apologize for taking so long in getting back to you. Our office has been very busy over the past few weeks. We share your desire in reducing abortions in Texas and are willing to look at any proposal legislative or otherwise that might further that goal. Sex education does not generally fall within our mission and as such Texas Right to Life does not take a position on most legislation concerning it. Adoption is a closer area of observation for us and we try to keep abreast of any new bills or agency rules that would effect adoption in Texas. Without seeing the legislation you have proposed, I cannot comment on whether we would favor, oppose, or determine that the bill falls outside of our mission. When the legislation is filed, would you email me a bill number? Once the bill text is available, I would be happy to look it over.

Please let me know if I or Texas Right to Life can be of further service in the mean time.

Thank you,

Adam Black

Texas Right to Life

P.S. Unfortunately I was unable to get the attached document to open. Is it possible you could send it in another format? Thank you again.

I sent him the statistics that I have gathered from both Oregon and New Hampshire sites. Hopefully this will make them think. Hopefully they will stay out of the fight and fray in Texas. Hopefully they will see the error in how they present the Right to Life agenda.



1 comment:

Gershom Kaligawa said...

good job w/ RTL let me know what they say after receiving your statistics. I'll keep my hopes thinking positive even though I'm inclined to think negative about them, but we'll see.

You know what else bothers me, is how "adoptee" still comes up as an improper word in most spell checks.

Even kittens get 6 weeks w/ their moms.