8. Public Records

One very important characteristic about me (that is genetically passed down) is that I am very nosey. I eat, sleep, and breathe getting in business that is not mine. From a young age, my friends and I would go to arkansas.staterecords.org and type in whatever name we could think of. Mainly, to try and blackmail our teachers. We never found anything on them, but man did we sure try. 


100% Free Public Records: Search Like A Boss. | by Brev Anthos | Medium


When I was about 15, my high school best friend had a whole debacle with her dad and apparently, we weren't supposed to know about it. With that information, we went straight to our beloved website and genuinely discovered horrible news. I wish I was making this up. Out of respect for her and her family, I am not going to name anyone, but through public records, we found out her dad was a repeating sex offender and was once arrested on the grounds of kidnapping. Boooo, killed the mood, right?


With that being said, public records can be a very useful tool. Especially, if you are trying to blackmail anyone. (I'm kidding.) In the previous instance, it broke hearts and caused a lot of grieving for a 15-year-old girl. Public records can be used to keep neighborhoods safe. They are also a good way to hold leaders accountable, so we can make informed decisions. We live in a democracy, where transparency is very valuable. Being able to stay up to date with everyone is important in the sense that it could effect you. 


7 Ways to Do Free Public Records Searches Online - wikiHow

Ginger McCall wrote a great article "The Importance of Public Records." In it, I think she covers a lot of great examples of why we shouldn't be ashamed or timid to use public records to become informed. We, as citizens of the United States, have every right to know what is going on behind closed doors. So many things could potentially effect our lively-hood. Knowing what is going on around you is quintessential. I would like to preface, I am definitely not just saying that because I love snooping. I much more like to describe myself as curious.  

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