A LONG TIME FAVORITE POEM

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one leftto speak out for me.
Pastor Martin Niemöller

I first read this poem in a Postal Record. It is the NALC's magazine for letter carriers. I also read it in the Oklahoma Letter Carrier. A favorite newspaper. Still is because I still get it. I found this at the Courttv message boards. I have wanted to print this on my blog for the year that I have been writing this blog.

I see quite a few bloggers tackling the reform issue with their own arguments on what they would change in Adoption. I have also seen arguments for getting rid of the amended birth certificate.

My thoughts on the amended birth certificate are these: It is a falsified document all the around. It is not better or worse. Its just false. Although I would have loved it if my parents had given birth to me, it is just a fact of life that it did not happen that way. I see my birth certificate having all names on it. The birth parents and adoptive parents both listed. To have it any other way is disrespectful to all involved. My only problem with doing it this way is society doesn't even comprehend what adoption secrets have done to those involved in adoption. Therefore they have no idea about amended birth certificate let alone open records. Most people assume that adoptees and birth parents have access to their records. Wrong! Some states have given the adoption members their access to records. Most refuse to give it to anyone. Some states have the have/havenot rules. Open records do not mean everyone has access. Only those in the adoption plane as one blogger, Wraith, puts it should be allowed access. I have heard the argument that abortion and adoption are the same and privacy should be allowed to the mother. Well the Appeals court in Tennessee states otherwise. Anyway abortion is a medical procedure where adoption is a legal procedure. Its funny that the adoption records are sealed when the adoption is finalized not when a birth mother relinquishes her rights. If she relinquishes her rights, how is that she is the only one with rights in this? Of course many mothers of origin would sympathize with me but my own would not. My rights are denied. My birth father rights have been denied for fourty plus years. I think we need to tackle getting access to our birth certificates and then tackle the birth certificate.

I think that open adoption should be a contract where all in the adoption must abide. No one gets preferential treatment. How it should be enforced? I think mediation and counseling. Maybe even legal steps.

I think with many CPC's adoption is being shoved down a woman's throat even if she is married but poor. It is unregulated. It is still about coercion not choice. I think abortion, adoption, and parenting should all be represented equally. If that situation had been thrown at me when I was pregnant with my daughters, I would wrung someone's neck. Parenting should be the first option offered.

To me adoption should be used only as necessary. Our society puts too much weight on women and children. Women are wrong if we get pregnant especially if we are poor. Women are wrong if we can't get pregnant. I wish we could accept that women are just as sexual as men. It is a human function. I wish that we could educate children on human function. It is okay to teach children how the heart works, how the mind works, and other things concerning their bodies but its not okay to teach them about their sexuality. Sex is a human function. I am sure God wanted us to understand our bodies. Living where I live, I am having to teach my daughters about their bodies and what sex is. I am afraid of what Texas Public Schools will teach them. Teach them abstinence when there are boys that won't take no for an answer. Please I want to make sure there is choice for my girls.

I also feel that women are under constant attack by our society. When are women going to be accepted as being women just like men are? When will children be allowed to be children?