What the fuck is wrong with you people who feel the US Census 2000 is some major encroachment on your liberty and a huge tax on your free time? Writing in Race: Human? Sex: Yes? Status of my home: None of your business? Get a fucking grip people, I’ve seen 6 year olds with more reasonable complaints than you twits.
You are the same people who’d piss into the wind just because I told you it it was a bad idea.
Speaking as a pro-choice, pro-gun control atheist liberal, I want to go on record as syaing that according to my most deeply held beliefs, it is indeed a bad idea to piss in the wind, run with scissors, insult large tattooed men in biker bars, have unprotected sex, openly defy the IRS and commit mopery on the high seas.
Against stupidity the very gods / Themselves contend in vain.
I filled out the census form for the wife and I last night. I agree the government ask too many questions, and gets in some of our business too much, but I saw nothing to stop me from doing the form. I’ve already mailed it back. Not even April yet. (Tax return will wait though)
I pity the fool that brings a knife to a gun fight.
Hmm. I’m on record out here despising the collecting of information based on race. It angers me because I’m frustrated by it. I “look” white. But a quick trip through my family tree will find everything from Blackfoot Indian to African to Hispanic… so what box do I check? The race I most closely resemble? The race I feel closest to in terms of cultural background? Hmm.
It’s a dilemma. I think it was JillGat (sp?) That was taking about the statical importance of race in relation to disease. And I am aware of the difference between the races in relation to certain disease; however, the census is basically a head count so I didn’t worry too much about just checking “other” and inserting “human”.
If someone was asking me about disease in my family I would be more detailed about my “racial” history. As far as a head count goes, I don’t see why “race” matters. I’m also opened minded about this so if you can give me some really great reasons, I’d be happy to modify my answer. But you also need to address the “mixing” or “homogeny” of races in multiple race people. Just how do we determine the “predominate” race?
Best!
Byz
Voted most sex obsessed. (Yeah, blow me smart ass!)
I don’t see the big deal in answering the race question. The form took me about 2 minutes to fill out and I’m not worried about the government knowing my race (maybe that’s because I’m white, though).
However, I just talked to a friend of mine who got the long version of the form, where they ask all sorts of fucked up questions like, “Does your house have plumbing” and “How far do you travel to work”. WHY?? Why do they need to know that? Isn’t the purpose of the Census, to count people??
Mt. Dew habit kicked since 2/21/00!
Okay Byz. I guess we had a simulpost.
When I read yours, I noticed that I sort of contradicted myself in my post. While I don’t have a problem letting the government know my race, it isn’t relevant to the Census for headcount purposes.
Why do they need to know how many of each race there are in the country? Not to get off on a rant, but aren’t we supposed to be “color-blind”? If we were, there would be no need for a headcount within each race. Just count people, for christ’s sake.
Mt. Dew habit kicked since 2/21/00!
Byz. You check all the boxes that apply.
Anyone want a reason to check the damn box? How’s this. When shit needs to get done that effects the population they need to know the demographics of the area. Which demographics are important depends on the project, if the census is not adequately completed the developer will spend money to research the demographics. That money eventually comes out of your pocket. Get a grip and quit throwing you little self important tantrums.
Omniscient – whoo, doggie! Calm down a tad! You are ranting at me over the very dilemma I had. It said “check one box” like I only had “one” race. It didn’t say check what did apply. I’m NOT throwing some self-important little tantrum; I really didn’t know which box to check… if you do than hey, grand! But some of us out here really don’t “know” what “race” we are.
I’m not being a butt-head or some kind of asshole. I really have a hard time with this question. Most times, people, (not me), just check “white” because that’s my overall skin color. I’m questioning the validity of that. I’m trying to point out to you and others that for many of us in the U.S. (The melting pot, remember) the question of “race” isn’t so cut and dried.
I’m not trying to start a grudge with you or anyone else but how on earth does my “race” matter to how many fire stations, schools, or hospitals in my area? It might matter what my predominate “speaking language” was but my race doesn’t mean much from this point of view.
Language would be important as far as schools or police departments went because in my neighborhood (a delightful, in my opinion, mix of many cultures) there are over 20 languages spoken. To ME that makes more sense to track. Do we need more Spanish speaking teachers? More teachers who speak Japanese or German or ???
Best!
Byz
Voted most sex obsessed. (Yeah, blow me smart ass!)
{{It said “check one box” like I only had “one” race. It didn’t say check what did apply. }}
This year, you check all that apply. They changed it.
Lynn
If it’s helpful, I’ll compare everyone to Hitler so we can get this
over with as soon as possible.
But if you check black, that is the only one they will record.
(unless they changed that specific rule also)
No, it isn’t just to count people. It is used to plan funding for public assistance, public transportation, land development, educational needs.
If the census shows a certain population is employed within, say an average of 5 or 10 miles from their residence, it wouldn’t make much sense to fund a light rail system. The funding would make more sense in an area where a large percentage of the people are employed 40 or 50 miles away.
You turn me on. But maybe it’s because I just spent 20 years in the jungle, getting it on with anything I could attract with a piece of fruit.
Wanna see how some folks are putting the MENTAL in FUNDAMENTALIST?
http://www.leftbehind.com/cgi-bbs/Forum3/HTML/003863.html
Yer pal,
Satan
The information that is being requested on the long form is pretty important. Census data is used to compile all sorts of nifty statistics that people rely on for all kinds of things. Check out www.census.gov and root around in their links for a while.
For example, as of 1990, “Banana” was the 65,840th most common surname in America, having just been inched out by “Broccoli” at 65,338th. Henderson City, Nevada was the fastest growing city in the U.S. between 1990 and 1998, having grown a whopping 135% over that period. Utah and Alaska are the only two states whose median age is under 30 (the national average is 32.8). It’s fascinating shit for numbers junkies or people who just dig useless information.
Frankly, complaints about “intrusions on my privacy” are spurious to me. People bitch that the government asks them what their income is, but they willingly provide that information to their bank on a mortgage application. And how on earth does the distance you commute to work each day constitute “private” information?
As far as “race” goes, everyone needs to recognize that, right or wrong, American society is race-conscious. Laws require government contractors to develop Affirmative Action plans which, even if they do not provide for preferential employment decisions based on race, do require companies to assess their employment of minorities compared to the ratio of minorities in the population. Knowing the racial makeup of the population helps the government to assess its progress towards a “color-blind society.”
Putting down “Human” or some such nonsense is as juvenile as writing in “Mickey Mouse” when you vote for President.
Huh? I hadn’t heard that, Freedom. Do you have a citation for it handy?
Doesn’t make much sense to me–if this is the first year people can check multiple boxes, they could hardly have had a long-standing policy of allowing “black” to preempt the other selections . . . what am I missing here?
-andros-
At best, an inciteful OP there Omni.
Perhaps the mindset of our household differs markedly from that of the general populace, but we do not identify with ANY SINGLE ethnicity, nor do we evaluate others on the basis of ethnicity–“race” if you prefer.
Quite frankly, we are entitled to list anything we wish to in answer to the “race” question, as it is phrased thusly: “Indicate what this person considers himself/herself to be.” (emphasis mine)
We filled out the form, answering “human” for all household members, and omitting our names. That is our choice. So sorry to upset you by it.
In a society aspiring to attain the venerable status of “color blind,” the collection of such information has no rational place. Moreover, programs which confer financial benefit based upon the ethnic background of program participants lack true justification, as they are generally exclusive by their very nature.
Until we all assimilate the true meaning of the “color blind” philosophy into our very thought processes, our society will remain rife with division.
Please forgive us for daring to discuss decisions and actions, which are based on such foundations, openly.
BTW: While we urinate in the proper place, indoors, independent of your otherwise good advice; we’ll be sure to consult you if we have any difficult questions on such topics in the future.
–Kalél
Common ¢ for all ages…
“Well, there was that thing with the Cheese-Wiz…but I’m feeling much better now!” – John Astin, Night Court
“If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.”
In college, I was awarded a paid summer internship in Washington DC (well, the summer part I could have done without - GAD it was miserable!). I worked at the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. One of my duties was to devise, produce, and disseminate a survey to the education systems of each county/metropolitan area in the United States, and then compile the data in various types of reports.
The questions all concerned race and ethnicity of students in that particular school system/area. Why would government need to know this stuff? Why, to help design (and ultimately to fund) specific educational programs to teach English to children who speak different languages (ESL), and to properly train teachers in these areas (TESOL).
This is just one example of what the Census “race” info will be used for…
StoryTyler
“Not everybody does it, but everybody should.”
Andros wrote:
According to www.newsday.com/coverage/current/news/saturday/nd7200.htm
it is much more complex than Freedom said.
There are 63 possible combinations which could be checked (not counting separate Hispanic permutations, which will not be considered since that is not a racial classification). For general statistical data the Census Bureau plans to report 10 categories:
-the current 5: white, black, Asian, Native American and Hispanic;
-four new ones, based on the most common combinations: black/white, Asian/white, American Native/white and American Native/black;
-and one for all other combinations (however, if any of the others turns out to equal more than 1 % of the population that will become a new category also).
For civil rights statistics the combinations will be considered as separate entries for each minority reported; for example black/white will = black; black/Native American will = 1 black plus 1 Native American, white/Asian will = Asian.
D’ohhhh! Why do I bother proofreading if I’m only going to screwup anyhow?
The 5th current category cited in the previous message should be “Pacific Islander” not Hispanic [sheesh, hadn’t I just said the Census doesn’t count “Hispanic” as a racial category?]
Funding should not be based on race! How are we as a nation going to get beyond our prejudices when the United States freakin’ Government has a formula that says black/white= 1 white.
Funding should be based on need. Yes, needs based. What does know how many blacks, Asians and Whites live a neighborhood have to do with how many bilingual teachers you need? How can the percentage of Native Americans to Hispanics help you decide what kind of social services are needed?
If you think that ethnicity has anything to do with these questions, then you are listening to the secret racist that lives in all of us.
I meant black/white=1 black.
By the way, this proves my secret theory. When the race card is played, black trumps all.