Friday, August 13, 2010

First Illinois Adoptee Gets His Birth Certificate

Watch the first Illinois adoptee, age 73, receive his original birth certificate at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sogjiBmIrkg

I usually embed videos, but felt this one did not need more exposure than it already has gotten.  The video shows a man receiving, opening, and reading his original birth certificate - including reading aloud his mother's name AND address!

So much for his mother's confidentiality ... announcing it on the internet for all to know before she is contacted and asked how she feels about it.  She might still be alive!  She may also well have family that had no idea, including other children.

The hypocrisy of the use of the mother's confidentiality as THE major excuse to keep this information form adoptees and then to this is off the charts. Seems like a total inability to understand the difference between confidentiality and anonymity.

This should be a private matter.

POST SCRIPT: Jean Strauss agreed and happens to know this film-maker. She has contacted him and requested he edit this. The purpose was to show the importance of allowing adoptees know their truth. That can be accomplsihed without "outing" anyone publicly.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

He is 73 years old. Is his mother still alive? It's really hard to "out" a deceased person.

Mirah Riben said...

First of all, she may well be alive. Secondly, as I said, she could have children or other family that had no idea, so yes...you can "out" a deceased person?

It is insensitive, rude, crude, and reflects total ignorance or respect for privacy.

Further it could put all other adoptees in danger of their mothers signing vetoes as a result.

In any event, Jean has taken care of it.

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