birth' certif"icate
http://dictionary.infoplease.com/birth-certificatean official form recording the birth of a baby and containing pertinent data, as name, sex, date, place, and parents.
• BIRTH CERTIFICATE (noun)
http://www.audioenglish.net/dictionary/birth_certificate.htm
The noun BIRTH CERTIFICATE has 1 sense:
1. a copy of the official document giving details of a person's birth
Dictionary: birth certificate
http://www.answers.com/topic/birth-certificate
n. An official record of the date and place of a person's birth, usually including the names of the parents.
Familiarity information: BIRTH CERTIFICATE used as a noun is very rare.
I also encourage all to read the wikipedia explanation of birth certificates as a vital record, because because the Fourteenth Amendment expressly grounds American citizenship upon birth in the United States. [Note the word BIRTH]
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When we look at the history of "sealed records" the rationale was to protect the child from the stigma of illegitimacy.
The secondary rationale is the alleged protection of supposed promises ho lost children to adoption. A lie started by the NCFA and too often believed by legislators, as is the lie that opening the records would increase abortions. Neither claim has any substantiation because neither is true.
Those who recognize this as a violation of human rights, discrimination and a legalization of shame, seek to return to the pre-1940's sealing of birth certificates - to a form of adoption that is closer to permanent legal guardianship.
The one singular objection to this suggestion is that adopted people would be "embarrassed" or uncomfortable not sharing the same surname with the parents raising them. This is a time when many women keep their maiden name after marriage and step families with multiple names are prevalent.
Ironically, at the same time we are supposed to be protective of children's alleged embarrassments, and continue to legalize secrets and lies to "protect" mothers...gays are making strides in the recognition of their equality. Their right to marry is being seriously considered and has been made legal in a couple of states and they are battling for the right to adopt.
New York State which recognizes same sex marriage recently placed the name of a lesbian's wife on their child's birth certificate. As a result a federal judge ordered the names of two fathers who adopted a child added to his birth certificate. The child was born in Louisiana and adopted in New York.
It is interesting that lesbians welcome patriarchal laws that recognize the legal spouse as parent; laws enacted to protect rights of inheritance when women did not count at all for that purpose.
It is also interesting that in fighting for their equality and rights, gays and lesbians are equally guilty of dishonoring the rights of the adopted as are heterosexuals.
Children are expected to deal with having two mommies or two daddies in their life - and named as their progenitors on their falsified birth certificate - but are alleged to be uncomfortable with not having the same name as their parents...or having a birth certificate and an adoption certificate.
Let's get real here. We are not living in the 1950's. Laws need to change to reflect social and cultural changes.
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