An AP article on open birth records starts out with a statement I have to disagree with:

It's among the most divisive questions in the realm of adoption: Should adult adoptees have access to their birth records, and thus be able to learn the identity of their birth parents?

You see, in my experience there is no question at all about open records, but there are plenty of other issues that are most certainly divisive as all get out. I have yet to come across even one person from any angle of the triad who thinks entitling everyone involved to all the information they might want about everyone else involved is a bad idea. In fact, "no brainer" is the term most often used when it comes to this topic, followed closely by, "What's the big deal?".

Okay, perhaps there are some people out there who cringe at the thought of throwing open the books and giving adopted people the means to learn what there is to learn about their birth families, and I suppose it's likely that birth families who would prefer that nothing be known would not be vocal in their attempt to maintain silence. And, yes, for those with that POV it would seem that opening records at this point in time would smack of moving the goal posts, a process that could feel unfair.

Like ever-changing tax laws and such, however, government mandates are very often not engraved in stone, but subject to shifts influenced by changing times, changing needs and changing perceptions. Maybe that is not always fair, but it certainly is real.

So, like those who put many of their financial eggs in one tax sheltered basket only to find that basket painfully altered someday down the road, people who relinquished their children to adoption with the promise of anonymity might have to make some adjustments.

With the Adoption Institute's release this month of their white paper on open adoption records, another place where broad agreement reigns is established in the adoption community. These being fewer and further between than most of us in the adoption world would like, embracing the common ground that makes up most of the discussion on open records feels good.

Blogs are full of support, congratulatory high-fives of agreement, and generous sharing of like-minded thoughts and links to others coming to the table from different rooms.

Mamagigi, for example, sums up the report and asks, "Why on earth is this still such a big issue?", while Judy, also an adoptive mother offers links to birth parents and adoptees pushing for records to be open.

So, "the most divisive questions in the realm of adoption"? No way. This is one of the very few areas of adoption where vigorous, head-nodding agreement happens in huge numbers every time the subject arises.

Open records will happen in every state, and partially because all parties to adoption are working together to make this so. If only there was anywhere close to this much concurrence in other areas.