Re: Fingerprinting annoyance

["Paul S. Penrod" <furballs@netcom.com>]

On Tue, 14 May 1996, Black Unicorn wrote:

> On Mon, 13 May 1996, Paul S. Penrod wrote:
> 
> > 
> > 
> > On Mon, 13 May 1996, Senator Exon wrote:
> > 
> > > in connection with a character and fitness report i have been
> > > asked to supply a review board with a set of my fingerprints
> > > i have never been fingerprinted before
> > > i am not very keen on the idea now
> > > of course refusing will attract suspicion
> > > short of getting someone else to put their fingers in ink for
> > > me does anyone have a cute method by which to obscure my prints
> > > on those cute little cards without it being obvious?
> > > i can fill out and manipulate the card myself i just need a
> > > working method.
> > > is there no privacy advocate who can help me?
> > > 
> > 
> > First off, if you were born in the US, they have your feet and/or hand 
> > prints on record.
> 
> Incorrect.
> Several states do not bother to print infants at birth.
> Several hospitals do not bother to follow state guidelines in those states
> which do so require.

Which ones specifically?

> 
> It is one of the great advantages of the United States that no
> standardized procedure for person identification exists.  Seals and
> certificates vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.  Cross the border to
> a state and a hospital birth annoucement is enough for a drivers license,
> cross again and 4 pieces and a note from mom isn't enough.
> 
> Be careful with disinformation please.
> 

My point is not about the variance of seals and certificates (I have at 
least 6 different ones prove it from 4 different states). That is a 
given. It is that prints have been a generally accepted practice for some 
time now. IF you want to make the case and go back to the early days 
(pre-WWII), then people like attila and a few others don't have them - 
and I'll concede the point on that basis.

The information I received has come from inquiries to folks I know within 
the AMA, several different hospital adminstration staff in various states 
- whose job it is to handle such affairs, and few other people who make 
it their business to know such trivia. IF the information is in error, 
I'll gladly accept correct input. Next time, don't be so quick to accuse 
without inquirying to context. I'm not J.Bell.

...Paul