Open Records Bill Coming to IL

To all my friends separated by adoption in the great state of Illinois, please see below from Anita Walker Field.

I encourage you all to support Sara in her quest to open all records for our children and their mothers.  It is their civil right to have unrestricted access to this information. Only in adoption are our children treated like property, often commodities to be bought and sold. Only in adoption are they prohibited from knowing their heritage and are told it is in their best interest. Is it? Really? Shouldn't that be their decision as adopted adults?  Does anyone have the right to decide what is best for another without consulting them?

To the mothers I know who lost their children in IL, the adoption industry, backed heavily by the National Council for Adoption, likes to use US, the mothers, as an excuse to keep records closed. They state we were promised confidentiality and need to be protected from our children. Excuse me but can I say WTF?  The only thing I ever needed protection from was an agency known as Easter House.  Where was the industry then? 

DO NOT allow them to use us as a stick to beat our children with. DO NOT allow them to keep us apart any longer. DO NOT allow them to hurt our children further.

If you are a mother who gave birth in IL, please, show your support for this upcoming bill. Our voice is crucial to its success.

While many of us are reunited and know where our families are, we still are not allowed unrestricted access to original birth certificates or medical information.  Unacceptable.  We can change this.  Write to Anita, join Illinois Open, support Sara in her bill.

We can make this happen.

In the words of Barack Obama "YES WE CAN"

Illinois Open Friends,

Representative Sara Feigenholtz (Dem, Chgo) is sponsoring an open records bill for this legislative session. I wish I could tell you details of the bill, but I don't know anything about the bill yet. I have had some limited input during the past month and I'm as eager as you all are to read the bill. The minute I know any details, I'll be passing them on to you. And if any of you hear any Illinois news, please let us know.

DON'T MISS:   USA Today has a very interesting article about unsealing records in today's paper, Wednesday, February 13^th. Especially interesting for us is that Rep. Sara Feigenholtz is quoted in this article.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-02-12-adoption_N.htm

Sincerely,

Anita
Anita Walker Field
IllinoisOpen

Comments

[Denise Roessle]

Hooray for Sara and Illinois! I've been waiting for California to open its records for years. Supposedly one of the most progressive states. May I add my WTF to yours!?!?