Why all the fuss about the 2010 Census

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Yeah, I don't understand the concern about stating one's race. The census is used largely for demographic purposes...to map trends that can be analyzed. It's impersonal and indiscriminate, really...it's just for statistics. And while I'm VERY big on civil liberties, I think that interpreting information collection as a Big Brother tactic is kind of silly. Despite the paranoia some people have about the government, they typically don't care about you as a person until you do something significant to put up red flags. I think you give the government a bit TOO much credit if you think they have the time, manpower and resources to study and cross-reference the data with your personal information, rather than simply tabulate it!

[Miranda&John 0]

That bit is easy enough for the government to interpret. If you put "A-M-E-R-I-C-A-N" for your race, you are either retarded, or a borderline nutjob conservative.

Make no mistake here,it is conservatives by and large who object to this information being collected about them. Saying that its racist or racial profiling is a red herring. They are just scared that the big bad government is keeping files on them and are going to come take them away for their beliefs (or some other conservative rambling).

Well I don't want to insult anybody, so I'll just say yes -- they happen to both be conservative

[Nik+Heather 121]

I briefly toyed with a goodie-two-shoes type fantasy of doing mischievous things when I flipped through the rest of the booklet (thinking: "That's IT??!")all the way through person 12. Had a little chuckle thinking about including our two cats and the litter of kittens we are fostering Race: Other: T-O-R-T-I-E etc... I also dithered about whether the cats I had before I met Nik should retain my maiden name or take Nik's as well. But I didn't get far enough along to check if "Pet" was a viable option for relationship to person 1, and it's all sealed up again now!

My cubemate and I swapped stories the next day. He and his wife had a little neener-neener episode when his wife informed him that she was filling it out, and she was going to put herself as person 1.

Oh well. I'm hoping for a long form in 10 years! That sounds fun!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I just found the racial profiling questions very offensive.It seems that both Tiger Woods and Barack Obama are labeled as "Black" by popular acclaim.

However, neither Woods nor Obama would deny their Asian and White heritage.

It would make no more sense if Woods checked the Black box or the Asian box than if

Obama checked the Black box or White box. They shouldn't be forced to choose.

They are both fine human beings and counted as "1" each on the census.

I think the use of the census in some kind of misguided social engineering project is way off base.

Nobody should get entitlements on the basis of race, just on the basis of whether they need them or not.

My daughter is half Asian and White and she loudly proclaims herself as Asian,

yet she is no more Asian in behavior, Asian language ability or upbringing than Al Sharpton.

Oh I know - I find all the questions about race everywhere you go in the US offensive....job applications ask (although it's optional) in particular companies who do gov't work who must maintain stats and a certain balance. I just find it unconstitutional...but that's the Canadian in me

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Also my husband said they only do Census here every 10 years, so that's why it's so important and they put so much emphasis on it.

I filled ours out last night, but haven't put it in the mail yet.

When we have kids I have no idea what I'll label our children as! They will be mixed.

You can check mroe then 1 race box....my daughter is mixed as well (I am white, her father is black) and I did that for her

[Sprailenes 47]

My son is native and Italian but we just checked native because according to statistics there's only 2% of the population is native where I live... well I want there to be more dammit.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

My husband was actually really excited to fill out the census form. It was in the mailbox and then back in the mailbox in about 15 minutes I think it has something to do with the fact we now have our own household and can do it for ourselves.

I'm sure you've heard it and read it 100 times, but not filling out your census form only hurts yourself and your community!

This public service announcement is brought to you by Huggles

[The_Dude 1,142]

I haven't filled mine out because I am too lazy, and have not been able to succesfully con my wife into doing it for us.

[Marilyn. 340]

we haven't received a census form yet.. does everyone get one?

[The_Dude 1,142]

we haven't received a census form yet.. does everyone get one?

Only the cool kids do

[Kathryn41 3,205]

we haven't received a census form yet.. does everyone get one?

Every household is supposed to get one. If you don't get one by the end of next week then call you local Census office - you should be able to find it by googling it online. They will arrange for you to get one.

[My Name Is Nobody 3]

Yelp, received ours in the mail. It looks good laying in the waste basket.

[ashenflowers 5]

I haven't filled mine out because I am too lazy, and have not been able to succesfully con my wife into doing it for us.

Seriously the amount of effort that went into typing that is the amount of effort it takes to fill out the Census. Just do it.

[alex and astrid 38]

I'd love to see the fuss all these idiots would kick up if they were in Australia....Census every five years, and it's a 'long' census for everyone! They ask you everything from how you got to work that morning to what kind of internet you have. I don't care about filling it out, it's not like what you are telling them stuff that is uber-private. If it helps make things better in my area, why not? What does drawing a middle finger and telling the government to eff off accomplish?

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Yelp, received ours in the mail. It looks good laying in the waste basket.

Just curious... Why do you feel that way? Do you care to elaborate?