by Daniel Skaf

House Bill 1407 would require birth parents' names be written next to adoptive parent names on finalized official adoption birth certificates. This means women wanting anonymity will not be allowed to go through the regulated adoption process, but will be left with nothing to do but to abandon their babies on doorsteps or revert to abortion.

Please help me stop this bill by doing the following:

1.  Write a brief testimony against the bill, and submit in on line. Go to this link and type in HB1407 and then fill in the blanks with your information and comments. http://capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/

AND PLEASE

2. Attend the Public Hearing at the State Capitol room 325 on Wednesday 3/2/11 at 2pm. If you have adopted children you may wish to bring them to better illustrate what is at risk if this bill passes. Hearings can go long so please bring snacks/books to keep kids entertained.

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STATUS AND TEXT: HB1407

Here is the testimony I submitted:

Greetings Members of the Judiciary Committee,

I write in opposition to HB 1407. I adopted my daughter, Julianna, when she was just a few days old. Her original birth certificate is kept confidential in the state where she was born. My name is listed as Father on her current birth certificate. This is the way it should be.

I have several reasons for feeling this way.

First of all, many young girls seek to have their babies adopted for one reason - so they can make a good decision out of a bad decision and START OVER. How is a young girl to feel she can start her life on a new track, go to college, marry a good man, and start a new family if all the while her name is publically connected to a baby she gave to another family? Most girls appreciate their right to privacy and anonymity. And consequently most girls would shy away from the adoption option if they had their right to privacy taken away. I firmly believe that this would lead to more abandoned babies and more abortions.

Also, many single adults and married couples rely on sperm banks or egg donors in order to have a baby. Will the sperm or egg donor be listed on the birth certificate, too? I believe we will see a dramatic reduction in sperm and egg donations if the donors' right to privacy is taken away.

As it is, adopted children can access their original birth certificate when they turn 18. This allows for them to be relatively prepared with some level of maturity and life experience before and if they choose seek out their birth parents. Some adoptive parents choose to tell their child about their adoption and their birth parents at a much earlier age. This decision is made by loving parents, based on the emotional needs and maturity of the child. The whole story of the adoption is shared in a sensitive, private, individualized manner. The parents of the child know best how, when and if this should be done and certainly NOT the government.  Children are unique individuals not items on a mass-production line. Their adoption history should be a personal, private matter for them to disclose if they choose when they are ready. HB 1407 denies them that right.

My last reason for opposing HB1407 is rather personal.

I am deeply, emotionally, spiritual, and mentally dedicated and connected to my precious daughter, Julianna. I AM HER FATHER. I do not consent to sharing my title with anyone. She is my daughter and no one else has claim on her. I feed her, bathe her, dress her, protect her, teach her, defend her, plan for her future, and have loved her with all my heart and soul, every single day, every hour, every minute from the day she entered my life. While I appreciate the young boy who had a brief role in her creation, under no circumstances should he be considered her father. He has no right to be publically listed as her father. I AM HER FATHER.

Please vote to defer this bill.

Sincerely,

Daniel Skaf

Waialua, HI