1328 Judge Roberts and his children

There's some rumblings of outrage on the right that NYT is investigating Judge Roberts' adoption of two children from Latin America. Off limits! Outrageous! How low can they go! Well, yes, it's low, but Republicans raised (or lowered) snooping into personal lives to the level where any transaction that involves another person seems to be political grist, whether it's sex or paying social security for your nanny.

Besides, in case you haven't noticed or are not part of the adoption triad, adoption secrecy is not now, and never has been, about the welfare of the child. There have been powerful political and personal interests for as long as adoption went beyond an informal fostering system on the frontier. In Ohio, for instance, adoption records were not sealed until the early 60s. I suppose we'd have to go back and research who was in the state legislature at that time to figure out why children were more protected after a certain cut off date than before and who didn't want to be found or what estate needed to be protected.

Also, it's strictly political that you cannot keep an adoptee from his or her tribal heritage as an adult if they are some minor percentage American Indian, but you can keep them ignorant if they are African American, or Irish American or Turkish American or any other mix and match of cultures.

There is so much money tied up in the adoption process these days with people flying to the Balkans, or Russia or Central America to briefly "reside" that a mechanic and waitress who want a family by adoption are just out of luck. They'd be better off to wait for third cousin Susie to "get in trouble." You'd better have a nest egg of $20,000-$30,000 if you want a family by any of the more exotic methods.

And do you really think adoption by singles or gays is about the best interests of the child? No. It is political and social theory driving that change. It's always been about who has the power. And that ain't babies. What about open adoption? What baby ever asked for that? It's a social theory that by some miracle, children will be happier and less conflicted knowing that B-mom and A-mom exchanged addresses and colluded on this little "just as if" fantasy.

So that brings me to Judge Roberts. This is a powerful man, set to become even more powerful. There may be absolutely, flawless adoption records, but these days, his enemies would need to be highly ethical and moral people to at least not be suspicious. And when have you seen that on the left?