I have given you some links for supporters of open records in a previous post, and now I will direct you to the supporters of the "other" side of the movement. The most vocal opponent of open records is a group called the National Council for Adoption (NCFA). NCFA was originally founded by Ruby Lee Piester, then executive director of what is now the Gladney Center for Adoption.

Here is part of their position on the open records' debate:

The right to maintain or waive one’s privacy in adoption is essential to the human rights and personal dignity of adopted persons, birthparents, and adoptive parents. Adoption policy and practice should not empower one party to adoption to receive identifying information or unilaterally impose contacts without the consent of another party.

Search and reunion advocacy is commonplace in the media, but the range of views regarding privacy in adoption is actually as varied and personal as there are parties to adoption. In the context of the media’s fascination with openness in adoption, it is important to remember that the many who prefer privacy cannot discuss their views publicly without sacrificing the very privacy they desire to protect.

For the full article, follow this link:

http://www.ncfa-usa.org/ConcernedAboutPrivacy.htm

The American Center for Liberty and Justice (ACLJ), founded by Pat Robertson, is another outspoken opponent of open records. ACLJ's Chief Counsel, Larry Crain, claims that if confidentiality cannot be protected, more birthparents will choose abortion or abandonment instead of adoption:

"In many cases, women choose adoption over abortion because they are guaranteed confidentiality and privacy in these cases." He added that states must "continue to safeguard the records of birth parents."

This link is to a debate about the issue between various parties pro and con.

http://www.adopting.org/uni/frame.php?url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/forum/february97/adopt4.html

Here is another very balanced article from Nancy Ashe on the subject:

http://www.adopting.org/adoptions/the-open-records-debate-2.html

One last set of links are for various newspaper articles about the current open records' debates in Maine.

http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/2485558.shtml

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/060301adopt.shtml