HUGE OPEN RECORDS NEWS

THIS is worth coming out of hibernation for;

9 News out of Denver, Colorado reports-

“LITTLETON – It’s something many of us may take for granted, knowing your medical history or being able to go and get a copy of your birth certificate.

But many adopted Coloradans whose adoption records are sealed don’t have access to this important information that could be life changing, even life-saving.

A Colorado Court of Appeals decision made in April will change this reality for thousands.

According to the decision, people whose adoptions were finalized between July 1951 and July 1967 can find out the names of their birth parents and have access to all court records and papers regarding their adoption.”

Although I am saddened by the discriminate exclusion of certain adoptees from this ruling (due to the date of my adoption finalization I miss the deadline by just a few months) I still whole-heartedly CELEBRATE the success for my fellow Colorado adoptees who will SOON HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR BIRTH RECORDS!!!

A great big THANK YOU to my friend and fellow adoptee Jeff Hannash and also to Rich and Holland and Hart for their tenacity, tireless effort and genuine concern when it comes to understanding the extreme importance of an adoptee’s right to personal identity.

I humbly acknowledge and genuinely appreciate your efforts.

***PLEASE pass this information along so we can get the word out to all adoptees for which this ruling may apply.***

Join Us!

Redemption

All previous Brothers and Sisters transgressions are hereby forgiven due to the delivery of the best line I have heard in a long time;

“It’s Take Your Illegitimate Child to Work Day”

Facebook,Family,Bastard.

Who else on Earth but a rejected adoptee can find their sister, their brother and their niece on Facebook and feel utterly powerless, completely unworthy,  to push the friend button?

Like a knife through the heart it really drives home that title; bastard.

Kind of like watching Brothers and Sisters the other night (I know, I know, I know) when Nora says she went to visit Ryan and invited him to come and Kitty says; “THE BASTARD?!” and my head actually turned from the blunt force of the slap across my face.

Then Tommy later implies that “this guy surely must want something we have since we’re so rich and all”. Hide the silver the bastard is coming to town! That’s not fiction people. I have heard it many times before.

When a fellow adoptee uses the term bastard it usually makes me laugh  but let someone else use it and mean it and it makes me want to rip their face off. Even if it is a fictional character on TV (who happens to be in the process of ADOPTING). Because even though it’s fiction someone needed to actually WRITE that script and unless that writer is an adoptee they have no right at all to use that term. None.

I’m rambling and I know it. Just pouring out what I’m feeling, proper english and correct sentence structure be damned. It is what it is. Raw ramblings of a real life bastard who has to view HER brothers and sisters from the outside. Look but don’t touch. That’s me….100% grade A bastard through and through.

So you think you understand the term bastard enough to use it in a sentence? You don’t have a clue. Unless you live it you have no idea how much it hurts to be on the outside looking in. You can’t even come CLOSE to understanding the true meaning of the word, which means you have no right to use it.

And while I’m at it let me also tell you how utterly ignorant it is of  you to think we have our eye on your damn silver!

Adoption Education

I had almost drifted off to sleep when someone in the front seat of the car said; “OH, did you hear So and So are going to ADOPT”. This was followed by abundant cheers from the other passengers along with the usual “it’s about time” and “oh, good for them they have wanted a baby for such a long time” etcetera etcetera. Of course the conversation continued and joyous details were shared. They are adopting from Russia, using an agency, going through home study, how the great expense is so worthwhile, followed by a lengthy discussion on the unreasonable adoption requirements of foreign countries.

I forced my eyes to remain closed and my mouth to remain shut.

Then someone asked the question I just knew was coming; why aren’t they adopting from here? This was followed by the usual uneducated rhetoric we have all come to know far too well. I trust I don’t even need to fill you in on what was said.

Still, I kept my mouth shut.

Then someone started talking about how they had seen on Oprah that women in Africa were having babies for people here in the states. That it was a win/win situation for all involved as these young women received more money than they had ever known to support their families and some childless couple from here got the baby they had always wanted.

“God works in wonderful ways.”

Oh for the love of PETE! That did it. TOTALLY against my will my eyes opened and the uncontrollable response spewed from my lips; HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS. NOT. OF. GOD.!!!

A great and heavy silence ensued. This was followed by a very meek request from the front seat that I explain myself. With a deep, regretful sigh I embarked on the journey knowing full well that once you begin down this road you can’t stop until you arrive safely on the shores of reason. Which can take a good long while. Dispelling life long social myth is such a monumental undertaking it just drains you of any and all energy you may have. The worst part is knowing full well that sometimes you are successful and sometimes you are not, that long held beliefs are hard to dispel in one conversation and that you always walk away never quite sure if you have been at all successful.

There are times when I just wish the uncontrollable necessity I feel to educate people on the subject of adoption would just take a flying leap. Sometimes I just wish my eyes and my mouth could just stay shut.

The next day though I got to spend the entire day with my favorite ULB which of course totally made up for all adopt o’ talk with the uneducated. I loves me some ULB.