--part1_51.bbd4506.283577d3_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --part1_51.bbd4506.283577d3_boundary Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-Path: <MEDATA-L-request@rootsweb.com> Received: from rly-ye01.mx.aol.com (rly-ye01.mail.aol.com [172.18.151.198]) by air-ye02.mail.aol.com (v77_r1.37) with ESMTP; Thu, 17 May 2001 08:04:06 -0400 Received: from lists5.rootsweb.com (lists5.rootsweb.com [63.92.80.123]) by rly-ye01.mx.aol.com (v77_r1.36) with ESMTP; Thu, 17 May 2001 08:03:45 -0400 Received: (from slist@localhost) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.10.1/8.10.1) id f4HBwvR26418; Thu, 17 May 2001 04:58:57 -0700 Resent-Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 04:58:57 -0700 X-Original-Sender: strout@bigfoot.com Thu May 17 04:58:56 2001 Message-ID: <3B03BCE8.B2182C56@bigfoot.com> Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 07:58:32 -0400 From: Marilyn <strout@bigfoot.com> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.77 [en] (Win98; U) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 Old-To: MAINE-L@rootsweb.com, MEWASHIN-L@rootsweb.com, MEDATA <MEDATA-L@rootsweb.com>, MEOXFORD <MEOXFORD-L@rootsweb.com>, MEGEN <MEGEN-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: Access to Birth Records Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Resent-Message-ID: <1SJWsD.A.bcG.A07A7@lists5.rootsweb.com> To: MEDATA-L@rootsweb.com Resent-From: MEDATA-L@rootsweb.com X-Mailing-List: <MEDATA-L@rootsweb.com> archive/latest/69 X-Loop: MEDATA-L@rootsweb.com Precedence: list Resent-Sender: MEDATA-L-request@rootsweb.com Hi Listers, I just rec'd the following from another list I'm on and think you might find it interesting. Marilyn From: "Henderson, James" <James.Henderson@STATE.ME.US> Subject:Federal Government Wants to Restrict Research in Birth Records To: MCULTR-L@LISTS.MAINE.EDU Just got a copy of a letter from the U.S. State Department asking states to restrict access to all birth records. "In order to protect the integrity of those vital records and the issuance process, we believe it is important that states restrict the inspection of a birth record only to the individual named on the record, immediate family, legar guardians or their authorized representatives." Well, that should slow down the genealogy research folks! Let alone other research efforts. No cut-off date is mentioned, so Thomas Jefferson's birth record would be off limits, let alone those of his children. O.K. This was just a "request" to help prevent passport fraud. However, the Archives is not in the business of restricting access to public records. The current administration may be setting the stage to close these records by law. As more records are closed in the name of "privacy," citizens loose a bit more control over their public records, and their government. The "cause of death" is currently restricted on modern death certificates in Maine. While that protects people's current privacy, it masks trouble in medical facilities that routinely list the cause of death as "cardiac