Help Put Utah's Adoption Mills Out of Business

I started this morning by sending an email to Washington's senators, Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray. It went something like this:

Dear Senator:

Please sponsor a federal bill that will guarantee that biological fathers -- whether they are married or not -- have the same parental rights as birth mothers in adoptions.

I have read in the Salt Lake Tribune about several controversial adoptions that took place in Utah. Five of these cases involved unwed fathers and an adoption agency called the Adoption Center of Choice. In all five cases, Utah's Supreme Court and Utah's Court of Appeals refused to stop the adoption because the unwed father had waited too long to protect his parental rights under Utah law. Victor Johnson, Frank Osborne, Buddy Pruitt, Cody O’Dea and Bryn Ayers lost their biological children to Utah adoption.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know that the LDS Church teaches that it is better for children to be raised by married parents than by single parents. I know the LDS Church also teaches that it is best for children to sealed in the temple to LDS couples. Many of Utah's judges belong to the LDS Church. I believe that their rulings have been influenced by the LDS Church's teachings.

It is my understanding that an attorney named Larry Jenkins helped write Utah's adoption laws. This was unfair to unwed fathers because Larry Jenkins represented the Adoption Center of Hope in the five aforementioned cases. Mr. Jenkins is currently representing Jared and Kristi Frei in their dispute with Terry Achane.

Many females temporarily move to Utah to give birth and place their babies up for adoption because the Utah courts rarely support fathers' rights. Sometimes a father does not know his child has been placed for adoption until the deadline that protects his parental rights has passed. I believe that this happened to several of the unwed fathers who lost their children to Utah adoption.

Please help put Utah's adoption mills out of business. Sponsor a federal bill that will make it against federal law for a female to deprive a father of his parental rights by moving to another state to give birth or place a baby up for adoption. Make it a federal crime for an adoption agency to assist a birth mother in depriving a father of his parental rights this way too. The state in which the biological father and birth mother normally reside should have jurisdiction over a child's adoption.

Please sponsor a federal bill that will extend the length of time a father has to protect his parental rights in adoption cases. I recommend extending the deadline to six months.

I am especially concerned about Staff Sergeant Terry Achane. Mr. Achane is an Afro-American soldier. He was married when his wife became pregnant with their child. They lived in Texas. He was transferred by the Department of the Army to Fort Jackson during his wife's pregnancy. His wife chose to remain in Texas.

His wife temporarily moved to Utah, gave birth to their child and placed their daughter up for adoption. She falsely claimed that her husband had abandoned her. The Adoption Center of Choice placed Mr. Achane's daughter with Jared and Kristi Frei, a white married couple who belong to the LDS Church. When Mr. Achane learned what his wife had done, he contacted the Adoption Center of Choice and told them he wanted his daughter back. The Freis refused to give his daughter to him. The Adoption Center of Choice permitted the adoption to take place.

My husband retired from the US Army after 21 years of service. We don't believe that our soldiers should have to worry about whether their children will be placed for adoption in Utah when they are being transferred or sent overseas. The adoption of Mr. Achane's child is currently being appealed in Utah. Please speak up for Mr. Achane. Protect our soldiers' parental rights.

Thank you for your support.

Loretta Lynn Comes Home to Washington State

I'd be lying if I said I'm a big fan of country music, but I've always liked the movie called "Coal Miner's Daughter." That's the story of Loretta Lynn's life. I wanted to see Loretta perform at the Snoqualmie Casino last year, but she had to cancel her tour due to a knee injury. I was very pleased when my daughter gave two tickets to Loretta's concert at the Emerald Queen Casino on October 26 to me as a birthday gift.

Born on April 14, 1934, the First Lady of Country Music is now 78 years old. But she looks much younger. She is still touring the country with her twin daughters, Patsy and Peggy Lynn. Loretta's show opened with the twins singing some of their favorite country songs, including "Tulsa Time."

Loretta performed all of her greatest hits. Everything from "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl" to "Your Squaw is on the Warpath" to "Don't Come Home a Drinkin with Lovin on Your Mind."

Between songs, Loretta reminded the audience that Washington State is the place where her music career began. She was born and raised in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, but she and her husband, Doolittle Lynn, moved to Washington shortly after they were married. The Lynns lived in Custer, Washington for 14 years. Loretta announced that she received her first recording contract (for "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl) from Zero Records of Vancouver, Washington in 1959. That's why she tries to come home to Washington every year.

I like Loretta Lynn, but I think some of her songs are dated. In "Fist City" and "You Ain't Woman Enough," Loretta addresses women who had affairs with her husband. I felt that she was blaming women for her husband's bad behavior rather than him. To me, the idea of two women fighting over a man who is two-timing them seems rather juvenile. I can't imagine why any woman -- especially a celebrity -- would want to be married to a cheating dog. Good husbands don't stray. Young women should know that they don't have to put up with men who do. Hopefully, a more modern country singer will address cheating with songs with titles like, "Out the Door You Go, You No Good Louse."

For the show's finale, Loretta performed a moving rendition of her song, "Coal Miner's Daughter." I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this song because everyone should be proud of their roots.