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Will Your Answers To the Census Stay Private?
Hugh Pickens writes "James Bovard writes in the Christian Science Monitor that Americans are told that information gathered in the census will never be used against them and the House of Representatives, in a Census Awareness Month resolution passed March 3, proclaimed that 'the data obtained from the census are protected under United States privacy laws.' Unfortunately, thousands of Americans who trusted the Census Bureau in the past lost their freedom as a result. In the 1940 Census, the Census Bureau loudly assured people that their responses would be kept confidential. Within four days of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Census Bureau had produced a report listing the Japanese-American population in each county on the West Coast. The Census Bureau's report helped the US Army round up more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans for concentration camps (later renamed 'internment centers'). In 2003-04, the Census Bureau provided the Department of Homeland Security with a massive cache of information on how many Arab Americans lived in each ZIP Code around the nation, and which country they originated from — information that could have made it far easier to carry out the type of mass roundup that some conservatives advocated. 'Instead of viewing census critics as conspiracy theorists, the nation's political leaders should recognize how their policies have undermined public faith in government,' writes Bovard. 'All the census really needs to know is how many people live at each address. Citizens should refuse to answer any census question except for the number of residents.'"
Quoting Ayn Rand is one of the ways to touch the third rail. Ayn Rand was a reactionary dipshit, 99.9% of the things she said are utter crap. the only thing she ever said of value is that reality is separate from our view of it - and she was far from the first person to say that.
The rest of your post might be perfectly intelligent (and after reading it is seems to be), but by quoting that polarizing reactionary dipshit you make yourself look like an idiot.
If you cannot keep politics out of your moderation remove yourself from the Mod Lottery.. NOW!
There are still some people reading slashdot who are not conservatives, convinced that the government is currently being run by the anti-christ and his army of evil minions (OK, at least one - me). We would appreciate if the editorial board at slashdot would tone down their conservative bend, at least a little bit, and go back to focusing on technology.
Not long ago, there used to be this kind of conservative spank-fest topics posted to the front page only every couple weeks. This is the second or third this week. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of other sources for conservative conspiracy theories; I don't see why slashdot needs to feed into that.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
Martin Luther King is turning in his grave because of your post. Aknowledging race is not the same as being a racist. Equality is not the same as being colorblind. Its time to move past tolerance and colorblindness and start imbracing the multitude of culutures that make up this country.
Yes, I think many do.
Many politicians care about children.
In recent history only ~30% of eligible voters have voted for any particular president. You think the current president wouldn't care if 70% of the population died? I don't like politicians, but they're not all the same and they're not all as callous as you think.
Yeah he would care, because that would go his record, but he is ALREADY elected. But I get your point. Some would and some wouldn't, because some power hungry people are sociopaths and only care about the perception of themselves because it helps them get ahead in life.
>>What it does state, quite clearly, is that power belongs in the hands of the people, and they have granted the government a few, limited, enumerated duties. Anything else they want to do, they have to ask the People first, and an overwhelming majority of them have to agree to it.
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that went out the window a long time ago. Look at obamacare. that's now a law and the senate had no say in the matter. It's supposed to require a 2/3 majority in the senate according to the constitution. Right or wrong, it's wasn't passed by constitutionally mandated process.
The constitution is dead and the government cannot be trusted with anything. The only goal of government is to make itself bigger and gain more power over us so they can collect more taxes. Detailed information gives them more power.
Don't kid yourself. It's the size of the regexp AND how you use it that counts.
BZZZT! Wrong answer!
Try reading the Constitution...
Article I Section 2.
"Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three."
The Census was SPECIFICALLY for figuring taxation and number of representatives - period - nothing else! They can ask what ever the hell they want but I don't have to answer ANYTHING except HOW MANY PEOPLE live in my house - period.
The Truth is a Virus!!!