SWA #23

Colby Carter

English 102-111

April 2, 2012

Paper 4 Outline

Outline for Essay 4

Title: Changing Adoption

Thesis: The way adoption works in America right now does not give the adoptee a say so, this must be changed. Through this plan the adoptee finally has a say so in a decision that they had no control over.

1. The problem in adoption today is that the adoptee does not get to decide whether they want a relationship with their birth parents, this should be changed.

1. The child had no say so in their adoption
2. Should have some input in their own life. 

1. The solution to this problem would be to allow the child to make a decision at the age of 16 what they want to do.
1. 16, because if they are able to drive, they can make these decisions
2. Semi-Open until 16
3. Pictures are sent from adoptive parents
4. At 16 the adoptee decides what relationship they want

3. I believe that this is the best option because it allows the adoptee to have a say so. 

SWA #22

Colby Carter

English 102-111

March 28, 2012

Paper [4], Outline

Essay 4

My forth essay will be a proposal paper on a local (within the United States) issue. I am proposing to change the adoption laws regarding domestic adoption to allow the adoptee at the age of 12 to decide whether they want, from that point in time, their adoption to be open, semi-open, or closed from then on. I believe that until they are of age, the birthparents are given the right to decide if they want the adoptive parents to share pictures and write letters regarding the child. I plan on explaining the differences in each type of adoption and use a personal account in my paper. 

SWA #21

The issue is social media and the impact it has on society. I see four perspectives, but they do not differ that much between one another. I see two that really are the same, and need changing. I don't think the essay is effective. For me, by quoting a movie, they lose the creditability.

Essay 3 Outline

Colby Carter

English 102-111

March 21, 2012

Paper [3], Draft [1]

Outline for Essay 3

Title: Adoption's Many Viewpoints

Thesis: Adoption has evolved and changed over the years, the one thing that stays consistent is the people involved with the decision, the purpose of this paper is to show the three sides of adoption and the past and present laws that surround the sensitive topic.

1. The past, like in many legal issues, has shaped the present and helps to litigate the adoption process.
   1. Background information
      1. Ancient Rome
      2. Stanley vs. Illinois
      3. 1851 Massachusetts
   2. Present day Laws

1. Hague Convention
2. Model State Adoption Act
3. Open Adoption Laws in certain states.

2. The decision to put a child up for adoption regards the desires of the birth mother, and recently the birth father
   1. The options a birth mother has when placing a child up for adoption
   2. Child out of wedlock
      1. Rights the mother has
      2. Rights the father has
      3. Ways to gain information on child that has been adopted

3. Potential adoptive parents face many challenges and requirements when going through the adoption process.
   1. The process of obtaining a child
   2. Items they must possess in order to adopt out of the country

4. The main focus of adoption is indeed the child being put up for adoption.
   1. Ways to obtain birth records and reach out to birth parents and states where open adoption is widely practiced.
   2. Statistics of adopted children's wellbeing
   3. Personal account and story of adopted child

Conclusion: The process and concept of adoption is one that is debated and always changing. The ideas and beliefs on what should take place whether the adoption be open/closed, birth parents decision/agencies are widely discussed and have the information I have read has formed my opinion. I believe that children should know that they are adopted, and even where they are born. But I think the decision should be up to the child if they want to meet their birth parents or not.  

SWA #18

I found that while reading the article there weren't terms that I did not know and was surprisingly pretty familiar with most of the players names. Growing up my dad was a baseball coach and an avid baseball fan. I grew up watching the sport and can talk baseball with most guys. I think this helped me with the article and understand what Kang was saying, without my previous knowledge I would have had a hard time following along with the article.

Silverman, Brett. "The Winds of Change in Adoption Laws." Family Court. 39.1 (2005 ): n. page. Print.


This article discusses the current laws regarding adoption. The article also talks about the challenges that all people involved in the adoption process must deal with. The main topic in the article is coming up with a way to change the adoption laws to benefit the adoptee in being able to access their adoption records at a certain age. 

3/12/12

The author uses baseball metaphors and examples of different players to show the racial struggles and barriers that many races must face in America.

The life of racial and ethnic stereotypes in sports-
The beliefs that African American's must be fast because thats the stereotype they have been given. Just as he states that even though he is Korean, he is grouped with Ichiro because he is Japanese and they look the same. The stereotype goes deeper than just racial issues, deepening into those of height and weight. A person who is abnormally tall will be stereotyped as a basketball player, and a person is is abnormally large, a football lineman.

Ironically one of the first articles that appears after typing "Asian Americans" is "Linsanity" which for those who are in the know about sports will know that Jeremy Lin is a basketball player. Due to his recent place in the spotlight many have coined the term "Linsanity" when discussing his athletic abilities.

SWA #17

narr. "Open Adoption A Lifetime Story." Open Adoption A Lifetime Story. Lifetime Adoption , 23 Mar 2010. web. 12 Mar 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ1w-9j_0qs>.


This is a video posted by The Lifetime Adoption Center. It discusses the different types of adoption, closed, semi-open, and open. It also has testimonies of both sides of the adoption process. The video gives encouragement and helps the viewer to understand why adoption is a great thing. The video also discusses the aid that the Open Adoption Center can give to a women who is wanting to give their child up or for families looking to adopt. 


Jeanne A. Howard, et al. "Open Adoptions In Child Welfare: Social Worker And Foster/Adoptive Parent Attitudes." Journal Of Public Child Welfare 5.4 (2011): 445-466. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Mar. 2012.