Serious ? about equal rights to adoptees....keep reading?

Question

What would be a good/effective strategy to educate the masses about the injustice to adoptees being denied their birth records?

For those actively involved...what is your current strategy and do you think it's working?

This is a serious question and intended to solicite advice.

But let's also play a game and refrain from any thumbs!

Answer 1

I had an idea.  When adoptive parents first start to research adoption they go to the internet.  What if we put up a website under aa adoption so its the first site or some other pap catchy website name.  Then when they open the site up it will inform pap's about equal rights to adoptees.  Kindly informing them that this is what their children will have to look forward too.

just a thought.  i think it would definitely get the word out.

Answer 2

Still Me says it all.

To educate the masses, in order to have them LISTEN, draw them in....not push them away.  Otherwise, as Still Me says, you not only lose your audience, but all those sympathetic to them or their cause.  I think this is the major reason why the current tactics are failing.

Answer 3

I write legislators, I have three blogs with their equivalents on myspace.  I have a facebook and blog her accts as well.  I write newspapers.  I have actually been published in many states except my birth state.  Go figure.  I speak to people in real life as well.  I help adoptees  and natural parents reunite.  They in turn become activists on their own without my encouragement.

Answer 4

I think we need to hold up the UK and Australia as a model of the effects of opening records.  These nations are quite similar to the US, and the records have been opened for decades now with barely a hiccup by means of the "problems" that people seem to predict will happen here.

If these to nations can do so successfully, without any mass hysteria or major problems, then how can we expect anything different in the US?

Answer 5

I'm getting ready to go do some things, but let me just give a link here.  http://measurablerights.com/

This is the Website about the file Measurable Rights that recounts the work done to reopen records in Oregon.  It's a terrific film for anyone who wants to know more about equal rights for adopted citizens and how that was accomplished via ballot measure in Oregon 10 years ago.

There are plenty of folks here that can give you lots of good information.  Thanks for the great question, Cam!

Answer 6

The open records thing (referring to identifying information, not medical info) is something I, personally, haven't decided on but I am definitely interested in learning more about the issue so that I am well informed enough to make a decision how I feel on it.

On one hand, I completely understand and sympathize with adoptees' right to know about themselves, where they came from and the circumstance of their adoption.  However, I can also sympathize with some very compelling reasons the birthparents might have to keep the information private.

I'm not trying to be snarky, but I know there are many people here who believe completely in open records and I would like to hear their arguments on why the adoptee's right to know should supercede the birth family's right to privacy?

Edit: I gave no thumbs down here!

Answer 7

Some adoptees need this info, but for me I'm adopted and have no desire to have them or even see them.

Answer 8

It has been awhile since my focus was on Open Records because we were sucessful in the State the adopted father of my bio kids was born and got the Original BC's opened.

I advocate for many things... but, admit that on this subject I have dropped the ball....

My website it is designed to support adoptive parents (and there I admit also that this support has mostly been for Foster Adoptive parents--although we have been doing what we can to support all adoptive parents...) anyway, we do have some info about Openness....but, we could do much better....

We are working on some technical issues with our articles sections but, this morning and this question makes me believe that our site could do much better in this area...

We would be very happy to build a section in our site that offers informations, advocacy and support for open records and our parents would all like to be the most supportive parents we can be....

If anyone would like to submit articles and/or help us build a section about Adopted People's rights and help promote some awareness at least in our little place please feel free to contact me and we can work on this....

Please just keep in mind that at this point our site is in a growing stage and we are about to really move things around and make it better--I am here a lot right now as we are getting ready for the next expansion of the site--and working on the layout--and technical issues....

Please just contact me here or on our site and I will be happy to (as soon as possible) add Awareness to this issues...

You can find our site link in my profile....

Answer 9

The most effective strategy to educate the masses about anything, is to: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.

I'm not likely to go on an Right to Life board and demand that people believe in Freedom of Choice.  It might not be effective to stand in front of a Cancer Support Group and demand they consider Equal Rights for Smokers.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE is the first and foremost principal to effective persuasion and compelling arguments.

Critical to all of this is a clear understanding of your audience in terms of their knowledge, intelligence, "hot buttons," moral values, interests, and their place in society. The more you know about your intended audience, the better you can prepare an effective argument. Never forget that you speak to communicate. If you want to persuade people, choose your words carefully.  Do not incite, dismiss, insult, or degrade your audience.  Then, you not only lose your audience, but all those sympathetic to them or their cause.

"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."

- Benjamin Franklin

Answer 10

How about mock birth certificates printed up with the adoptees name (who give permission) with mother and father unknown.

You could inundate legislators and media offices with them when legislation is being proposed. We all have birth certificates......this would be pretty powerful for those of us who know our information.

Answer 11

Jennifer, you are confusing privacy for anonymity. No govt or legal systems offer/offered anonymity as part of adoption. When a child is adopted this is when the record is sealed. If the adoption fails for whatever reason the childs original records become their own again, Relinquishment is only of legal rights not the childs identity.

Answer 12

That's a hard and serious problem to think about,. let me give you two examples that happen in our family. First let me say my brother-in-law and sister- in-law adopted four children, my wife and I adopted two children. When my nephew wanted to look for information on his birth mother, found her, but she didn't want to meet with him or anything to do with him. On the other hand our daughter for medical reasons wanted to find her birth mother, since she now lives out of state we went to the court house to try and get the information, we had the birth date and the hospital. At the same time we were doing this, she had contacted a person in Oregon, between our information and the person in Oregon, she found her birth mother. The out come was bitter sweet because within two years after they found each other, the lady had a massive heart attack and die. She told our daughter that she had looked for her for a number of years, she only lived about 50 miles from where we lived and our daughter had grown up.

I think there is more harm done to adoptees that get the inforrmation and found that the information and outcome wasn't what they were looking for. We don't need state or government people becoming involved, but there is a need for a third party to help any adoptee found and advise what they should do with the information.