Do you ever wonder why someone would need to hide their records?

1. 59

   taburkettposted 11 years ago

   Do you ever wonder why someone would need to hide their records?
   
   With several politicians forking out huge sums to secure their personal records concerning school transcripts, college grades, payments to enterprises, jobs and clientele, friends, vehicles owned, etc. - do you believe that they have something morally or legally to be ashamed about?  Could it be that many "Weiner" photos exist?  Are you concerned?

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2. 71

   cebutouristspotposted 11 years ago

   Everybody have secrets and a lot of it may be taken against a broad people morals.  So they just want to play safe and would rather hide it than play the water

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   DDEposted 11 years ago

   It is only right to keep records away from someone going to expose such information.

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   LandmarkWealthposted 11 years ago

   If you're running for public office I would suggest that much of your back round should be made public.  However, privacy is important for those of us who are not running for the public trust.  And I can see a number of reasons why you would not want your records made public.   When it comes to politics, we in the public often attempt to hold our political figures to unrealistic standards in terms of their past.  That's not to say there shouldn't be any standards.  But when we start looking into who they might have picked on in high school, its somewhat understandable why they are sometimes cautious.  But in general, if you're implying that most politicians are extremely corrupt and have a lot to hide, I tend to agree.

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5. 79

   must65gtposted 11 years ago

   the truth might keep you from becoming president    wait   someone did that dint they

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6. 0

   JThomp42posted 11 years ago

   When someone is hiding their records; especially those running for office, this automatically throws up red flags that they must be hiding something.

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7. 69

   ienjoythisposted 11 years ago

   Two things -  First off, everyone has truths about their past that they would not want everyone to know about. Even if the general public would not consider something scandalous, you may not feel completely comfortable with everyone knowing about it. Secondly, once you are in a position of authority or prestige, only then will everything you have done be seen with a great deal of scrutiny and judgement. Some people simply take preventative measures - sometimes justifiably, sometimes not. In a perfect world, complete transparency would be ideal. But who are we kidding - this is not a perfect world.

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8. 77

   Uninvited Writerposted 11 years ago

   So, privacy is only for some people?
   
   Which politicians have forked out huge sums of money to hide records. And if you are thinking of Obama... it is not true that his records are sealed. http://www.factcheck.org/2012/07/obamas-sealed-records/

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   1. 59

      taburkettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Political definitions do prove that they are not sealed; however, the political definitions do prove that they are hidden behind legal requests to keep them from the public.  So - they are sealed.  But you did not say why they are hidden.

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9. 46

   Ericdierkerposted 11 years ago

   I am sure in my records there is that treatment I got for zipping something in a zipper. And I have horrible dental records. And I do not think the records of marital counseling, would be appropriate for you to see.
   But the fact of where and when I was born seems pretty relevant. Divorces and Criminal stuff seems like public record not private. Taxes should be disclosed for public office.
   So I would say anything that gets filed with some government agency should be disclosed. Other things should not be.

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10. 73

    pagesvoiceposted 11 years ago

    If an individual is running for public office, whether on a local, county, state or federal level then I believe their life should be an open book. If they were a bully, cheated on their wife, belonged to organizations that promote divisiveness among races and classes of people, then the voting public has a right to know. Additionally, these same individuals should be required to fully disclose their entire household income and what companies they have served on as members of the board of directors. I also want to know if candidates have had trouble with their taxes and if they had bankruptcies in their past.
    
    For Joe and Joan Citizen, our records really don't matter except for those whom we become entwined with.

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11. 76

    Barbara Kayposted 11 years ago

    Most records are public records anyways. They created such a big deal over Obama's birth certificate. Obtaining such things, isn't really hard. They make a big deal about his college grades and he was suppose to have graduated at the top.
    
    If it is a criminal record, it is a different matter. These are public records too though, so anyone can find them. I don't understand the big deal. If there are photos or something someone will find them and they will come out in the public.
    
    Something to remember is that Kennedy had multiple affairs. I lost a lot of respect for him, but it didn't keep him from running the country. Lincoln is believed to have been a homosexual or bisexual. All sorts of things have come out about past presidents.
    
    Most of these questions arise from the other party. Either they want to beat the other side or make them look poorly.

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12. 59

    Lateral3posted 11 years ago

    I don't blame anyone for hiding their stuff these days. It only takes a regime change for innocent stuff to become guilty stuff.  With so many people baring their all on social media a totalitarian regime could have a field day come the revolution.
    
    This why it gross folly to put in place the machinery and infrastructure to gather data willy nilly and while doing so saying "don't worry; nothing sinister, it's only us".  Trouble is, sure as eggs is eggs 'us' will become 'them' one day.

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       alancaster149posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Laudable if you live in a dictatorship or absolute monarchy. Not recommended if you live in a western democracy. We like to see a candidate's record before putting a cross in a box - just don't bother telling us if you wear your wife's underwear.

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13. 79

    Express10posted 11 years ago

    Transparency of politicians is very important to me. Hiding things, no matter at what point in life they occurred, signals a desire to present a certain image that is not 100% true which is misrepresentation/lying. As far as the politicians who feel that their personal records are more important and need not be accessed by anyone but feel the opposite about "regular" Americans' records, these types do irritate me because they insulate themselves from the same things they work to impose on others.
    
    It doesn't matter in my opinion if there are things for them to be ashamed about or not, if the politicians who impose rules that erode the masses' privacy want privacy, they need to make the laws across the board with no exceptions for themselves which has been the norm for decades apparently.

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    RealityTalkposted 11 years ago

    Doesn't everyone have something they want to hide?  Politicians today are subject to extraordinary scrutiny when running for office and yet dirty politicians still get elected to office.  Despite deep digging by opposing party politicians and corporate enemies as well as the media, Congress and the Senate are overflowing with men and women who are not looking out for the best interests of America; and, lining their pockets all the while once in office.
    
    I'm not sure America even cares about a politician's ethics or possible embarrassing past record.  It seems Americans raise an issue against a politician only if they take issue with a particular issue involving the politician personal to them.  But if the politician campaigns with promises to do something desired by a particular group, that particular group seems to overlook all other issues of ethics and questionable records of that politician.  I think all the corrupt politicians in office is testimony in itself that America does not care and expects politicians to be hiding something.

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15. 76

    alancaster149posted 11 years ago

    Transparency's the name of the game in a democracy. Hidden information, when it's found out, leads to the question: 'what else have they not told us about?' When the heads start rolling with your number in the queue, boy, you'd better hope the basket it drops into gives you a soft landing!
    If you've got something in your past you're likely to be ashamed/worried about, stick to accountancy or digging up roads. Lie to the world and you're likely to end up digging the roads in a chain gang!

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