Rights...

Amendment XIV.
(Ratified July 9, 1868)

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Does a birth certificate fall under the wording of "property"?  Does an adoptee/birth parent fall under the wording of "any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"?

 

Birth Certificate:

 

Do you have yours? You know the one with the State seal on it? I had to get a new one several years ago when I wanted to get my passport...it was an easy process, I went down to the records building...filled out the proper paper work...showed my drivers licenses...paid my $30 and within minutes I had a crisp new birth certificate...showing my name at birth...my birth parents names...where I was born...yes I was a citizen of the United States of America.

Now, imagine that you are adopted...that birth certificate has been amended...it now holds the names of your adopted parents as your birth parents...nothing else has been altered...you were still born in the proper city and your date of birth is correct...now imagine that you are an adult adoptee who wishes to find out the name of your birth parents...imagine you would like family history medical information (we all have to fill out those forms at any Doctors' office)...now imagine that the state has decided that you CANNOT have this information! What would you do? How would you feel? Is it right that your original birth certificate has been locked away and that YOU are not privy to it?

That is the reality in most states regarding birth certificates for adoptees. The perpetual cycle of the "secret" is still being kept. Why? They claim it is because we birth Mothers signed papers that said we WANTED to be kept a "secret"...I truly do not believe that we had a choice in whether we signed that paper or not...it was part of the packet...part of the process...I know that I certainly would not have signed that paper had I not been told that it was part of making the adoption legal.

New York State is one of many states that still has the sealed records in place...but there is a bill that is hoping to get to the floor that will open these birth certificates up to adult adoptees. I realize that most people have no idea what bills are up for voting on by our elected officials...unless of course it directly affects you...The  Adoptees Rights bill for NY is : A909/S2490A

Isn't it time we come together for change and get NY to recognize ALL of its citizens, whether they are adopted or not? EVERYONE should have the RIGHT to their original birth certificate.

 

After I was reunited with my son, I went back to the records building...filled out the proper paper work with his birth name on it and showed my ID...I waited...I waited...people kept checking the computer...finally the manager of the department came to me and said..."are you sure you have the right information?"  YES... "is this certificate part of an adoption?"  YES..."I'm sorry then, that information is NOT available to you"...Next I tried to get hospital records...I know that they have to keep a record of all births and deaths...but I was told that those records are only kept for 25 years...and that because my son was now 42 he would have to request them himself (wait didn't you just tell me that you did not have them anymore?!)

 



Recently my thoughts have gone to these records more and more, as I am meeting more adoptees and birth mothers....Why does the original birth certificate have to be a "secret"?..Why is it that the person it truly belongs to is NOT allowed to have it as an adult? Why does the original birth certificate have to be altered? Why can't instead of an altered birth certificate the new certificate be just that: A Certificate of Adoption or instead of "birth mother/father" it clearly states "adoptive mother/father"? (weren't we told that adoption was a good and wonderful thing?)

I do understand a child not having information before they are ready to handle it...I do understand that not all children are told that they are adopted till later in life...

what I do not understand is WHY an adult does not have the RIGHT to have this information...

SUPPORT THE ADOPTEE BILL OF RIGHTS BILL!