Letter: Making addresses available endangers public servants

A reader argues that the trend toward ‘open addresses’ puts intell officers and others at risk.

Regarding “Goodbye anonymity. Hello ID superiority”: If used as stated, the new federal ID card seems, at first, OK. The continuing trend toward “address verification,” prohibiting use of post office addresses, etc., and other techniques does NOT bode well for the welfare of a significant part of our society, such as former intell officers, corrections officers, police and even firefighters, on-air broadcasters, and former spouses/partners of abusive mates (both male and female). Stalkers and abusive spouses have taken advantage of “open addresses” to abuse and murder innocent people for years.

Added to this are the hundreds of intell people now deployed in “sand-land.” When they return home, it is highly likely that they can be targeted by local cells here in the United States. For $500 to 600, anyone can join one of the PI-wannabe sites on the Net and search license and tag records in all 50 states. Taped-over name tags or not, when you are employing locals in your quarters as cooks and cleaners, you can be assured that SOME of them do NOT have your welfare in mind. It won't take a rocket scientist to rifle through the drawers in your room in your absence to get the names and addresses of your relatives and contacts in the United States from your correspondence -– and even pictures of wives, children, etc.  

The growing trend toward making ALL locator information public and available to anyone is NOT a good idea.

H. Lucas


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