Today’s Census Tip
By Mitch Berg
Mark Krikorian at NRO-Online is un-thrilled by the census’ intrusivness, too:
Fully one-quarter of the space on this year’s form is taken up with questions of race and ethnicity, which are clearly illegitimate and none of the government’s business (despite the New York Times‘ assurances to the contrary on today’s editorial page). So until we succeed in building the needed wall of separation between race and state, I have a proposal. Question 9 on the census form asks “What is Person 1’s race?” (and so on, for other members of the household). My initial impulse was simply to misidentify my race so as to throw a monkey wrench into the statistics; I had fun doing this on the personal-information form my college required every semester, where I was a Puerto Rican Muslim one semester, and a Samoan Buddhist the next. But lying in this constitutionally mandated process is wrong. Really — don’t do it.
I think I’ve done that. I also registered for Obama’s “Organizing for America” email blasts as “Beinrich Bimmler” (20 extra points for those who get the reference).
Krikorian actually has a better idea:
Instead, we should answer Question 9 by checking the last option — “Some other race” — and writing in “American.” It’s a truthful answer but at the same time is a way for ordinary citizens to express their rejection of unconstitutional racial classification schemes. In fact, “American” was the plurality ancestry selection for respondents to the 2000 census in four states and several hundred counties.
So remember: Question 9 — “Some other race” — “American”. Pass it on.
I’ll plan on it.
March 10th, 2010 at 11:29 am
[clown]Make sure you spell it Murican, wingnuts![/clown]
March 10th, 2010 at 11:31 am
20 extra points for those who get the reference
“He’s right, you know.”
March 10th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
“20 extra points for those who get the reference”
Taunton has long been part of Minehead.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
But if you don’t identify race, how will people like former Sec State Mary Kiffmeyer and her buddies at the Minnesota Majority get their statistics for claims about ‘racial purity’ in their health care statement?
March 10th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Why are liberals so darned racist?
March 10th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Kermit, it’s because they are so darned good at being racists.
March 10th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
How about “Human?”
March 10th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
How about “Human?”
To each their own!
March 10th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Stooj, I figured you to be one of them “citizens of the world” instead of an “American”. 😉
March 10th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Personally, I worry about the Lizard People. I hear they disguise themselves as clowns.
March 10th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
When they ask for the names of anyone living in my home I’m going to tell them, “Mike Hunt”.
March 10th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
It asks for race. If it asked for nationality or citizenship, I’d proudly write American for that.
March 10th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
When they ask for the names of anyone living in my home I’m going to tell them, “Mike Hunt”.
Hugh Jass
Amanda Hugginkes
Drew P. Wiener
Mike Rotch
March 11th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
“It asks for race. If it asked for nationality or citizenship, I’d proudly write American for that.”
Stooj, then explain “African-American” for the readers as regard to race.
And while you’re at it, why is race so important to the census?
March 11th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
I don’t know, krod. I didn’t create the census.