Is that I'm an adult who was adopted in Ohio. As some adoptive parents are beginning to express their appreciation towards the former Senator for his adoption related work, I've felt it important to try to write another piece over on my adoption related blog-
On the Passing of Howard Metzenbaum from my particular adoption related prespective as unfortunately, it's perhaps my major area of contention with Howard's legacy.

On adoption, he ended up working with the industry lobby which was working for permanently sealed records. Several pieces of his supported legislation laid critical groundwork for some of the really ugly adoption industry related mess we find ourselves in today.

In short, perhaps unknowingly, he took the side of industry over the directly affected, of silencers rather than whistleblowers, and of erasing womyn as opposed to supporting them as he had so strongly in his work for abortion access.

All of which is deeply at odds with the rest of his legacy- and I personally found deeply disturbing.

But as I write in my Baby Love Child diary, there were reasons he may have unknowingly done what he did.

But this one particular portion of his legacy, yes, for me has added an additional emotional and strategic layer that well, while not detracting from so much of the good he did, it is something we still live with today and it's deeply at odds with so much of the rest of the man's lifes work.

In any case, it's a discussion I'd sort of rather have over in adoptionland, rather than here, on a night when fond rememberances are where I'd prefer to focus- were it not for this particular piece that well, affects me and many others like me.