The Association of Professional Genealogists has announced a press release to some of the professionals' lists, and it is of interest to all of us who try to do genealogical research and are blocked by a myriad of laws and constraints that make our work unnecessarily difficult. You may read about the subject in the press release on their web site. http://apgen.org/publications/press/ ID thieves rarely use public records This portion of the announcement sums up the likelihood of identity theft stemming from the most common methods. Even if you don't want to read the lengthy piece, this part is interesting. This is their announcement: "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Genealogists push for open records Formation of the Keeping Genealogical Records Open Workgroup (KGROW) WESTMINSTER, Colo., March 21 - The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) contends that there is no proof that open records significantly contribute to ID theft or terrorism. In a position paper that outlines the case for open public records, APG asserts that open records are rarely used by identification thieves and maintains that the benefit of open access to records far outweighs any potential abuse. APG has joined forces with other genealogical organizations including the National Genealogical Society (NGS), The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) in endorsing the position paper and calling on legislators to keep records open. "Public records allow genealogists and other professionals such as medical researchers, journalists, historians and academic researchers to do their jobs," explains APG President, Jake Gehring. He urges that "concerned citizens tell their representatives that they want to keep public records open." A group of professional genealogists within APG formed the Keeping Genealogical Records Open Workgroup (KGROW) in 2007 and prepared the position paper. Melinde Lutz Sanborn, FASG (Fellow, American Society of Genealogists) and member of the committee, says, "Open records and transparency in government are the best protections we have against twenty-first century fraud." The KGROW committee recommends in their paper that "lawmakers respond to the ID theft problem, not try to prevent a nonexistent problem." Further, they encourage "private companies and government improve their protection of personal data." The Case for Open Public Records position paper is available on the APG website at <http://apgen.org/publications/press> http://apgen.org/publications/press. The Association of Professional Genealogists is an independent organization whose worldwide members number over 1,800. The group's principal purpose is to support professional genealogists in all phases of their work: from the amateur genealogist wishing to turn knowledge and skill into a vocation, to the experienced professional seeking to exchange ideas with colleagues and to upgrade the profession as a whole. Contact: Kathleen W. Hinckley, CG, Executive Director, Association of Professional Genealogists P.O. Box 350998, Westminster, CO 80035-0998 Phone 303-422-9371, fax 303-456-8825, e-mail  <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] " ************** Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)