November 4, 1996
           
                  "I N D P E N D E N C E    D A Y"
At least that is how the headlines on the front page of todays newspaper 
reads.
The governments press conference wrapped up awhile ago and I have just 
returned from the Vital Statistics Agency office after filing my appilication 
for service Pertaining to an Adopted Adult or Birth Parent. The VSA office 
estimates that it will take 6-8 weeks to mail me a copy of my original birth 
certificate and adoption order due to the initial flood of requests. So its 
official, British Columbia's new Adoption Act is in force! All those adopted 
under the previous Adoption Acts may apply for a copy of their original birth 
certificate and adoption order subject to a disclosure veto (as of last 
Friday there were 1684 diclosure vetoes filed out of a possible 70,000 or 
about 2%), but for all those whose adoptions are started from November 4, 
1996 forward, adult Adoptees will have an unqualified right of access to 
their adoption records. (they will not be subject to any disclosure veto)
Remember that The National - Adoption Documentary follows the 10p.m. news  on 
CBC tonight. For those who can't tune in the transcript will be posted on 
their web site, The National - Home Page  
http://www.tv.cbc.ca/national/index.html tomorrow Nov 5. For those who would 
like a tape of the show you can find the information to order a copy at   
http://www.tv.cbc.ca/html/tapes&trans.html
For our friends across Canada and south of the border we invite you to join 
with us  in the celebration of our success today but lets not forget the 
recent events that are unfolding in Tennessee. The following is what Jack 
Marvin (VP AAC) related to me earlier this month about the TN situation;  
>It is hard to believe the TENOR thing.  We are hoping to take it all the 
>way and that the Supreme Court hears it.  If they do and find in our >favor, 
it will be unconstitutional to have sealed records and no birth 
>certificates.  47 states will have to change their laws.  And Bill will >be 
out of business.  If they find for our opponents, only 4 or five >states will 
have to change their laws significantly because then it will >be 
unconstitutional for records to be open.  And we will be out of >business of 
fighting for open records.
>
>It is an exciting and frightening time.  It looks like we have to raise 
>over $100K for the defense and that means moving from being a little 
>bumbling org into the big bumbles.
> 
if you want to make a donation to TENOR simply send a cheque to: American 
Adoption Congress 
1000 Connecticut Avenue N.W.,
Suite 9, Washington, DC 20036  
So hoist one for us and toast our first "I N D P E N D E N C E    D A Y" in 
British Columbia and support TENOR in their fight for an Independence Day of 
your own.
It is as Jack says, "an exciting and frightening time"
 
Regards,
Jim   (jkelly@xl.ca)
[this message may be freely distributed]
 
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