How Dare I?

I was adopted by my step-father in 1962. A contract was entered into between, my mother, my step-father, by his absence my father, and the state of Minnesota.

The contract was deemed by the courts, to be in my best interests as a minor child. The adoption approved, a new birth certificate forged, my history erased, and all my records sealed.

To this day 40 years later, I do not have access to my own records. I am bound to a contract I did not make. The people who made entered into the contract did so for what they believed was in my best interests, I agree it was. WAS being the "key" word, I am now an adult, and should have access to my records like any other adult in this country. I no longer need the state of Minnesota's protection from the word bastard.

Some still justify the rights of the birth parents as cause to keep records sealed.....how many birth parents are fighting the same battle to open records searching for the children they gave up? Thousands. If a birth parent does not want the child to contact them later in life, a letter to that effect can be filed with the adoption, or one stating they welcome contact as well.

When these records are arbitrarily closed, they deny some basic human rights to the child involved. What nationality are they? Where were they born? And most importantly medical history is unknown.

I am one of the lucky ones. I know my history now. But it took years to find it. I am acquainted with both birth parents and other siblings.

My mother and my aunt however, 63 and 66 respectively, both also Minnesota adoptees, after many years of searching have finally due to life threatening illness have been allowed access their medical histories. Histories that may have changed how they lived their lives if they had known. Very sad indeed.

By any means necessary we need to protect our children, but children grow up, and are entitled to the same rights and privileges of all other Americans whether they are "bastards" or not.