I also wonder how many identity thefts are from these records vs. credit cards and on line banking info.

I sincerely hope a compromise can be worked out. I can understand the SS Death Index (don’t like it but understand it) but not the birth certs and death certs.

I do agree that if we don’t take some action, this will snowball until tons of records are out of grasp.

I love that idea of replacing the number but I don’t know how realistic it is as far as implementation.

And Linda, I’m with you — in my business we need to order the SS-5 so we need the number.

There’s GOT to be a way to find a happy medium! Maybe we need to start thinking outside the box more.

Or maybe…if we let go of the most recent records that would be acceptable to those who take issue with how it currently stands, but most of us could still run our businesses.

I don’t know…I don’t have the answer either. I’m just thinking out loud here.

It’s especially vital for genealogists to agree amongst THEMSELVES what we can and cannot live with. I’ve read posts by genealogists who feel that a fair compromise is to keep the SSDI’s names and information public, but eliminate the SSN itself. That may work for SOME genealogists, but it is by no means a good solution for those of us who depend on access to the entire number to narrow down places of residence, order SS-5′s, etc.

There’s been a lot of discussion in genealogy circles about ‘not throwing the baby out with the bath water.’

The ‘other side’ may have some valid points… but we do too… and it sure would be nice if we could compromise.

Does this really have to be an all-or-nothing thing??? Or can we find a way to work together?

For those of us with small businesses related to genealogy, this could do serious damage to our business. Sometimes it’s impossible to move forward without those records so if we don’t have access, we lose business. Plain and simple.

I don’t think anyone in congress wants to be seen as a small business-killer. And at the same time, there are many in the genealogical community (at least the ones I’ve spoken with, I won’t try to speak for everyone) who don’t want to be seen as heartless or uncompromising themselves — they recognize that there could be some legitimate concerns and *some level of reform might be in order.

But the keyword there is ‘some.’ Again, let’s try to get rid of the black and white thinking and see if we can work together. My 2 cents.