... WILL OREGON BLAZE TRAIL WITH 58? I would like to express my appreciation for the article on Measure 58 by Patty Wentz ["Birth of a Notion," WW, Aug. 26., 1998]. I am one of the many adult adoptees across the nation who are waiting to see if Oregon will lead the way in the restoration of our right to the records of our births. In fact, I am the person who presented this issue to the adoption support group in Philadelphia which Mr. Crumlish refers to in the first paragraph. As this article so clearly pointed out, this measure is not about searching for one's birth relatives; adoptees do this now, even with sealed records. The paper trail of an adoption is long, and persistent searchers can nearly always find their biological relatives, with or without their original birth certificates. What Measure 58 would do is restore adopted persons to a footing of equality with non-adopted persons. All adult citizens have a right to the official government records of their births, regardless of the circumstances of those births, and it is time that the state stop preventing adoptees from accessing theirs. I was also extremely glad to see the statement from the director of Oregon Right to Life stating its neutrality on this issue. The specter of abortion rates rising if records were opened is a scare tactic used by those who favor maintaining sealed records and the aura of shame which goes with them; in fact, states and countries with open records have lower abortion rates than those with sealed records. Cynthia Bertrand Holub Philadelphia, Pa.   originally published September 2, 1998