Here's the letter Ron M. sent in response to the article published in the San Francisco Examiner titled: "Fight Over Adoption Secrecy!"
Published 2-24-99.
Editors:
Although I am 44 years old, it no longer surprises me to see
myself referred to as a "child", or to have a cutesy-pie baby graphic
accompanying a story on the right of adult adoptees to access the
document recording their own birth. The idea that adult adoptees are
perpetual children is one that is promulgated over and over again by
the mass media, which ought to know better. These sorts of demeaning
representations are part of the reason I joined Bastard Nation two
years ago.
It did surpise me to see the author of this piece imply that my
organization is somehow "outing their own mothers." This is both
innacurate and insulting. Bastard Nation's mission is narrow and
very public, too bad you didn't bother to contact us before you ran
your hit piece. It can be found in full on our webpage,
http://www.bastards.org/.
We stand for the right of every person to
access the documents recording their own birth.
We also stand for the dignity of adult adoptees. I can think of no
better reason for our continued existence and activism than
editorials such as yours, which describe adult adoptees as
"dangerous" and "angry" children.
We do not "exist on the Internet." Adult adoptees are everywhere, you
probably have some on your editorial staff or in your newsroom. I
suggest you ask them how they like being referred to as angry and
dangerous children.
Ron Morgan
Executive Committee
Bastard Nation
More Than a Feeling.mid
