2010 Census

2

Comments

  • _
    _ Posts: 6,657
    TriumphantAngel wrote:
    the fascination some Americans have with cutting off their noses to spite their faces, never ceases to amaze me.

    don't fill out the census forms if that's how you feel. and please don't complain when not as much funding is directed your way for hospitals/schools/emergency services etc, to name a few. you won't be requiring them because according to the census results, that's a few less numbers that need to be taken into consideration.

    unbelievable. these forms are designed to try and help you.

    Maybe if they don't stand up to be counted they shouldn't be able to use the hospitals/schools/emergency services.
  • TriumphantAngel
    TriumphantAngel Posts: 1,760
    Growing Number Of Americans Distrust Census

    Despite the fact that the 2010 Census form is the shortest in recent history, some anti-government activists are refusing to answer any question besides the number of people in their household.

    What information are they trying to keep private?

    Anything that evokes a little bit of mystery, and rekindles that old spark between us and the Census Bureau How often on-again, off-again boyfriend was shacking up
    That they can't remember new offspring's name
    How many times they ordered some Time-Life item off television only to claim it never arrived, demand a new set, and then return that one for a full refund
    That they are Osama bin Laden
    That they prefer to sleep in a Vaseline-lined thermal pouch
    Whether they rent or own their heavily armed secessionist compound
    Their DNA sequence, which, according to multiple credible websites, the Census collects from saliva on the return-envelope adhesive and then adds to a secret government database .
  • know1
    know1 Posts: 6,801
    Cosmo wrote:
    know1 wrote:
    I didn't get any emails, but I don't like our government promoting racism by asking questions about race so I didn't answer those. Plus, there are no definitions of race that are objective, so I really can't answer anyway.

    I wasn't real fond of the questions about the mortgage on the home, but I did answer that one.
    ...
    Mine had nothing about mortgage... just Name, Age, Gender, Phone Number, Race (Martian), How many in the house, Any others in the house, Are you sure no one else in the house... nothing about financials.
    ...
    Here it is:
    http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/i ... e-form.php

    Read question #3 again a little more closely.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • know1
    know1 Posts: 6,801
    gimmesometruth27 wrote:
    know1 wrote:
    I didn't get any emails, but I don't like our government promoting racism by asking questions about race so I didn't answer those. Plus, there are no definitions of race that are objective, so I really can't answer anyway.

    I wasn't real fond of the questions about the mortgage on the home, but I did answer that one.
    it is just general demographic information for god's sakes...

    I'm not opposed to the Census or distrust that they'll do anything with the info.

    I'm just against promoting racism and that's what the government is doing by asking to classify people by race.

    And I've said this before, but there are no objective definitions of race so the government can't even define what white or black are. If they don't define them, how can they ask a person to classify themselves?
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • _
    _ Posts: 6,657
    know1 wrote:
    I'm just against promoting racism and that's what the government is doing by asking to classify people by race.

    How on earth does acknowledging the existence & importance of race promote racism? Many people use this info to identify/combat racism.
    And I've said this before, but there are no objective definitions of race so the government can't even define what white or black are. If they don't define them, how can they ask a person to classify themselves?

    People identify themselves as certain races & they want to know how you identify yourself. They don't need to impose their definitions on other people in order for people to know their own race.
  • know1
    know1 Posts: 6,801
    scb wrote:
    know1 wrote:
    I'm just against promoting racism and that's what the government is doing by asking to classify people by race.

    How on earth does acknowledging the existence & importance of race promote racism? Many people use this info to identify/combat racism.
    And I've said this before, but there are no objective definitions of race so the government can't even define what white or black are. If they don't define them, how can they ask a person to classify themselves?

    People identify themselves as certain races & they want to know how you identify yourself. They don't need to impose their definitions on other people in order for people to know their own race.

    People are people. Classifying them as anything else promotes racism. That is my belief.

    I also believe that we're all of mixed race at this point anyway.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • Cosmo
    Cosmo Posts: 12,225
    know1 wrote:
    Read question #3 again a little more closely.
    ...
    All it asks is whether you own or rent the house you are currently living in. Nothing about mortgage specifics.
    Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
    Hail, Hail!!!
  • inmytree
    inmytree Posts: 4,741
    know1 wrote:

    People are people. Classifying them as anything else promotes racism. That is my belief.

    really...how so...?
  • know1
    know1 Posts: 6,801
    inmytree wrote:
    know1 wrote:

    People are people. Classifying them as anything else promotes racism. That is my belief.

    really...how so...?

    It shouldn't be too difficult to see. If I ask you to define yourself as one of a handful of pre-selected races, then I'm propagating racism. I'm not saying racism would go away completely if we weren't forced to pick a color by our government, but it sure doesn't help that we do.

    And what's the purpose, really? When you really think about it, what purpose does it serve to classify Johnny as white, Jimmy as black and Joe as hispanic? It doesn't serve any good purpose and it's just plain stupid.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • know1
    know1 Posts: 6,801
    Cosmo wrote:
    know1 wrote:
    Read question #3 again a little more closely.
    ...
    All it asks is whether you own or rent the house you are currently living in. Nothing about mortgage specifics.

    Well it does ask whether you own with a mortgage or without. That's what I was referring to when I said the question about mortgage.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • inmytree
    inmytree Posts: 4,741
    know1 wrote:
    inmytree wrote:
    know1 wrote:

    People are people. Classifying them as anything else promotes racism. That is my belief.

    really...how so...?

    It shouldn't be too difficult to see. If I ask you to define yourself as one of a handful of pre-selected races, then I'm propagating racism. I'm not saying racism would go away completely if we weren't forced to pick a color by our government, but it sure doesn't help that we do.

    And what's the purpose, really? When you really think about it, what purpose does it serve to classify Johnny as white, Jimmy as black and Joe as hispanic? It doesn't serve any good purpose and it's just plain stupid.

    I still don't get your point...unless you assume all people are innately racist...

    the Census is collecting data....my neighbor is not going to know my answer, nor will I know his/hers, so is this propagating of racism...

    this is a false issue and it's silly...
  • know1
    know1 Posts: 6,801
    inmytree wrote:

    I still don't get your point...unless you assume all people are innately racist...

    the Census is collecting data....my neighbor is not going to know my answer, nor will I know his/hers, so is this propagating of racism...

    this is a false issue and it's silly...

    We just have different opinions. If the government is not going to act upon the race information why do they need it? And if they are going to take actions based upon race, they are discriminating on the basis of race. I think that's racism.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • inmytree
    inmytree Posts: 4,741
    know1 wrote:
    inmytree wrote:

    I still don't get your point...unless you assume all people are innately racist...

    the Census is collecting data....my neighbor is not going to know my answer, nor will I know his/hers, so is this propagating of racism...

    this is a false issue and it's silly...

    We just have different opinions. If the government is not going to act upon the race information why do they need it? And if they are going to take actions based upon race, they are discriminating on the basis of race. I think that's racism.

    what's your definition of racism...?
  • unsung
    unsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    Mine is giving ANY preferential treatment or ANY negative treatment based on the color of skin.
  • Starfall
    Starfall Posts: 548
    Racism involves two very important things:
    1. Belief in the superiority of one race over another, and
    2. The ability, or power, to enforce such a belief.

    There's some very good reasons to include racial demographics - disease tracking, for instance. The AIDS epidemic, for example, is shown to hit African American women disproportionately - which then would help epidemiologists to combat it.

    Besides, if you don't want your race included in the Census, you're free to Decline to state it.
    "It's not hard to own something. Or everything. You just have to know that it's yours, and then be willing to let it go." - Neil Gaiman, "Stardust"
  • _
    _ Posts: 6,657
    know1 wrote:
    People are people. Classifying them as anything else promotes racism. That is my belief.

    I also believe that we're all of mixed race at this point anyway.

    Acknowledging the fact that people classify THEMSELVES by race is not racism. Trying to pretend that someone's race doesn't exist when it is very real to them would be racism. Failing to address institutional racism because we chose to not collect the data we need to identify it would promote racism.

    Though I agree that the world is becoming more of a melting pot, it's absolutely not true that we're all of mixed race at this point. Do you see the picture of me in my avatar? Do you think I had any doubt about what box to check in the race question of my census form??
  • WaveCameCrashin
    WaveCameCrashin Posts: 2,929
    can't you get fined for not filling it out and returning it ?
  • _
    _ Posts: 6,657
    know1 wrote:
    It shouldn't be too difficult to see. If I ask you to define yourself as one of a handful of pre-selected races, then I'm propagating racism. I'm not saying racism would go away completely if we weren't forced to pick a color by our government, but it sure doesn't help that we do.

    And what's the purpose, really? When you really think about it, what purpose does it serve to classify Johnny as white, Jimmy as black and Joe as hispanic? It doesn't serve any good purpose and it's just plain stupid.
    We just have different opinions. If the government is not going to act upon the race information why do they need it? And if they are going to take actions based upon race, they are discriminating on the basis of race. I think that's racism.

    They don't say you must define yourself as one of a handful of pre-selected races. There is space to write in whatever race you'd like. The possibilities are endless. Again, I think burying your head in the sand and pretending race doesn't exist does MUCH more to promote racism than asking people to self-identify by race.

    The purpose is to know which of your community clinics needs to hire more interpreters for which languages. The purpose is to know whether there are disparities in the unintended pregnancy rate based on race. The purpose is to know whether people of a specific race have been disproportionately burdened by uranium mining. The purpose is to be able to adjust for race when comparing epidemiological data. The purpose is to know whether certain races are being discriminated against at the polls. The purpose is to know whether people of certain races are more likely to live in food deserts. And on and on and on... and much of this information is used to COMBAT racism.

    Not all actions based on race are discriminating.

    Let me ask you this: To what racial group or groups do you belong?
  • pandora
    pandora Posts: 21,855
    One thing a census is great for is genealogy. I just started doing my family and am I'm very excited when I find family on one from the 18-1900's thats as far as I've gotten. Its really helping. My head is spinning with faceless names and stories to be written. I never knew my Dads side at all and little of my mothers so its very cool.
    The Gov says the census is for funding but I think they are getting too personal and should go back to name, address, birth year and race. With any answer being optional.
  • Commy
    Commy Posts: 4,984
    TriumphantAngel wrote:
    Growing Number Of Americans Distrust Census

    Despite the fact that the 2010 Census form is the shortest in recent history, some anti-government activists are refusing to answer any question besides the number of people in their household.

    What information are they trying to keep private?

    Anything that evokes a little bit of mystery, and rekindles that old spark between us and the Census Bureau How often on-again, off-again boyfriend was shacking up
    That they can't remember new offspring's name
    How many times they ordered some Time-Life item off television only to claim it never arrived, demand a new set, and then return that one for a full refund
    That they are Osama bin Laden
    That they prefer to sleep in a Vaseline-lined thermal pouch
    Whether they rent or own their heavily armed secessionist compound
    Their DNA sequence, which, according to multiple credible websites, the Census collects from saliva on the return-envelope adhesive and then adds to a secret government database .


    The gov't is not your friend.

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