Comments on: Vilsack’s Adoption

By: Rita McGill

Rita McGill — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 02:45:30 +0000

If you are going to write about adoption please use the term “birth mother” or “biological mother”. To use the description ‘real mother’ is offensive to every adoptive parent. Is an adoptive parent somehow less “real” by not contributing DNA to a child. Is a birth mother more “real” than a mother who stays by her child’s bed taking care of her sick child? For future stories, please carefully consider how you choose to label all the players in a very personal and difficult story.

By: Ben Weyl

Ben Weyl — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 03:44:16 +0000

You’re right Rita — I’m sorry for my poor choice of words.

By: Karen Dawber

Karen Dawber — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 22:29:12 +0000

The term “natural” mother is most widely accepted by mothers who were forced to relinquish their babies between 1945-WWII and 1972 Roe vs. Wade. No need to add birth or biological that would just be redundant. Yes, adoption is a very personal and difficult story. But adoption is most decidely biased towards the stork marketing agencies and their clients with little consideration for the long term effects on the child.