Senate inquiry into forced adoptions found barbaric, horrific abuses

Ah, I intend to read all comments, but to 2nd on the list, please DO NOT assume that adoptees were provided with 'human treatment' - any research into the issue would demonstrate being separated from your mother and father is NOT HUMANE, and from personal experience, I dont remember after my adoptive mother passing away at 3 ANY SUCH HUMANE experience from my adoptive family and ended up 'processed' through care throughout my childhood...be careful of making judgements before you investigate all sides of the "TRIANGLE"

Alan - I am sorry for your loss and the worlds loss. I met my birth mother and father -and tried very hard to get to 'know them' over a period of 15 years..it actually made me feel worse..I dont blame my birth mother, I blame the system that made her such a victim and made her so guilty that she buried so much blame and anger toward anything and everything - she never had the opportunity to have more children. She was not infertile, and I do not have a clear reason for this, I can only guess from what I could gather over the years that the 'adoption experience' tore her world entirely apart and she never recovered. Again,I am sorry for your loss. There is still no genuine acknowledgement or taking of responsibility from (any of) the governments for the horrific practices and the continued trauma's experienced by birth mother and fathers. DISGRACEFUL AUSTRALIA- and if we arent careful this may be experienced in more geographically removed birth mothers (if one were to be as acerbic as the government is irresponsible) that is!

I cannot imagine what it would be like for your friend who knows that he was essentially snatched - by the hands of his own government. THAT IS DEPLORABLE, I was not 'snatched' - my birth mother 'simply' could not stand the threats of social exclusion by her family and the lack of support offered by government and my birth father. I think it would be far more painful to imagine the life you may have had with a mother who truly wanted you. All my love to your friend VK.

I openly challenge every prejudicial assumption when I encounter these.
This senate inquiry has lots of prejudices exposed and by too many people to discount now.
The prejudices come from bullies without any conscience. They existed then and still do.
Senate Submissions from people who are clearly showing abominable prejudice include "There was consensus" rubbish, "It was the way people thought back then" and they did not.
My sister was housed and homed, loved and cared for whilst an adolescent pregnant girl.
This loved baby has grown up in our family as our family and this was not uncommon.
What was uncommon was the governments interference and the church's collusion with them to create prejudices that simply weren't relevant.
The particular prejudice I raise is that the poorer people were more penalised than the richer and even though there were very rich kids having kids outside of wedlock then they were not discriminated against as much as were the less supported.
I agree this crosses all socioeconomic boundaries and some rich shoved their daughters out in the cold too for status anxiety reasons maybe as well as what I challenge fiercely despicable prejudice that has in fact made sure certain girls and more adult women were tortured to surrender what was their own blood.
It's never all about money but to this government it appears to be all about economics and I'm ashamed of that mentality.
I'll challenge this in the media and with media lawyers supporting me if I have too.
This is happening all over again.
J.Davis

When are the corporations who inflicted these tortures admit their wrong doings?
It seems like one in particular is silent and cowardly hiding under it's unconscionable character even today.
Corporations have a character in and of themselves and if that character is corrupt, chaotic or abusive it goes right through to the people.
The Salvation Army seem to show no character as they have not spoken a word about their infliction of torture and I've now read accounts that horrify me and all from victims inflicted terrifyingly by this corporation.
Character counts.
Stand up and show us your true character or has it already been shown too far gone Salvation Army.
Gavin Michel

Possibly the Chair of this Inquiry Senator Rachel Siewert is mistaken or has misunderstandings.
I'm confused by one of her media statements.
In news from 2011 she tells OPINIONS ARE DIVIDED and that's not a worry.
This inquiry is all about substantial and fatual truths and not about random opinions.
The facts have surfaced and show clearly there is a real need for a national level apology.
That there are other needs re. justice for the victims is secondary as an acknowledgement is the first step.
This Senate Inquiry isn't for opinions it's for facts and as these keep on emerging I'm staggered by the enormity of these crimes against humanity.

There is a woman in the media an adoptive mum who is concerned for the birth parents and has publicly talked of receiving her adopted baby from Bethesda marrickville in 1973, and enquiries can go to her Carol Bland.
(It's found under news spreads on Senate Inquiry if those birth parents are interested).
I'm very saddened by the lack of humanity the Salvation Army have convincingly shown; and it's in their ball court.
Don't they feel shame?
In hope they and the multi tiered governemnts in Australia do regarding forced adoptions.
{They will not make a cent from more of the same again nor surrogacy if they persist in denial tactics.
Exposure will follow their every step.}

Nancy Freeman

Forced Adoptions were and are about empirical data not opinions.
Forced adoptions are also about various forms of torture the governments allowed.
There was government state and federal legislation.
This is appallling
Madeliane and family
(One adoption story family who will not talk with any faceless bureaucrats behind the scenes of Senator Rachel Siewert about something like this, it's too senstive, but we're talking with quite a few caring professionals.)

Senator Rachel Siewert and the committee looking at Forced Adoptions Nobody thinks it's o.k. to separate the mother from the baby.
It was and is a very profound torture imposed on the mother and baby.
It's a very VERY profound psychological trauma to separate the mother from the baby.
I write this in a professional and with empirical data to back this up capacity.
This is deep enough to necessitate and urgently an open and public national apology from the Australian government.
Rest assured there are millions worldwide looking at this Australian travesty of torture to vulnerable people.
Malcolm

Opinions are not divided as one commentor has said regarding some politician's quote.
Noone with any sound mind thinks years ago or today that taking a birthed baby away from it's natural mother at birth forcibly or otherwise was or is human or conscionable.
It is not.
This is not only in Australia but everywhere.
{Unless we go right back to barbaric tribes in countries too far back in history to even consider, and we're not doing this here.}
I also think opinions are just that and yes whoever said Empirical Data is what the Inquiry should be looking at is realistic. There's much to be found on this site and my colleagues and I stand behind the victims call for both an apology and recompense.
The submissions, the stories told to news media, the many more stories told to many professionals are terrifying and any federal government who wants to trivialise this or not admit their legislations that are found material is part of an insanity I have no part in.

Marion

Just for clarity: The comment of one adoptive parent written by Nancy Freeman has one inaccuracy. The date of birth of Carol Bland's adopted infant as per the Wentworth Courier news. [Carol Bland also writes under the heading in Wentworth Courier dated 7th December 2010 'Bronte woman lives with grief'
'The adoption paper records his birth mother named him Peter James'{at Bethesda}.]

I found it whilst looking at some of the many news media on this topic.
Carol Bland received her adoptive infant from Salvation Army Bethesdaa Maternity Hospital and Home, yes, but not in 1973 rather in 1970 and this infant was born on the 25th September of that year.
She is one adoptive mother I see cares deeply, is very motherly and must be more than concerned about hearing about Forced Adoptions. I admire her for speaking up and offering her open and caring 'You may contact me if you are the birth parent'.
All my best to this inquiry to all concerned or caring about the issues raised.
I'm also grateful Senator Rachel Seiwert extended this so more voices could be heard.
In hope
Pamela

Just reading all these comments here and found one by a fellow adopted person Anon Thu 29/12/2011 that says "DO NOT assume that adoptees were provided with human care...."
No one separates the baby from the mother before birth or after.
What people are now realising is the simple truth that your blood Anon was your natural mothers blood until you were born and that you and she both were separated by bureaucracy and their associations and this is reason for very profound psychological trauma for the baby and the mother.
I haven't read anyone who dismisses that the baby most obviously suffers and I feel sad to hear your adoptive mother died when you were three and thereafter was your experience which is yours to speak of or not.
Everyone knows the hospitals should have acted with integrity believing the patients (you and your natural mother) were entitled to good health care WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION.
This is health policy in all "healthy" hospitals.
There is no reason and no one in their right mind who does not have empathy with the adopted baby as well as his or her mother.
Fact is the mother was not considered to be carrying anything let alone human worth and dignity.
It was take from the vulnerable and let her get on with it and likewise for the adopted baby.
Values and ethical questions have arisen as a consequence of the lack of respect, human dignity compassion, health care you and your natural mother were denied.
There are many professionals looking at this and one of them wants to hear your story.
It's finding that someone right for you and not wrong to reach out to professionals who care about you, and others for support with this.
You're not excluded and never were from your natural mother or any caring persons.
Marion

The well oiled adoption machine is falling flat on it's face and that oil that maintains it was the infants and mums who were and are vulnerable.
As this unfolds there are Social Workers, Psychologists and many who have no links with bureaucrats keeping an eye out and speaking up and out.
No one is paying any attention to all the Smash and Grabbers out there who cannot see the obvious.
To all those who paid the price of losing their own to strangers and those who were lost to strangers I give you utmost respect and dignity.
The government can no longer work against vulnerable anyone as it's only concern when Forced Adoptions and similar atrocities happened was Control not enabling.
Governemnts state, territory, local and commonwealth all are too concerned about control rather than enabling.
They couldn't enable the natural mother to hold and nurture, love and raise her own blood and that disabling amounts to a hate crime.
This is a scar on the national psyche.
Nobody thinks it's o.k. to separate the mother from the infant.
Nobody thinks it's o.k. for some to think they have more rights than others because of status or economic betterment.
That time has long gone.
Thank You Indymedia for raising this once controversial social issue so empirical data has now emerged.
Brandon Johns

Don't know if this is helpful to those people who need support now, but hope so
It's found on Google.
There's some material on Maternal deprivation also.
"The psychological torture to a mother deprived of the right to care for her infant is even worse ....
This child and woman abuse are an extreme form of deprivation."
This whole thing Forced Adoptions is despairing to me and I cannot find any words to describe how I feel about the abusers except despite what some think about torrure not being looked at today it certainly is by very many, and not only to do with Forced Adoptions.
We need a very radical transformation of a lot of things in Australia not least how we treat our girls women and babies and all persons who have committed no crimes yet are nonetheless punished and tortured for no human reason.
Shameful but hope prevails.

I'm wanting to know why the governments all of them are so bent on controlling people.
Forced adoptions is about vicious vile control.
The whole concept of control instead of enabling has been raised again and again and it's true and shameful.
Australian governments are bent on controlling rather then enabling, and when they do this to the poor victims of forced adoptions as well as anyone else there's a lot of reparation and apologising to do.
They want Hon. before their names then they can only expect that kind of respect from the people is they act and amend with honor.
With forced adoptions Amende honorable.
If the governments coporations and churchs who were and are involved want to do this all over again as has been suggested is possibly happening as one writer said "They'll fall on their own swords' in the doing.
AMENDE HONORABLE
Thanks
T. Rose

The Senate Inquirers into forced adoptions are said to be looking at several things not least laws that may have been broken.
There are very serious ones like asking a drugged up young mother to sign papers she knew nothing about. Even if the mother was not drugged up but the submissions show this was too common, the mother was a victim of social injustice and breach of laws.
There are more serious laws that some people are not talking about because they ask the government a lot of painful questions.
There has never born a norm or obedience in civilised countries the mothers of babies ought to relinquish their blood ties with their family.
The laws the government avoid as if they are always above the laws are now unavoidable just why did they think families should exclude and discriminate trechourously shamefully against unmarried mothers and their babies?
I'm not old enough to know everything about forced adoptions but I'm old enough to know people always have human rights to learn about themselves, their own backgrund their heritage and how the world works. My dad's a well known lawyer and I listen to his stories and learn a lot about human nature and bureacrats saying what is "norm" when it's not.
It doesn't work anymore by governments dominating over all and sundry vulnerable or less fortunate. It didn;t and shouldn;t have been allowed with this Forced Adoptions as this is plain indecent, uncivil to a plane that is almost unforgiveable.
We are not meant to shut out our feelings about the fate of our fellow man, and if politicians do that they are voted right out the door 'cause young people are rising up and having a say like never before.
Take a look at other Countries and learn Australia.
We are with a view about humanness and imagine you'll governments churchs and all with any amount of power begin to act decent and humane.
I finsih with what I started: Laws were broken and there's more to it than poor people or vulnerable people having to sign under duress and horror.
This whole forced adoptions is a horror.
Thanks for allowing me my say
Rebecca Peters

The humungous Infetility Industry that is a multi billion dollar Business makes vulnerable altruistic and impressionable Uni students donate their eggs getting very sick whilst continuing unnoticed even as they are paid well for their *eggs*.
The humungous Forced Adoptions machine that is tied to the Infertility Industry is a sham and tragic tarnishing shame to Australia's history and heritage.
It will not be discarded from Australia's history books try as some people would like this.

I'm empathic and understanding of the very nature of the natural mums and their babies and agree with Dr. Geoff Rickarby that very rarely if at all were and are they *drug addicts* or people who could not have had the capacity to love and indeed nurture with responsible care and humanity their own flesh and blood.

The Government has unearthed a federal gov. document from 2007 for this inquiry, a document whereby Bronwyn Bishop states a lot of discrimination and wants to convince us all the population of Australians concerned about the fate of their fellow man that the natural mums were *wrong* and adoptions are all right. What a see-saw of discriminations.

*Hate Crimes:
Acts motivated by prejudice
Derive from Discrimination
and lead to Oppression*
by Howard J. Ehrlich

I think Forced Adopions were *hate crimes* against innocent mothers and their babies and need apologies and some genuine reposnible ethics to emerge to compensate for the damage they did to many many thousands.

Cheers

Abi

Abi, I like what you write though add that the oppressed in Australia are rising.
There's nothing and no one able to stop this turn of events.
I also seek the families damaged by forced adoptions reparation, what a tragic trail of accumulative damaged lives who all have every right to a national apology.
I can tell you openly if you ask the victims of Aushwitz in Australia to tell their stories to a government official or anyone they would turn their heads away most of them from my experience, so I also think the people who have spoken about their personal sensitive stories about forced adoptions tortures are not only valuable but also deserving of a lot of support, as are all the victims, sooner rather than later.

If the unmarried girls and women were not abandoned, shunned, disgraced [by opinion makers] and in other ways treated in degrading ways no Forced Adoptions would have occurred; no ramifications would ever have followed on.The following parts of the UN Declarations were not and are never to be violated however *Forced Adoption* shows clearly they were for far too many girls/women and their babies; for most part very young [again opinion makers discriminated against] impressionable and guileless women.
The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women [CEDAW 1981]
See: The Convention Against Torture and other cruel inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment [1989]
See: The Convention on the Rights of the Child [1989]
See: The Convention Against Torture and other cruel, inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment [1989]
The Declarations and UN Charters are about Freedoms for every single human internationally.
Freedom entails non-coercive situations and autonomous decision making.
None of these were allowed to forced adoptions victims.
It beckons the several questions:
Were [and are] all these *standards* meaningless and ignored when Forced Adoptions happened?
Further, in relation with other Australian social injustices to do with human rights and democratic processes abuses toward majority of Australian citizens as well as minorities were [and are] they ignored and dismissed?
Were the *opinion makers* [all involved] mercenary then and are they now?
For all who have suffered what is as discriminatory as they come I send you well wishes toward recovery from all damage inflicted on you.
It was unconscionable then and would be unconscionable today.
Thankyou

I'm confused because there were all these different states and territories that enacted their own different policies about adoptions of babies.
If this is true & it's found to be true then the states and territories are responsible for ensuring victims of human rights violations such as forced adoptions enjoy an individual right/s to reparation/s.

"The word is spreading: violence against women and girls has no place in society and impunity for perpetrators must no longer be tolerated" by Ban KiMoon This paragraph found from a UN Women's website.

After a lot of reading and thought I conclude that The Salvation Army also needs to embrace the principles of moral compassionate corporate responsibilities past and present re. their own involvement in forced adoptions.

Victims are not asking to be victimised and certainly not mothers whose heartbeats were two when they were pregnant. Then the heartbeats and lives were broken shamelessly by authorities with no rights to. overpower such gilrs and women. That's not on to do what people did to them.
It's never on.

Francesca
student

I have a background in both medicine and psychology.
Worked extensively in latter.
Any abnormal event such as coerced adoptions {from natural mothers of their carried and birthed infants} has the effects of the *normal* response of profound psychological trauma.
After reading material handed to me including Dr. Geoff Rickarby's tireless observations and writings and adding these to my own observations and writings I conclude coerced/forced adoptions are serious and demand an official national apology as well as reparations to all the individuals affected.
I am wary of any group who wants to abolish adoptions altogether, as there are always rare exceptions, however, as far as coerced adoptions/forced adoptions this is undeniably one of the most tragic vititations of natural mothers and their infants I've encountered.
Mark
(D3)

I and my sister found this website and were appalled.
I'm still a bit in shock.
As a natural mother of a gorgeous baby boy if anyone tried to drug me, put a pillow over my head asked me to sign away my baby or did any of the things that were done to forced adoption women and their babies I would be at the highest court in Australia and screaming. There are consequences to this unabashed and terrifying set of circumstances that happened to many thousands, not a few.
Whoever wrote the words 'Nobody thinks it's o.k. to separate the mother from the baby' is part of Australian thinking.
No one does. If anyone accepts that forced adoptions were a choice the mothers made they are mercenary and colder than a snake and need more therapy than any biological mother.
I'm not only appalled at the treatment of my sisters and their families but also the arrogant, despicable lack of accountability of the Salvation Army, Benevolent Society, all the Governments in Australia.
At least the Benevolent Society has apologised and the Catholic Church. What's stopping the unconscionable corporate church (conflict of interest isn't it, they get to avoid taxes as well as examining their own terrible past injustices) the Salvation Army that is, now?
How could anyone have done this to these people and why?

When I found out the Salvation Army were in on this vile stuff forced adoptions every time I walk by one of their charity shops I felt ill.
I'm too young to understand what the Dalai Lama calls "Politics, it's a dirty business" but I'm old enough to now think politicians are too often "dirty' and I've had enough of their segregating then, as well as now.
They keep on talking about economic stimulus as if everythign and anything that matters is ONLY MONEY. It isn't.
Without intact families and that needs principled governments only mercenary people would think coerced adoptions are past.
I'm seeing my friends being treated brutally because they are adolescent and unwed.
Enough scapegoating and no more pensions for politicians.
They don't deserve them due to their unprincipled behaviours as well as their bundles of what they like best, moneys.
A hospital in Victoria named The Royal Womans Hospital has just offered a vile apology that is a non-apology to the victimised of forced adoptions and I think they should pull their heads in and think, think, are they scared the people affected by forced adoptions are as mercenary as they are?
Thankyou Indy and happy new year to all there
Samantha

This is a very serious family and society injustice forced or coerced adoptions of infants.
This is being given piecemeal by some apologies that amount to negating the seriousness of all the many thousands the numbers are staggering mothers and infants who were treacherously separated by forced adoptions.
Accountability is necessary by the perpetrators and if not the actual people who imposed their tortures but also by their representatives today.
Jennifer

The kids who were taken off their mums forcibly.
Only a few seem to be able to talk about this.
The kids were taken away from their natural mums and the States as well as the Commonwealth governments are subject to judgement and scrutiny from here on in, not only the Commonwealth government.
One mum tried to find out how her forcibly taken privately adopted baby was going and her efforts to find out were never ending with the same reaction from the State government (in this instance NSW) "Get over it, you need help". The mother was told this each time she reached out to find out if her growing child was in good, safe, loving, caring hands.
Who wouldnt think that was o.k.
The NSW Government didn't and to their disgrace.
The weird part is the woman was receiving professional "help" only to discover by several professionals as well as her analyst the horrendous psychological, social, medical and other injustices she had endured stoicly prior to her "professional help".
All she wanted to hear from the State government who were the only people who kept records aside from the hospital who had lost most of them was "please let me know my child is being cared for".
I think the NSW State government for one and probably all the rest have to start apologising for their torturous destructive treatments of their fellow citisens, and as the Commonwealth is meant to be overseeing these States and Territories they are being scrutinised and judged right at this time.
The mothers were & are certainly scrutinised & judged & wrongly. That's a disgrace.
Ricky

This is what I've found and a lot of people agree with me.
It's not only about flagrant punishments and discrimination against the feminine population it's also about people's lack of thought, and human understanding, or even asking the right questions of their own peers at the time.
Think about this: Who has asked "What did it feel like and how did you feel, when you were fifteen or sixteen or nineteen and these *adults* were treating you like a *bad* person because the father/guy ran off and wouldn't admit paternity, or he raped you or used you for that one day or night? and yet you still loved that baby kicking inside of you, which of course is and was natural."
Why were and are hospitals like royal Women's hospital Victoria and their arrogant creepy C.E.O. (she's worried about money this one) Dale Fisher able to tell popular media meaning mainstream media big guns who distort for their own advantage and huge monetary benefits, her saying publicly to distort some more (shame on you Dale F) *The women gave their consent* and things like *In context of history* when the questions I raise above are the same one's anyone with any empathy or human principled compassion or mindfulness would ask, and they would want to publicly state sincere apologies too (not piecemeal garbage from a meant to be intelligent professor) and also look at the questions and ask these very ones, if for nothing more than their own growth and understanding if they don't care about their society of other persons. i.e. self centred as they were when Forced adoptions happened.
(who cares about the girl/women, let her suffer these atrocities, punish her, that's abominable and wasn't on with any *caring* or *human thinking* mentality.
I'm ashamed at a lot of Australian Media find here Indymedia a relief, it's got truth. I'm saddened by a lot of the truths but better than being ignorant in the long run.
I think Green Left also does and why on earth the big guns want to distort all the time and then even direct how our nations public opinions are is beyond me.
Megalomaniacs: Murdoch and Fairfax?
Definitely wanting too big a slice of the cake you two.

Colin
Australian Citizen, Husband, Father and Tutor

It's refreshing to read a man talking about "What did the victimised feel".
I liked Colins views {just read them} as they have a lots of credibility.
One thing missing is this:
Nobody has thought of what is this human being feeling or thinking{yesterday and again today}when they had their babies taken away.
We can read the submissions and see this in one format yet the questioners don't appear to care much about the punishments these girls and women were unjustly given.
It was torture whoever wrote that, totally.
Colin mentions something about the fathers and I had a think, DID THEY EVER DO ANYTHING TO THE GUYS WHO MADE THE GIRLS PREGNANT, NEVER!
Is this all part of paternalistic Australian society at it's worst?

Forced Adoptions and some call them fragantly coerced adoptions were a form of punishment that the girls got treated with total lack of care and thought and were'nt taken seriously. Are they now I ask?
They the staff who malpracticed must have said to themselves, and still seem to be saying this "We'll just ignore the feelings and the effects it's had on the mothers, losing their babies the way they did many thousands of them at that".
That's acting then and now irresponsibly to degree of insanity.
Just punish the women girls and they certainly did by forcing them to lose their flesh, blood and a whole lot of ties that bind.
Australia needs a wakeup call I agree with Colin on this.
Did they ever do anything to the guys who ran off and abandoned the girls, NEVER, how come?
I know there were other men real men who didn't abandon the girls but Australia allows and by policies and laws in place for the men to just get off scot free, what a scam.

Cheers
Ricky

Lets get rid of state governments.
They're all dirt and in bed with corporations, and look what they did to the victims of forced adoptions.
I know it's them as well as the commoinwealth government oweing one big public apology.
The discrimination is now out of control and the taking from disadvantaged includiing but not limited to unsupported mums and their babies has got to a point of rediculous greed of corporate State givernments.
Babies in Australia are not for sale, thanks.
Jake

I open this to any and all who may want to do as I have done if it helps their healing from terrible effects of forced adoptions as natural mothers, and specifically at the Salvation Army's Bethesda Marrickville Maternity Hospital.

I had to go through quite a few hoops, writing letters and taking up a lot of precious time being given mixed messages, but eventulally received a sitting with the Commissioner of the Head Office of Eastern territory (Sydney NSW) of the Salvation Army Colonel James Condon.
In response to my asking him to ask me for a written ask for my forgiveness, for the terrible {some call it abosultely intolerable} way I was treated at the Salvation Army's Bethesda Maternity Hospital in Marrickville.
The Commissioner finally did write to me to ask for my forgiveness.
Some may not understand the value of this, however, my creative social capital and I do, and it was appreciated when it eventually came only a short time ago.

I add I also wrote to the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP when she was in office for Human Services Department of Community Services NSW Government, and asked her to ask me for forgiveness for the outrageous way the staff at then DOCS had talked down to me, and consistently dismissed me as a second class citizen by their lack of any understanding and lack of responsiveness to my valid requests time ago.
I wrote with diplomacy and with human assertion.
I never did receive a response from Tanya Plibersek.
We're all of us busy so that's no excuse for dismissing something like this.
(I understand Tanya's protfolia changed after I had written her, yet it is basic decency and human respect to respond at the very least, she has so often thanked me for my *support of her* and this time I needed hers, this is telling and for a while saddened me and mine. It's on record at the least and outside of my control.)

Anyone who may wish to ease their pains and anguish regarding loss of their beloved infants via forced adoptions (if they occured via the Salvation Army's Maternity Hospitals (or homes) as well as DOCS may (or may not) wish to ask what I have.
I'm simply, with clarity and depth of understanding about forced adoptions suggesting this as one remedy to aid in small way recovery of something I know, with a depth, is very, very hard to remedy and aid to full recovery, if that's ever possible after such a psychologically and other tragic loss as one's own conceived and born infant taken from one under extremely hostile circumstances by people who lacked all human qualities of empathy and basic principled human compassion, and a dose of sincere anti-discriminination.
Regarding the outcome of the Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoptions:
In Hope

All my best
Pamela

reconciliation can only happen at the natural son or daughter's pace or at very least finally acceptance, and it's going only,I close with an appropriate footnote:

If anyone tells a forced adoptions target "You're too sensitive' during this Inquiry, during times of the birth anniverary (birthday of their beloved infant) or any other occasions whereby that button is pressed, I would suggest, and assert gently, with all compassion one responds to them with:
"And how is it so that you have lost that primary personal asset of sensitivity, it is a strength not a weakness?".

As an artist I have tirelssly without remuneration (even as I have worked day jobs and volunteering every which way) contributed to this social injustice with beautiful pieces, trying to rise up and above the pain and anguish of it all; trying to bring in some beauty to people and society, the world.
Trying to recover the parts of me that were damaged because I lost under such extremely terrible circumstances, I'm advised by professionals I trust.

I have endlessly extended to my first born to show how I loved him and that he was a wanted and beautiful infant whom I lost without any say; and it has failed every time, even as my efforts have taken up so much of my time this would be hard to explain to anyone further at this time.
That rejection of the natural mother is written by reknowned people as something that does happen, and it's terribly sad to the point of anguish, yet I believe reconciliation can happen, or at very least finally acceptance, and it's going at the natural son or daughter's pace only, not the other way around.
Not because the mother doesn't matter (we did and do) because we are yet to know just how much it has affected these beautiful and very loved yet invisibly by circumstances, people.

All my best again
In Hope, again
Pamela
Pan Melos Galerie

(3)
Not compeletely closed at all:
I forgot to add this:

When the Salvation Army Commissioner Colonel James Condon *finally* wrote to me to ask me for my forgiveness (as I had requested) I had by some strange occurance written to him just prior to receiving his letter, stating I ask not only for you (Commissioner) to ask for my forgivensss, but to make a public apology to ALL the targets of forced adoptions.
The Salvation Army's Commissioner Colonel James Condon has not as yet done this.
I ask why not?
This is how it is Colonel James Condon not one of the forced adoptions targets was or are self-centred otherwise we/they would not have suffered any loss, as we/they would have chosen to indeed rid (we didn't want to rid) our/their babies by means of abortion.
(I'm not here negating nor deriding abortions, these are separate and a women's choice as the feminist movement has outlined often enough.)

The women who lost to forced adoptions obviously held hope of knowing about, linking up with their beloved infants growing, even though taken from us/them; even as this hope was shattered for far too many, over time, by bureaucrats and many others who were mindless and totally insensitive to the natural mothers and their feelings/thoughts, and the infants needs for natural organic links.

All my best
In Hope (a different kind than when I was pining for my lost son who is now a young man.)
Pamela

(4)
My Conscience has to add this:

Abortions are losses for the girls, women, boys, men also.
There is no way I am insenstive to this at all.

Having worked in a pharmacy next door to an abortion clinic whereby I saw couples and singles come into pharmacy and the girls/women (just out from their "care") spew into what was given them by my boss and staff (plastic bags, how poor taste) and them then told to immediately leave the shop (further poor taste) I am with vital awareness, there is loss there, human loss.
It's tragic also.

I raised the point about Forced Adoptions being a different loss, as it's an ongoing one which words escape me now to herewith explain.
I can simplify them with forced adoptions are leaving girls women men boys with such a mystery that haunts one as if there is a part of oneself absent, and further psychological effects are not trivial and do need support.
Someone has written how they seek out their child in every face of a child of their child's age, and that's truth.
One loooks at each and every infant, child and adolescent when they would be that age and thinks "are you s/he?" as I did forever it seemed.

I contributed in smal creative way to helping change the unjust laws (or so I'm told) which dis-abled natural mothers and fathers and their born infants information about each other and enabled reunions to occur.
I now understand on a deeper level.

I also stated the born infants had *invisible love* and by that I was not dismissing the adoptive parents.
I couldn't do this.
How could I?
They gave what I was not enabled (by circumstances outside of my control/punitive, outrageous systems followed through by unthinking unfeeling people) their *caring*

Many thanks and if this aids people's human understanding and brings forward empathy as a high value I am very glad.

All my best
Pamela

(5)My cvonscience again speaking:

I do not think or feel that people who abort are selfcentred, yet I've written something which could be taken this way.
I apolgise for this, sincerely.

I also want to clarify why I wanted an ask for forgiveness from D.O.C.S. now entitled other Human Services...
Because I wrote I rang and I for many years spent enormous emotional energy and other asking for information about my first born.
I was told every time how sick, or how bad of me or dismissively told go away, for asking is my son alright and growing up well? Is my son in good hands?
Is my son being loved and cared for?
Isn't that reason-able? I'm told by professionals including legal and psychology professionals it is.

Instead of the department D.O.C.S. telling me the obvious "The laws don't allow us to give you information about your son" they had the need to demean me, to put me down, to diminish my human needs to know, to understand, to feel able to comprehend what to me was incomprehendable.
Not having the human right to know how my lost son was going, and if he was doing well, not only surviving but thriving?
That's why I was seeking an ask for my forgiveness from that department.

Dignity, truth and humanity matters, and the staff had no rights to place further grief onto me than I already carried.
This department has a lot of human responsibilities and I today question openly why the recently oppointed new ministers heads of Human Services Department of Community Services are not people with areas of expertise in Humanities, but rather are economists and experts in areas other than Human Social Services?
Human Servies are not Human Services if the only focus is on economucs, ecomic rationalism, or neocon thinking.
Enough of this flagrant demeaning babies and all people into purely monetary categories and ways only.
This is what I call insanity.

Many thanks
Pamela

Forced Adoptions and the present governments.
Pamela, you're writings impress me all five of them.
The government of the day wants to work only around economics. This will be their downfall.
That's how the Howard government, and the Bush government (because Australia is a colony of America) lost their jobs.
Babies don't make money, unless they are sold so how would the government of the day care about forced adoptions. Single mothers struggle and that's something the government of the day can't cop.
Gillard unashamedly admits publicly she's only for the working people, and under that is the ignorant bias that raising a child is not hard yakka, being a carer or growing artist, anyone not adding to the economy is out of the loop.
This thinking is not in the Australian people's minds it's in the governments of the days.
I wholeheartedly support those who suffer from forced adoptions.
This matter is in need of reparation, remedies, and don't want to dampen people's spirits but does this government care?
Will Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoptions national disgraces be another shelved report, that's my bent on this. The government aren't showing care in other areas of human welfare.
It doesn't matter in the long run because enough people do care.
Further optimism I add the Greens are showing care by questioning a lot of unethical practices not limited to Forced Adoptions. Good on them.
I hope they are sincere in their efforts.
They appear to be.
I'm researching as an accredited psychologist.
I agree empathy is missing from Human Services however there's a strong pull the government don't seem aware of.
That pull is toward more empathic governance and definitely the people now have a large say no matter what control freaks the government officials may be.
Thanks
Clive

In response to Pamela's valid input I say regarding The Salvation Army.
The're a global corporation, and big business wants government protection against effects.
They get it 'cause they are the hold on governments.
It seems to me The Salvation Army have got away with a lot more than Forced Adoptions under this abhorrent government protection.
Having said that it's time The Salvation Army showed accountability for their past policies and practices in Forced Adoptions and other Human Services which not only destroyed families but also destroyed democractic values and attitudes.
See their defrauding the government of moneys with their jobsearch for unemployed scam.
They have not been made publicly accountable for that either.
Times are changing and I agree the Salvation Army owes all persons affected by forced adoptions a public apology.
It's never to late for that corporation to introduce ethical standards in their portfolio.
They've lost credibility as a genuine religious lot.
Chistianity involves ethics and charitablity and there's big clashes with their corporate ethos there.
Conflicts of interest everwhere with The Salvation Army.
They were and are military style established that in itself also adds to why they were punitive to people in unfortunate circumstances.
It's a wicked double standard to be both a church, non-for-profit charity and a corporation.
That's not utopian thinking (as one cynical opponent has told me) it's realistic. My thinking allies agree.
I give The Salvation Army no credibility unless, until they change their ways.
They seem unable to see how they look and are to too many ethical persons in the world today and that's dangerous.
Colonel James Condon owes all the victimised of forced adoptions a public apology I have no doubts about this.
From exposure and learning from persons affected this is their due.

Cheers

Ricky

For insights into government and corporate Human Rights abuses not least forced adoptions
See what's really happening at TRANPARENCY INTERNATIONAL.
"Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain.
It hurts everyone whose life, livlihood or happiness depends on the integrity of people in positions of power."
The forced adoptions mothers and babies depended on integrity from thier elected leaders along with other corporate associations and got tortured for no crimes, whilst corruption, abuse and chaos gained momentum.
They all go together, abuse, corruption and chaos.
I'm not able to defend this behavior from Australian authorities. Who is these days.
Trevor

Trevor thanks for seeing what a lot of us are thinking.
There's a government running smok and everyone can see they're out of it.
I'm no longer able to say with rpide I'm Australian.
It's sad to hear these stories about forced adoptions and that they happened in this country.
I can see them happening in other ones, but how come here.
I'm fed up and seeing there are other powers that are there outside of government and they are the real leaders.
I also think what Pamela endured sucks.
Get your act together Government or you're not there anymore.

Jerry

Will they stab the witnesses in the back this government.
I am all for this inquiry and give my heartfelt condolences to all parties affected by the past and present government dangerously damaging behaviours.
Looking at today with this inquiry I'm asking will the government in office now stab the witnesses in the back and show no humanity again, cause thats how Gillard got into government.
Rudd was about to withdraw Australian troops from Afghanistan war and as quick as that out the power countries abroad got ready to turf him. I'm not saying he is clean either, but what happened was not democracy.
Not one to like politicians in general but that was low life behaviour when Gillard was made the new p.m.
Under her leadership I'm curiously concerned whether there's anything but mercenary governance.
It will have an effect as forced adoptions did though if this matter is again swept under the carpet.
Shame on all who partook in forced adoptions.
The causes and effects are extremely out of control and I fully commend the people who suffer for coming forward and showing the government what your really worth that being justice after all this time of having to accept the unacceptable.
Theyd be slammed by masses if they ignore there are consequences of squashing this report

R.Costa

R. Costa your comment comes as no surpirse as knew there was obscene reasons for the new mp's office takeover.
How ever in order to not put a negative spin on forced adoptions and the justice it deserves I think the Greens are with some ethical politicians there, and they begun the Inquiry here. Just like this independant news media Indy.

Can only assume you're writing about USofA and England treading on Rudd's head, booting him out. That figures.
Those two countries have atrocious records of mothers and babies being ecploited, damaged, debauched and discriminated against for atrocious benefits of the greedy.
Goodness or better word humanity is not dead by the way.
People all over the world are re-thinking their values and character does matter not the puney dollar only.
Can you talk to dollars all you lonely greedy pollys and big businesses, can you create a better world, you could if you started sharing rather than taking from the least advantaged in dollars sense.

Yours truly
Margaret
St. Vincents

Put another way politicians have needs to dominate and that already signals dangerous trouble.
As a health professional I know dominators have major psychological issues, usually buried deep, and they can work hard in one way but don't know who the hell they are themselves or even understand how others perceive their need for dominace over others.
i.e. They lack not only insights but foresight.

Rudd had a think and realsied the public wanted out of Afghanistan an unwinnable war according to ex-vets and most of the polulation and that didn't suit the economics of war the USofA and England hold up as all there is in life. Mercenaries never think about their fellow citizens they treat them as pawns their big issue.

Forced adoptions victimised have shown at parliament and even here on Indy. there is humanity in their lot and that's what counts.

Thanks

Margaret
St. Vincents

I am behind the people adversely affected by forced adoptions.
It's not a small social issue and has needed exposure and lots for ages.

I admire the writer and artist Pamela (Pan Melos Galerie) who is able to express her self so very clearly in all five comments on this website. Well done and I am with every support for your creative growth and healing. They didn't have rights to do what they did to you. You're correct the Salvos. should publicly apologise and D.O.C.S. have done a lot of damage to many no doubt. Time they started caring.
People like you Pamela with this kind of clarity are admired and respected.
Your artworks are exquisite and your writing what is needed now and always: clarity.
When I read your comments I thought here's someone whose looking at her self and society and with ability to describe her own feelings and thoughts in clear expression. That's the real artist.
I would like to see the news media with more people who write and speak as clearly.
On topics like Forced Adoptions I'd also like to hear politicians try to write and speak that clearly. Too much spin in their ramblings, too much chaos.
I'm aware now the image of politicians will be tarnished if they do what the Salvos. and DOCS did to Pamela, and all the others no doubt, dismiss their rights to question their own governments and their offshoots. That's part of democracy, being able to ask questions and get answers, and Senators have no monopoly on this, and if they dismiss this Senate Inquiry.
Let's hope for everyone's sake this isn't how the Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoptions will eventuate.
Cheers and all the best to the victimised who are not victims to be head treaded and spoken down too ever.
Michael

I've got a daughter who was one of the multitude of degraded and mistreated forced adoptions birth mothers.
My daughter was attending a private girls school and due to a local hoon who intimidated her into something I now realise was illegal she fell pregnant. She knew nothing about sex and couldn't because my wife and I regretably didn;t discuss it and the school didn't either.
She's told me how she found a job and a room for her baby and that all happened when she wagged the school certificate.
She knew she wasn't going to be given any support from the father.
She didn't know what the irresponsibility of that man would do to her.
People are talking about the rights of the state government and the commonwealth governments and I say they should be looking at the obligations these public figures had being to give support to people in my daughter's position.
They didn't have rights to ever degrade her after her treatments by them of torture revealed to many now.
The man who did this to her and left her alone to face the Salvation Army's malpractices I should have had him up for carnal knowledge and I should have gone to that hospital at Bethesda at least more than I did and told them what they were doing was unconscionable.
They starved her and drugged her to the hilt and that wasn't what the private doctor I'd given her was instructing.
I feel shame because I allowed my self to be intimidated by the Salvation Army's personnel as well as the government and news propaganda.
My daughter is a remarkable person and if I could turn back the clock I would have been there for her more.
Governments have obligations and the present one is foolish to feel they can do this all over again to innocent young and older birth mothers.
Also the person who wrote about Afghanistan an unwinnable war, even that that's not about forced adoptions it's fact.
I know we tried it when I was in the Air Force.
I'm sad I was intimidated by a lot of people who were under obligations to care for my daughter and did the opposite.
The caring did include that include myself and my deceased wife but we were pressured by a lot of forces we didn;t know how to combat.
I regret I wasn't able to stand up to the bullies who intimidated me when my daughter was in need of my attention.
With respect and support to all forced adoptions victimised. Today thank god my daughter has friends in law and one barrister is looking at this to see what can be done.
Don't let anyone intimidate you or let anyone intimidate your families now.
A national apology is in order.
Neil (OAM)

forced adoptions are vile and its time to give this social injustice the remedies needed.
No one wants a repressed unjust discriminating social order in Australia except the mercenary.
Bestwishes to all whove suffered at hands of unconscionable. \
This wont happen again in Austral without a lot of probable civil disobedience.
The "Officials" and "Salvos" and "Other Churchs and Corporations involved" end up getting what they desearve. it sometimes takes a while.
It's interesting the Salvation Army's Colonel J. Condon cannot speak, is he tongue tied and thinking he can hide behind his corporate church.
He cant.
Graham
Graphic Designer
Australia

Recommended reading for anyone impacted by traumas, including trauma as extreme as loss of a newborn.
'Coping and Surviving Violent and Traumatic events'
by Michael G. Conner Psy D
Revised: October 10, 2006.
under
http://www.crisescounselling.org/traumaloss/coping with trauma
I seek the Senate Inquiry into Forced adoptions to establish justice for the targets of Forced adoptions.

A few respected and admirable Australian people I know are outraged at The Human Rights Commission for not doing what they claim is their job.
A man I know rang them and got a blank, pro forma reaction and others have asked them why they haven't submitted with this valid inquiry when it's part of their reason for existence to look at Discrimination and Human rights.
This Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoptions clearly tells us ALL about "Marital Status* Discrimination at it's foulest, as the girls/women were unmarried and that vulnerability, what some people perceived as "Not right" caused them violence imposed on them and their unborn then born babies.
What is it about the Human Rights Commission they too often fob off the most important social injustices.
Wonder what Rachel Siewert knows about this, if anything.
Are the Greens holding the Labor party up, is that their role.
All I know want Human Rights enacted for the targets of Forced Adoptions abuses.
All of us who care about the future of Australia want no babies for sale or s commodities for the infertile or rich.
Independant Media congratulations on some very good articles.
Richard Chamberlain

Richard raises some important points.
Bob Brown speaks for Gillard and sexism yet hasn't said anything about forced adoptions that involves WOMEN.
Also yes the Greens are holding up the Labor party thats well known.
Having said this we dont need neocon further liberals looking at feminine issues such as forced adoptions.
They don't care about abything but economic rationalism at it's nastiest.
I'm for recompense for everyone affected by forced adoptions the thousands and thousands of them all.
Carl

My partner and I attended an exhibition.
It was multi genre at Taylor Square in late 90's.
We still have the flyer and with this Inquiry being held re-remember the showcase all about forced adoptions by an artist who told the truth to power and very diplomatically as well as artistically.
The Flyer says 'Natural Parent' and the Director was artist named Pamela Bridgefoot.
That exhibition was packed full of completely different people however one thing stood out.
A lot of people wanted to know what the artist had to say about forced adoptions via her songs and artworks. Many had come because her work was on SBS television and had no idea also.
My partner lost her son when she was an adolescent so for her Natural Parent was cathartic. She told Pamela she didn't feel guilt any more thanks to her saying what shed wanted to say ever since shed lost her daughter to forced adoptions.
I want to see an end to all forms of ceorcion used to damage and degrade women.
This includes girls.

I want the Inquiry to be authentic and have good results for the people like my partner, also Pamela who have spent years trying to fathom anguish most of us couldnt tolerate.