Excellent Video from Late-Discovery Adoptee Darryl McDaniels

[sabres4jeff]

This is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen with regard to adoptees and especially "Late-Discovery-Adoptees"

Being an adoptee of the late discovery variety, I have been especially touched by DMC's experience.

http://www.me-dmc.com/index.cfm/pk/view ... 4/pid/4814.

[Shelley]

Thanks Jeff for posting this. I saw it a few yrs ago and it still makes me cry!

Here are a couple of music videos by Darryl (DMC) that are about adoption. He recorded "Just Like Me" with Sarah MCLachlan who is also adopted.
http://www.me-dmc.com/index.cfm/pk/view ... 2/pid/4814

More recently he recorded "I'm Legit" with Zara Phillips. The link to the song is on the right of this page.

http://www.youbloom.com/web/zaradmc

This is taken from that same site and written by Zara Phillips.

RELEASE “I'M LEGIT” A NEW SONG ABOUT ADOPTION

The song I'm Legit has been written to raise awareness about the
situation of closed birth records in the U.S. What I mean is the lack
of rights that an adult adopted person has to have access to their own
original birth certificate.

Both Darryl and I are adopted.I was adopted in the U.K where the
records were opened in 1976,which meant that I could gain access to my
original birth certificate and find out my birthmother's name.
Darryl does not have that right in fact there are only eight states
that allow access, including Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Kansas, New
Hampshire, Oregon, Tennessee and, most recently, Maine.
In NJersey people have been trying for 29 years to change the
law, adopted people who just want to know their birth name find out
family history,medical history.

The laws here stop adopted people getting this information stating they
are protecting the birthmothers, protecting their privacy and yet
birthmothers were never ever told that they would be protected nor did
most want to be. In fact 93% of birthmothers are happy to be reunited.
These mothers said they waited and mourned for the loss of their
children, many feeling pressured by either their families or society
that they were being selfish to keep their babies that their babies
would have a better life with two parents.

Adoption is a complex issue with all members of the triad dealing with
their own loss and grief.

Adopted people have the right to know where they come from,and it is a
genuine need to know. Most people know their history,most people know their birth family's
name, most people can look in the mirror and see who they look like. Most people know about family diseases,and can fill out those forms in
the doctors office.

As an adopted person having children the need to know more about my
genetic family became overwhelming. I had met my birthmother many years
previously, but as for finding my birthfather I have not been so lucky. I still look on the streets for him,imagining what he looks like and wondering not just about him but his relatives his parents his
children.

I know what it feels like to not know,I know what its like to grow up
looking for my birthmother on the street wondering why did she give me
up? What was my story? This did not mean I didn't love my adopted parents that I wasn't
grateful because I did love them and I was grateful that they took me
out of foster care and gave me a loving home. This is about searching for my truth for my rights as a human being so that I may stand in the world like other people and tell you my name.
Adopted people have rights,we need to know our truth to help us live a productive life.

Please help us change this old fashioned law, and visit http://www.americanadoptioncongress.org and donate to help us continue to fight this law.