Go ahead and read this article, I tripple dog dare ya!
Nebraska enacts unique safe haven law
Unique is right, horrible is right, this is what happens when idiots become legislatures and try and smooch the public eye over without doing any freaking research on the law they are enacting.
What in the hell is wrong with our society when we’re encouraging people to dump their children off at a safe haven, any age ( yes, thats the catch here, nebraska allows parents to dump off a child of any age, up to 19 years old ) anonymously. Now my 3 year old, , knows her last name, but some 3 year olds don’t. Some don’t know their address, and my not be able to remember it 18 years later when they feel like searching. Since this law doesn’t protect the rights of the CHILDREN at ALL, there is no chance anyone of that age and under will find their parents if they get adopted and that birth certificate is sealed.
The ironic part in this is that the law is supposed to be about the well being of the children. It wouldn’t be hard to implement a legal way of surrendering your rights to protect the history of your child and not have conviction for doing so…OH WAIT! They already have that available and have been doing it for years, its called ADOPTION! AND TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS!!!
The sealing of the records that happens in both situation still infuriates me, but the ignorance behind these laws infuriate me as well. To see the credibility of any law, I supposed we’d have to see why they came into place, and track the statistics to see how effective they are at doing their job.
I already know that they’re not doing their intended job. I know that safe havens haven’t dropped the infant in dumpster rate, thats as clear as day from where I stand. This is another ploy by the industry to get free babies with no strings or history attached and they’ve just enacted it into every state. But are the dumpster and trash can tossing of children rates dropping? Not by my research, but the public eye feels more secure about it don’t they. “If it helps just one, then these laws are worth it”
Really? I disagree. These laws are completely violating the rights of children one day adults. No medical history, no birth certificate, no insurance that the surrenderer is related, or even one of the parents. The surrenderee has no connection to the parents, reclaim periods are low if in-acted at all. Its not reducing the rates of dumpster or trashcan babies.
The intention behind these laws ( like Pertman says in the article ) is good, but they’re not working, because they’re not designed right. Looking into the psychology of a mother who would dump her child into a trash can, shows you that she’s not legally sain. She’s not thinking about the well being of her child. So why would she stop, and suddenly consider a safe haven? There are adoption agencies everywhere, social services in every state, if she was “thinking” she REALLY couldn’t parent and wanted to put her child in a safe place, that option has been available for YEARS without conviction or legal consequences. The mentality of a baby in the dumpster mother though, isn’t someone who is thinking of “either” of these two options. Which is why they’re not using either.
Every state has now just enacted laws that are allowing teens to think they can “easily” hide a pregnancy from their parents and get away with it by dumping the child in a safe haven, they’re allowing frustrated baby sitters to drop kids off, anonymous people who aren’t even the parents are getting rid of other peoples children, and none of these children have connections to their past now, none of them have a certificate that is proving that they were even born. None of them have a traceable ancestry. Nobody cares. Instead they’re going to push the koolaid down their throats even more than “us”adoptees, because now these children, really ‘could have been’ dumpster babies in the eyes of the public. These children don’t have a right to history because the state who enacted this wonderful law saved them from being tossed into a trash can, and they just need to shut up and be grateful for it already right?
think again.
6 responses so far ↓
Lana // August 17, 2008 at 1:49 pm |
I find that biological children (& adults,) really just don’t understand the full impact of adoption. Keep up the good work.
therapyisexpensive // August 18, 2008 at 9:33 pm |
Not being one who has ever been good at turning down a dare, I read it. Or at least part of it. I wish you’d warned me not to be drinking while reading then I wouldn’t have nearly choked on my tea and sprayed my laptop with liquid. All I could say to my roommate’s questioning stare was “more proof that I need to stay out of Nebraska”
I did a paper on Safe haven for my policy class last fall. By the minimal research I did (because lets face it I procrastinate) it was painfully obvious that these laws dont do what they were created to do. How the legislators didn’t see that is beyond me. And really anyone up to age 19?
So if I’m 18 and dropped off at a hospital do I get to be adopted and get one of them ponys and pools I’ve heard so much about or does that mean I am still a legal adult and have to take care of myself….
Gershom // August 19, 2008 at 4:37 pm |
roflol, oh HELL no, you know they’ll just age out of the system cause nobody wants one of those older baybees that already know their name and don’t want to call someone new “mommy and daddy.”
Hey! I’d love to read your paper. Please share it with me
11 and 15 year old boys safe havened! no questions asked. « Anti-Adoption // September 16, 2008 at 1:03 pm |
[...] I can think right now is… I knew this would happen, too many of us spoke up about this.. we knew this would [...]
D // October 20, 2008 at 9:23 pm |
Check your facts. 9 of the 18 were former state wards. These children were adopted and were so disturbed their parents could not care for them anymore. Remember the other 9 were from one biological family and the dad was overwhelmed.
I adopted one of these state wards and wish this law had been around years ago when I was afraid he was going to kill one of us in our sleep. He stole from us and lied and bullied everyone in our family. I am anti adoption now. I was not when I adopted this boy at the age of 11
Gershom // October 22, 2008 at 10:12 pm |
Your respect for the children is… certainly not comforting. Referring to a child, let alone one in which you brought into your home as “one of these wards” is alarming within itself to me.
I am aware of the facts, though I don’t claim to know everything, I do know that the father was overwhelmed. As a mother myself, I know I have been overwhelmed, however the last thing you need in that situation is to just abandon ship. Encouragement and support from family and the community goes a long way, especially when healing from the death of what appears to have been the women who was doing a lot for the family and house.
If you haven’t figured out all ready, these children become “one of these wards.” due to this law.
How would you feel if you were hurt from your own family and lived in foster care? I don’t think that you would be to happy about it. I have no idea what the 11 year old boy you adopted had lived through, but from what I know of the system, it probably wasn’t pretty. Sometimes all people know is lying, bullying and stealing. It takes love, and compassion to change that, to show them a new way and to teach them what it feels like to really be alive.
If the foster parent training would have really prepared you the way i feel it should have, I have a feeling you would have already known that.
Best to you “D.”