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Showing posts from March, 2013

Adoptee Rights are Heating up in Ohio

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My sealed birth certificate Historic events happened in Columbus, Ohio yesterday.  Not only was the vote UNANIMOUS in favor of the Adoptee Rights Bill (which will open birth certificates to adoptees between 196 4 -1996 and allow birth parents a contact preference form), the Catholic Conference of Ohio actually provided written support of HB 41!  This is in follow up to another practical miracle -- Ohio Right to Life backed us as well.  As Marley Greiner of Bastard Nation has been quoted as saying, "Pigs Really Do Fly!" Me with some fancy flying pigs I wish I could have been there but I got an account from a friend.  We all spent the previous day sending in our last-minute testimonies.  (you can find my testimony here). My best friend who has lived in Australia for 17 years (an Ohio adoptee) sent in her testimony.  I am posting my favorite part of it because it shows the opposite nature of how adoption is handled in Australia: " Although I am a citizen

Why I love DNA

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 I have a confession to make:  I am addicted to Investigative Discovery t.v.  I could watch hours and hours of crime shows. I love how the story unfolds and then one day, when the killer thinks he has gotten away with murder and has set up a new life/new family and has neighbors who only say great things about him in interviews, is finally revealed as  (cue orchestra music) the killer or rapist For those of you who watch Maury Povich, you see this same relief and surprise on the faces of the baby daddies and the mamas who knew all along (they were 150% sure in fact) that he was the daddy.  How is this all possible? DNA! The detectives hide out and wait for that cigarette to be tossed on the street or they grab a dirty glass or straw or they test a used (licked) envelope or . . . . . .  . .   In the case of the serial killer nicknamed the “Grim Sleeper,” DNA samples he left at several crime scenes were a close partial match to Christopher Franklin, who was in

Proud to be part of adoptee rights in New Brunswick, Canada

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A while ago, I received the following email after Beth McCrea found my Paradox  post at Lost Daughters: "I would like to ask your permission to use your poem in our presentation to our provincial premier as we meet to discuss open records. I am one of the founding members of COARnb (Coalition for Open Adoption Records in New Brunswick) and we have been invited to meet with our Premier (Governor) in February. We are working with Sen. D'Allesandro of NH and Paule Benoit of ME. So many of our sons and daughters were adopted to the New England states and all over the US. We are fighting hard to give them their Chapter One, which is rightfully theirs." I was flattered but I didn't think much would come of it. I mean, it's just a poem. However, I knew this person was as passionate as I am about adoptee rights (and even more impressive because she is not adopted herself) but I didn't think my poem would be any big deal when it came to changing

What's Your Story?

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Yesterday when I was sitting in Mass, Fr's Homily was about the Samaritan woman.  For those who aren't Bible scholars (myself included), it is when a Samaritan woman comes upon Jesus at the well and she is shocked when he speaks to her.  She does not recognize him as the Son of God at the well but as Fr. poignently pointed out, even though she had 5 husbands and was not currently married in her relationship (which was scandolous in Bible times), Jesus accepted her where she was. He wanted to know her story (even though he already knew it) He didn't try and change her He didn't tell her how to live her life better or differently He just accepted her where she was right then He cared about her story As I lunched with old friends after Mass, I looked around the table and realized that we can know people for years but never know their story.  Adoption came up in the conversation because my friend is a widower and wanted his wife to adopt the kids she is now m