Here is one of the stories regarding New Jersey's attempt to open their adoption records.

Those who are adopted often have questions about their personal backgrounds and now, New Jersey lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it easier for those adoptees to get their answers.

This may be the same article that Jenna blogged about, but I wanted to talk about it anyway. I keep reading over and over that birth mothers' privacy needs to be protected. Yet, I never hear any birth mothers say that they believe that they need any protection from their children finding out their identity. All "birth mother privacy" entails is not allowing an adoptee to know the name of the woman who gave birth to them.

Who and where are all these women that we are told want and need to be protected from their children? If adoption records are "opened", only the adoptees gain access to them. Open records does not mean that adoption records would be open and available to the entire world. It only means that an adoptee could get a copy of their original birth certificate. The birth certificate that shows the true, accurate facts of their birth.

Given that the majority of adoptions are open in 2006, does it follow that women do not want their own children to know who they are? Many women considering adoption now refuse any adoption other than one which includes some degree of openness. Therefore, why would a mother relinquishing a child today want/need to prevent her child from obtaining their original birth certificate?

If the majority of birth mothers from my era (the baby scoop era)want to remain anonymous, why are so many searching for their children? Why are reunions happening nearly every day in America? What harm is there in an adoptee having access to their original birth certificate?

Not every adoptee who wants their original birth certificate intends to search and/or have a reunion. Some just want the information. They feel as though they are entitled to know. Every other citizen knows and has access to their birth information.

I truly believe that if everyone understood reunions better, there would be less fear for everyone.