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I'M LEGIT

2010-01-23T17:43:00Z

Adoptees and Military Veterans

2010-01-23T16:32:00Z

Its not often that I see something that I as an adoptee can relate to and enjoy. There is a new website that I did not know existed. It is dedicated to adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents who just happen to be military veterans at the same time. A majority of who I am today is because of adoption, military service, and motherhood. It is wonderful to see such a website. I am thrilled that the military veterans are stepping up and helping us in the cause for adult adoptees and their families.

So please visit the AWOL - Adoptees Without Liberty. Sign their guest book.

An Important Announcement from Bastard Nation

2010-01-20T13:48:00Z

According to the Daily Bastardette, Bastard Nation has issued an important statement on the status of Haitian orphans entering the United States. Indiana Open as well as Texans for Adult Adoptees OBC Access supports their efforts in making sure that these children are protected.

Please distribute freely

For the last week, Bastard Nation, like the rest of the world, has been watching the devastation of Haiti. The images are frightening, sad, and heartrending, especially those of the children.

We have also watched with alarm the rush to rescue Haitian children by adoption. Within three days of the earthquake, Catholic Charities of Miami had set up a scheme modeled on Operation Pedro Pan, a joint State Department-CIA-Miami Diocese project in the early 1960s to separate children from their parents, creating young pawns in the US war against the Castro government. Although “Operation Pierre Pan” in Haiti is on hold, at least for now, numerous evangelical churches and ministries, adoption agencies, secular organizations, unfinalized adoptive parents and other individuals--many with conflicts of interest--have joined the rescue mission call to remove children immediately, no matter what their family status, to the US for the purpose of adoption.

Haiti is still under rubble. Aid is slow to arrive. Survivors are spread out in shelters and camps, or live in the streets. The dead are unnumbered, unknown, and unnamed. Family members continue to search for each for other, and it will take weeks or even months for final conciliation.

The rush to relocate orphans, quasi-orphans, and potential orphans internationally is ripe for coercion and fraud. Adoption agencies, church agencies, and ministries especially--along with fraudulent and predatory “child welfare” agents--have much to gain from fast removal. The trafficking of Haitian children for sex, servitude, and adoption operated in Haiti before the quake. It certainly operates now. The unethical and possibly unlawful mass transfer of traumatized children, many with family status unknown, to foreign shelters, foster care, and adoption agencies, removed from their culture and language, with little hope of family reunification cannot be allowed or tolerated. We urge US State Department and other US authorities in Haiti to (1) remove private special interests and those with conflicts of interest, such as adoption agencies and ministries, from the child welfare decision-making process and (2) halt the evacuation of children and their placement for adoption in the US.
We also urge the State Department to suspend pending adoptions. Haitian paperwork is lost or destroyed. Rock Cadet, the judge most responsible and knowledgeable about pipeline cases, died in the quake. Though the US Embassy survived, US paperwork is probably unavailable for some time, if it still exists. Without proof of Haitian court or Embassy status, any adoption removal from the country, without thorough background investigation and due process, is illegal and not in the best interest of the child

Needless to say, no new adoptions should be processed

US.

We understand why people want to open their arms and hearts to the children of the Haitian earthquake, but adoption is not emergency or humanitarian aid or a solution to Haiti’s ongoing problems. The immediate rescue effort in Haiti should focus on emergency services, individual and family care and family reunification, not family, community, and cultural destruction and the strip-mining of children.

This statement has been faxed to the US State Department.

A Closer Look at Current Legislation

2010-01-13T16:45:00Z

I wanted to do a closer and more in depth look at the legislation affecting adoption in the state of Indiana.

SB 70 is being presented by Senator Boots and has been referred to the Judiciary Committee.

Adoption and paternity proceeding. Requires a petition to establish the paternity of a child who is the subject of an adoption proceeding to be filed in the court having jurisdiction over the adoption proceeding. Provides that a person contesting an adoption must file either a motion to contest the adoption or a petition to establish paternity.

It is fairly simple but as I said yesterday, my concern is how the fathers are notified. Are they contacted directly? Are they sent notification before or after the birth of their child? I have seen cases where they were notified before their birth of their child and after the birth of their child.

SB 140 is being presented by Senators Zakas and Broden and has been referred to the Judiciary Committee.

Adoption matters. Provides that a man who is barred from establishing paternity under the adoption statutes is prohibited from establishing paternity by filing a paternity action as next friend of the child or requesting a prosecuting attorney to file a paternity action. Prohibits a person who has executed a written consent to the adoption of a child by a certain person from executing a second or subsequent written consent to the adoption of the child by another person, unless certain conditions apply. Removes provision that allows a father who receives a notice of adoption after the birth of the child to contest the adoption by filing a paternity action. Removes provision under which the consent of a putative father to the adoption of a child is irrevocably implied if the putative father, after receiving a notice of adoption after the birth of the child, fails to file a paternity action. Provides that the putative father registry provisions do not apply if, on or before the date the child's mother executes a consent to the child's adoption, the child's mother discloses the name and address of the putative father to the attorney or agency that is arranging the child's adoption. Provides that a putative father's motion to contest an adoption must be filed in the court in which the adoption is pending. Prohibits a court from granting an adoption if a petitioner for adoption has been convicted of an attempt to commit certain felonies. Authorizes a child placing agency and an attorney to advertise certain adoption information only if licensed under Indiana law. Provides that the crime of unauthorized adoption facilitation does not apply to child placing agencies licensed under Indiana law or attorneys licensed to practice law in Indiana.

This further restricts the father in several instances. That is very alarming in itself because it removes many of the loopholes that fathers can use to contest the adoption of their children. If a mother consents to the adoption of her child, he can not contest the adoption is what sounds like is going on. How do we know that a father is being notified of the adoption of his child in all proper channels?

There is also a bill similar to these in the House of the Indiana Legislature. I can not seem to find it. I am critical of any bill that denies someone their due right process.

Long Time No See

2010-01-12T22:15:00Z

Howdy!!!!! I apologize for not being around much. I have had certain issues to deal with in my every day life that has taken precedence over the profound topic of adoption. I, however, have been keeping in touch with Indiana Legislators and current introduced bills. I have noticed that there is only two bills that have anything to do with adoption this legislative year. They both concern father's rights in the state of Indiana to some extent.

Many folks have heard the story about the twins placed in a single parent home. The twins were conceived via surrogacy. The original story stated that it was an anonymous egg donor. The sperm was a blend of the "father" and an anonymous donor. Another woman carried the twins to birth. Because the home study was improperly done, the adoption has been set aside so that the home study can be properly done. There was also mass confusion on which court should have handled the situation. I also believe that there was a father's rights situation that also got contentious in Indiana.

Both of this bills would make only one court responsible instead of two or more jurisdictions. Both bills have been introduced in the Indiana Senate. SB 70 is fairly quick and to the point. SB 140 is more detailed and involves the putative father registry. My only concern is whether or not the courts, adoption agencies, adoption attorneys and other interested folks will properly inform the birth father of the correct court in which to file his paternity action. It is difficult enough for a father to file on the putative registry. Let alone filing in the proper court. There are so many in the adoption industry who fail to do the proper thing when it comes to notifying someone that their rights are about to be terminated.

Language Meanings and Interpretations

2009-10-06T21:07:00Z

Do you pay attention to terminology? Do you ever seen language meanings and interpretations? I do because I write. I also pay attention to terminology because I am a home school mother. One of the key things that I notice with many adoption groups is that we are always on the defensive. We have to argue around birth parent privacy or abortion issues (abortion vs. adoption).

Adoptee access laws often pits adoptees and their families against the future reproductive choices of American women with abortion vs adoption arguments. It is not our choices involved in those decision making processes of American women. Why should we be held accountable for them? It is not my responsibility what a woman decides concerning HER body. Adoptees have to be concerned with not only pleasing both sets of parents but also the women of this country. Please it is not my job to worry about women's issues along with my own.

Adoptee rights are not about birth parent privacy nor about abortion issues. It is about the adoptee and gaining access to a document that is legally our document. In today’s world, we must have access to a document that proves that we are American citizens. We must have documentation that allows us to continue to prove that we are eligible for our rights under the American constitution.

How do we become inclusive instead of divisive when it comes to our families? The adoption industry often pits birth mother against adoptee. They also pit birth parent against adoptive parent. It is long past the time when we as a group of individuals become inclusive.

Many of the women prior to 1993 (It is more significant if we go back to prior Roe vs. Wade) were coerced. They were manipulated into relinquishing their parental rights. They are often told today when they begin searching that they have no rights.   Keep in mind that it is not the birth mothers of this country that are denying our rights. It is the adoption industry itself. Many of these women were given drugs that hurt them in the long run. They need to know what was given to them in order to take care of their health. Just as adoptees are denied access to their original birth certificates, birth parents are denied access to those very medical documents that could help them. The irony of it is that those are their records. They do not belong to anyone else.

Adoptees and birth parents are joined at the hip. Without one, the other would not exist. The same is true for adoptive parents. Without one, the other would not exist.   We all need to appreciate that. The right to total confidentiality does not exist in any law, mandate, or statute anywhere in this country.

Confidentiality only exists for medical reasons which HIPAA covers. Birth certificates are held separately from that confidentiality. The right to privacy is often the terminology used. The right to privacy is very limited in its legal definition. It is the right to be left alone. This requires that the freedom of association to be used at some point. A person has to tell another person whether or not they want to contacted.   Well that right to privacy and that right to association is violated by state governments and the adoption industry.   Birth parents and adoptees are denied those very basic constitutional and human rights.

Demons in Adoption Awards

2009-09-21T00:26:00Z

Many normal folks do not think that adoption is a bad thing. Most folks do not understand what adoption does to it’s participants. I am one of the many adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents in the organization, Indiana Open Restoring OBC Access.   Adoption entails loss for many of it’s participants. Loss of parents, loss of a child, loss of fertility, and loss of identity are just a few of the issues in adoption.

Adoption incorporates even opposing sides in it’s issues. Adoption makes for strange bed fellows. Pro-life groups, Pro-choice groups, religious groups, the ACLU, and many more come together as one when it comes to reforming adoption.

Pro-life organizations often state that adoption is the answer to abortion. They even fight adult adoptees on accessing their original birth certificates on the false theory that it will increase abortions. In the state of Oregon, abortion rates dropped by 18% in the first five years after Oregon passed Measure 58. Other states that have followed suit have seen the same results. These statistics are misleading in that they base the right of the adult adoptee on the need to reduce abortions. Women have abortions because they can not afford a child at that time. In fact, more women have abortions because of sealed records. Many of the Pro-life groups have gone on to form CPCs in America. This has lead to more coercion in adoption as seen in Kathryn Joyce’s article, Shotgun Adoption.

Pro choice groups are now jumping into the adoption industry with open adoption agencies. Planned Parenthood in Indiana has merged with some of them in order to provide complete family planning. Religious groups have been pushing adoption for decades.   Many of the ACLU members are now participants in the adoption industry.

All of these groups pit birth mother against adoptee. Without one, the other would not exist. In many situations, the birth mother and the adoptee have not chosen the circumstances that lead them down this path. This includes birth fathers. You have to understand vital statistics laws in this country in order to see what is wrong. Every non adopted person has access to their birth certificate. The registrar is supposed to give them immediate access to that document upon proof of identity and request. The exception is adoption. Of course, the Privacy Act of 1974 does not define it that way. Adoption is a state issue. Both the adoptee and the birth mother have the right to be left alone. That is the pure definition of the right to privacy. It does not mean that the state nor the adoption industry has the right to deny adults access to their documents.

When it comes to adoption, the adoption industry has the ear of the state and federal legislators. They set themselves up as to be the be all end all of everything adoption. Adoption has become a corrupt, coercive, and deceitful practice. How can anyone say that about adoption? Adoption has become about finding children for potential parents. This entitlement has been encouraged by the adoption industry. It has resulted in disaster. Adoptive parents are being scammed. It is evident in adoption lawsuits. Birth parents are being denied the right to raise their children. Adoptees are denied access to their documents.

One website that has been tracking the activities of the adoption industry has been Pound Pup Legacy. In order to respond to the “self congratulatory practices of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Angel of Adoption Awards.” Pound Pup Legacy invites you to join in the vote for Demons in Adoption Awards. Some of their nominations reflect the worst of the worst. LDS Family Services and their adoption practices which including shipping birth mothers to other states to prevent the birth fathers from finding out about the pregnancy.   The Focus on Children’s Scott and Karen Banks did not receive jail time for defrauding birth parents of their children in American Samoa and placing them for adoption. Another nominee is Independent Adoption Center for plugging their business on WE TV’s Adoption Diaries. The Malawi Government for allowing Madonna’s adoption is another nominee. Please read this press release to view all of the nominees. Please visit this link to visit the voting board and select your choice. While you are at it, browse the site. This website is based on recorded information. This website has collected court documents, news articles from around the world, and government documents.

Adoptee Rights Demonstration: From NOLA to Phill

2009-07-26T17:27:00Z

Indiana adoptees, birthparents, and adoptive parents, it is time to step up. The Adoptee Rights Demonstration is coming to Louisville. It is our chance to make our voices heard across the country. We have the chance to help the ARD win $200 for the Louisville protest.

Here is what you do:

View this video:

Do the following:

Listen up! We need EVERYONE'S help to spread the word about the Adoptee Rights Demonstration, and maybe even help the protest win $200 to go towards expenses for next year's rally!

There's a slide show up on Youtube with pictures from the protests in New Orleans and Philadelphia. The link is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4DQ5iDDEuA

We need EVERYONE to do these three things at the link above:

1.) Rate the video

2.) Add it to your favorites

3.) Leave a comment

Doing these three things all count as 'votes' at Youtube. With enough votes, we'll be pushed to the front of the Nonprofits and Activism page, which will raise awareness about the protest and our issue.

Done? OK next steps!!

Head on over to AdoptionVoices.com and repeat the steps above

http://adoptionvoices.com/video/from-nola-to-philly-the

1.) Rate the video

2.) Add it to your favorites

3.) Leave a comment

These three items all count as votes there as well.

AdoptionVoices is having a contest, and the video with the most votes will win $200. This would be a HUGE help to the protest, as our permit expenses for Louisville will be much higher than at protest-friendly Philadelphia.

Please help!

Thank you!

Two Excellent Videos

2009-07-23T19:58:00Z

Amyadoptee has introduced a Store on Her Sight

2009-07-15T20:26:00Z

I have had friends suggest that I write a book. I have taken that step. I have written one about my experiences with adoption, my search ideas, and my tips for activism. In the appendices of the book are groups and organizations that have the same goals and offer support for all positions in the adoption plane. I also have the current laws as of today. When each state is updated or changed, I will make the necessary changes to the book.

You can find the store here. This website also allows me to let others sell stuff as well. I can currently list up to twenty items on the store site. I plan on writing a total of three books. Each one is dedicated to each group living adoption. I get questions daily asking how to check out an agency. I get questions asking how to fight back against the system. I also get questions on how to do a search. This first book answers the questions for the adoptee. The subsequent books will address the issues of both adoptive parents and birth parents.

This first book is about my story and my research. It is the tips that I used in my search. It is the very tips that other adoptees have used. I have helped adoptees, birthmothers, and yes adoptive parents search for each other. I wrote this book to help others. My personal experiences with my search have colored my adoption. I did not have a problem with it until I searched. The same applies to my adoptive mother and sisters. Because of my research, my adoptive mother is more aware of what I had to deal with. I know that my adoptive father, Frank Stoll, is standing behind me on this as well. I know in my heart that he is proud of this daughter.

Despite my experience in my search, I do not want to discourage any adoptee, birth parent, or adoptive parent from searching. I hope you enjoy it. The money will go towards my goal of hiring Kinsolving. I want to control my destiny. I also want to return that control to both of my birth parents.

Right now there is only one item but be on the look out for other additions. I enjoy working with crafts as do many adoptees. I hope this will be an excellent little shop for everyone.

Today is the 50 day Mark Until the Adoptee Rights Philadelphia

2009-05-28T13:47:00Z

Here is a sample letter for you to send to state legislators in Indiana or in the state in which you live. Please join us in this letter writing campaign. I will be sending my letters to both Texas and Indiana. Please join us in the effort today.

You can find more information at Adoptee Rights.

Dear Honorable Representative/Senator X

This July, individuals from across the Nation will be traveling to Philadelphia to take part in the second Adoptee Rights Demonstration. As a registered voter in your District, I wanted to advise you that I have made plans to attend the National Conference of State Legislators, and add my support to those who view adult adoptees as equal citizens under the law.

The State of Indiana must stop discriminating against adoptees and allow them the same unfettered access to their original birth certificates that non-adopted citizens enjoy. As an adoptee, I am clearly treated differently because of out-dated assumptions and misleading statistics concerning privacy and secrecy.

The United Kingdom and Australia have restored birth certificate with great success. During your time at the convention, I encourage you to enter conversation with representatives from Alaska and Kansas where birth certificates were never sealed. Other states that may be of interest to you are Oregon, Alabama, New Hampshire, and Maine, as they have reversed sealed birth certificate laws and restored access to adoptees from their states. I believe you will be encouraged by the positive reports from your peers.

As my elected official, your support and agreement on this matter is extremely important to me Thank you for your time and attention to this important civil rights issue. I hope you will be attending the convention, and will visit The Adoptee Rights booth inside the convention center.

If you should have any questions or wish to speak with me, I can be reached at (940) 886-7486.
Sincerely Yours,

Amy K. Burt
Founder of Indiana Open

The Indiana legislative Session is over

2009-05-06T16:31:00Z

Since the Indiana legislative session has adjourned on April 29, 2009, Indiana Open will now be spending their time regrouping and preparing for a tough battle ahead for next year. I have begun shifting my efforts to Texas. Texas has several bills that are absolutely horrible. These bills continue to treat adult adoptees as mere children or worse commodities. The Texas state legislators need to decide if adult adoptees are children or adults. I know of many Indiana Hoosiers who have moved to Texas.

The legislators need to understand the process of search and reunion. With this being said, a new group has been formed, Texans for Adult Adoptees OBC Access. They have an email group and a Twitter account. They hope to expand to a myspace account, face book and other locations. They even have their own social networking website. I am a personal member of this group as I live in Texas. These two states affect each other. Indiana now has the same laws that Texas has. Texas is sadly trying to take us backwards instead of forwards. That is just wrong.

Texans for Adult Adoptees has some very informative posts on why search and reunion is very different in Texas and why the bills being presented are so wrong. We are asking the members of Indiana Open to help out with Texas. The state legislators need to realize why these issues are separate. It is very clear in Texas. Texas has a public birth, marriage, divorce, and death indices. In fact, you can purchase usage of them in your home at Ancestry.com.

So if you are an Indiana Hoosier living in Texas, would you please join Texans for Adult Adoptees and write those legislators? It is important that we kill these bills. Texans can have a clean access bill without all the restrictions, counseling, and imitation contact preference forms. Sadly their contact preference forms are actually disclosure vetos. We know that disclosure and contact vetos are wrong. These laws are putting birthmother privacy into code. This confidentiality just does not exist. It is impossible in the state of Texas. That right does not exist for the non adopted. It should not exist for the adopted either. In this day and age more than half of the adoption agencies in Texas push for openness in adoption.

Openness in adoption is a good thing for all living adoption. It makes adoption transparent. It prevents fraud, corruption, and deception in adoption. With adoptive parents, birthparents, and adoptees fighting for this in adoption, shouldn’t the adoption industry do it as well.

So if you have the time and the inclination, please write your legislator and tell them to vote no SB 499, SB 1277, and HB 4470. We cannot allow bad bills to continue like this. We have to fight back against the adoption industry, the NCFA, and others. We can hold those folks who have committed crimes in adoption to the fire by shining the light of truth upon them.

Furious Absolutely Furious

2009-04-04T02:59:00Z

Indiana adoptees, "birthmothers", and adoptive parents, it is time to get angry. In fact, you should already be angry. I have a google alert set up a particular website. It is called The Legislative Update. It is a very important information source for us lowly constituents and non constituents as far as Indiana Legislators are concerned.

According to the article on Family law, guess who is testifying on your behalf? It sure isn't Indiana Open, the American Adoption Congress, or any other adoptee rights or family preservation groups. It is the adoption industry itself.

"Sen. Lubbers explained that the bill streamlines the adoption process in the areas of post-adoption contact and exchange of information for older adoptees. The bill also makes technical clarifications. Kate Creason from Indiana Adoption Agencies United and the Indiana Children’s Bureau testified that the agencies have concerns about the bill’s notice provisions but generally support the bill. Attorney Steve Kirsch testified in support of the bill, stating that the most substantive change made by the bill is the creation of a paternity index. The Committee will vote on the bill next week."

I suggest that you put pen to paper. I suggest you type out email messages. I suggest that you call your legislators now. The legislators presenting these bills offered testimony from the industry. These folks make money off adoption. Everyone knows Steve Kirsh. I really don't have a problem with him except that he doesn't support adoptee access. It would be good for his business. It make his business even more ethical than it already is. He was the one person that I did expect. I knew of the Indiana Adoption Agencies United Coalition. These folks are very powerful. So powerful that they have a lobbying firm in Indiana to represent them. This lobbying firm is one of the biggest in the Midwest area. Everybody knows Ice Miller. One of the very people that was testifying on these bills was a Kate Creason. Another new name. It is shame that these folks don't come to us to talk.

Kate Creason is with the Indiana Children's Bureau. When I saw her name, I went to agoogling. Google is my favorite search tool along with Pipl.com. They give excellent information on people. She specializes in adoption for the Children's Bureau. I have got nothing against adoption as long as it is done right and with respect to the rights of the child. That child gets access to the documents that record his life. They are his and they do not belong to anyone else. Its that United States Privacy Act thing. I want the same rights for every adoptee, first mother, and adoptive parent in the state of Indiana . What is so interesting about the Indianapolis Children's Bureau is that they are a member of CWLA but yet this same office is a member of the Indiana Adoption Agency Coalition United which is dead set against adoptee access. CWLA is supposed to be for adoptee access. What is really bad is that they got eleven million dollars in government support. That equals to our tax dollars. Tax dollars that belong to adoptees, first parents and adoptive parents. They lobby our legislators for the rights of children but once these children are adopted and become adults, its kicked to the curb time.

It gets worse. There is a group called the Indiana Association of Residential Child Care Agencies (aka IARCCA). Low and behold, when you go to their website and check out all of their board of directors, its filled with adoption agency folks. These folks lobby to get tax dollars which adoptees, natural parents, and adoptive parents pay. They use these tax dollars against us by telling legislators that we do not deserve equal rights. They do everything that they can to shut us out of the legislative process.

Its simple real simple. It is time to treat those living adoption equal. Period end of question.

My Latest Letter to the Indiana State Legislators

2009-04-04T02:13:00Z

My name is Amy Burt. I have been writing for three years to all of you in hopes of getting an unrestricted adoptee access bill. Imagine my surprise when I read the Indiana Courts post the current information about SB 280 and SB 303. The people that testified for these bills were adoption agencies and their lobbyists. These are people who profit from adoption. It is a shame that Indiana adoptees, birth families, and adoptive families can not be adequately represented. We are not invited to testify on our own behalf. In fact, we have been led astray and not given correct information. These agencies do not speak for us. This situation has left us angry and infuriated beyond belief. We all feel betrayed.

Since neither of these bills provide for unrestricted adoptee access, I as the founder of Indiana Open Restoring Original Birth Certificate access do not support either SB 303 nor SB 280. It does not do adoptees, birthmothers, or adoptive families justice. I ask that you tell these legislators to go back and start again. It is our rights that they are playing with. It is our birth certificates. No one has the right to deny us access to a document that belongs to us. Tell them that these bills will not pass out of committee.

Sincerely,
Amy K. Burt
Founder of Indiana Open
http://www.indianaopen.org
Please stop by and see our latest video

French Adoptees Born of German Fathers During World War II Get German Citizenship

2009-04-01T18:11:00Z

It seems that French adoptees get more rights than those adoptees born in the United States. This article was in Russia Today. Some of the stories in this article are sad and brutal. In today's adoption world, these kind of prejudices still exist. Look at the Obama original birth certificate hogwash. One particular paragraph really got me in this article:

"At the time, the so-called Vichy regime provided the right to anonymous birth as a way of encouraging French women to conceal their 'misconduct' with the occupying German soldiers. In many cases, the babies were given up for adoption immediately after birth, thus, most grew up never to learn the identity of their birth parents."

It is a shame that kind of thinking still exists today. It is at the discretion of the adoption industry, namely the National Council for Adoption. They continue the myth that the mothers want to shielded from their unwanted adoptees. They continue the myth that open records will cause more abortions.

When women are facing a crisis pregnancy, they look at all circumstances in their lives. Can they afford another child? Do they want to relinquish? Do they want to have an abortion? The NCFA would have you think that it is easy to relinquish a child for adoption. Just like giving a puppy away for adoption. They treat mothers as if they are mere breeders. Women are so much more than their reproductive organs. Society needs to accept that. We need to bring the humanity back into adoption. Until they take out the motivation for profit out of adoption, we are all on the losing side of things. This includes, adoptees, first families and adoptive families.

Okay Added Links Today

2009-03-31T17:39:00Z

Okay I did a lot of work today. I finally got all the links added to this blog. If I have missed anyone, please email me at amy@indianaopen.org. I will add those links real quick like. I will be adding more as time moves forward. The legislators need to see that it is not just us in Indiana that are discussing the issue of Adoptee Rights in the United States. There are grumblings all over the country concerning this issue.

It is about our right to view the documents that the state and federal governments have concerning us. It is about our right to privacy. This means the right to be free from governmental intrusion. The state of Indiana is also holding our papers under seizure under the presumption of harm. Our natural parents are divested of all rights. They do not get new rights in the process. They do not get the right to deny us access to our papers. If that were the case, then that allows the assumption of parental rights. No parent has the right to deny their son or daughter the right to access their birth certificate.

When will the Indiana Legislators Understand

2009-03-23T14:06:00Z

When will the legislators of Indiana understand that adoptee rights is about the adoptee and his family? When will the legislators of Indiana understand that the mothers want access to those records just as much as the adoptee? When will Indiana legislators understand that sealed records cause more abortions than open records does? When will adoptive families understand that adoptee access increases transparency for them in their adoptions?

These are all difficult questions. All of these questions can be resolved when the legislators get it through their brains that unrestricted adoptee access is good for Indiana. By charging the same fees as for the non adopted, the state of Indiana gets additional income. That income which is much needed could be used to improve the rest of the state of Indiana.

Over the weekend, I had the luxury of meeting another mother through her delightful husband. He of course is military and a real go getter. He is interested in participating in helping Indiana adoptees and natural parents in gaining access to the original birth certificate and identifying information. He is someone who will be reckoned with when it comes to the Indiana legislators.

Maybe next year will be the year for Indiana. Time will tell.

Latest Letter to the Indiana Legislators.

2009-03-18T01:51:00Z

Here is the latest letter to the Indiana Legislators. I will keep sending them letters in hopes that they will eventually listen. Maybe the video campaign will get their attention.

Hello again! My name is Amy Burt. I am the founder of Indiana Open. Our organization is a grassroots organization that is dedicated to returning the rights of adoptees to unrestricted access to their original birth certificate. We are not asking for the home study information of our adoptive parents, the financial records of our adoptive parents, the private medical information of our birth parents, or the relinquishment forms of our birth parents. We are asking for unrestricted access to a document that should be legally ours. It is that way for the non adopted.

We have launched a video campaign to help educate you on this matter. Please see the website address at the end of this letter.

Indiana Code 16-37-1 states that the average Indiana citizen is allowed access to their birth records on demand unless of course you are adopted. We want equal treatment under the law.

Indiana code 31-19-15 states that the birthparents are divested of all rights to their adoptee. What this code tells me is that birthparents can not deny the adoptee the right to access their own birth records.

The Privacy Act of the United States also speaks volumes in that it confirms that every American has the right to access the documents concerning themselves. State laws also confirm this. The exception is if you are adopted. This is discrimination. It is time to end this discrimination against adoptees and their families.

Adoptees all over the country are having their records examined more thoroughly. Adoptees can not prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are American citizens because their records are sealed in forty four states. Indiana is one of those states.

Abortion rates decrease when adoptees are allowed access to their documents. Adoption rates increase when adoptees are allowed to access their documents. 90% plus of birthmothers support adoptee access.

What you need to decide is whether or not adoptees are adults after the age of 21. Adoptees are veterans, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, coworkers, sisters, brothers, friends, and family members. If we are capable of defending our country, working, raising our children, getting married, paying taxes, and voting, certainly we are capable of handling the information on our original birth certificates.

Sincerely,
Amy K. Burt
(940) 886-7486
Founder of Indiana Open
http://indianaopen.org

Premiering Indiana Open's first video

2009-03-15T01:59:00Z

Indiana Open is pleased to announce our first video. We ask that you join us in this celebration. We are very proud of our little accomplishment. We hope you like it. We do. Enjoy it!

ADOPTEE RIGHTS PHILLY

2009-03-12T18:54:00Z

Here are some rocking new videos for ya'll to watch. It is after all about your rights. Indiana Code specifically states for the non adopted that they have access to their birth documents. The parents of an non adopted adult do not have the right to deny access to their birth documents. Indiana Code also specfically states that natural parents are divested of all rights in regards to the child. They do not get new ones in the process. If they have the right to privacy in regards to the child, then that leaves the adoption open to be contested at any time. According to Tennessee and Oregon, parents do not have the right to privacy from their own child. It is time to make adoptees equal citizens in the United States. These videos show how you can restore your rights.