Why all the fuss about the 2010 Census

[Udella&Wiz 325]

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

Me thinks a troll has wandered in...

[darkchilde794 5]

Filled ours right away too! I already posted on the OT thread -- hubby refuses to fill it out... wanted to put his name as Mickey Mouse He is crazy, I swear. I guess for some folks (like my crazy redhead) just think its intrusive. I told him that Homeland Security already has a shoe box full of our information, considering I have given everything except DNA samples to them, when immigrating.

I was happy to fill it out though and got really lucky cause we got the short form!

[SunDrop 59]

What's interesting about a census vs. no census debate is that it's not just for current matters that it serves purpose but it makes for a fascinating record of trends of all kinds for future generations. Anyone who's ever done any genealogy will know exactly what I'm talking about.

It was through the 1891, 1901 and 1911 UK censi (?) that we discovered that my paternal great grandfather had actually had 3 wives, not 2 that we knew of. The first 2 had died and the 3rd wife was widowed when he passed. My father's mother was the last born of the 3rd wife, he'd been extremely successful as the local stone mason but there'd always been this story about someone accusing my paternal grandmother of 'stealing' the family money. Turns out that it was the son of his 2nd wife who objected to the children of the 3rd wife inheriting the estate.

I also was able to learn that I lost a great uncle in WWI, who'd gone to war with his brother both as medics. Thanks to census-talking, I have been able to map the journeys of both sides of my family either from Ireland in the early 1800s or way back to where we were servants of the Knights Templar.

At first I was disappointed that US census is happening now, because we'll have just 'missed' it. But I realised that with the UK one happening next year, my future generations will be able to work out nearly to the quarter when we emigrated. The fact that we've missed the US census means that we must have still been in the UK and the fact that we're not on the UK census (that is usually in January) means we must have left before it was taken. It's fun to think that we're leaving a kind of mystery for them to uncover, because it's really good fun discovering these things!

I also like the fact that my daughter, who's classed as 'mixed white British/ African' here will start showing a gradual trend towards more inter-racial relationships. It irks the ####### out of me that she'll be considered 'black' in the US, except that she'll have access to all kinds of scholarships and grants that she otherwise wouldn't!

Capturing income/ employment information is also interesting to look back on generations down the line. I've always wondered if any of my maternal ancestors worked on the Titanic, since they were ship-riveters in Liverpool and Newcastle. It's neat to be able to figure out that my grandfather didn't get called to draft in WWII because he was a school teacher.

It's also a really important piece of information for broader historical and sociological learning. How else did they reliably know the real figures of Holocaust deaths, if it weren't for census-taking?

In short, I really fail to understand why people are so anti-census taking. It's a way of leaving a bit of our legacy for future generations.

[Leafgal 3]

Yes my brother in law is not going to fill his out by the sounds of it. I don't get the whole I am not giving them information, like they don't already have it, geez. I did ours and it went in the mail today - short form. I agree it is only hurting your community by not doing it.

[Rhiannercakes 14]

We got ours last week and it was just opened today.

We got the short one, I got to fill in my own spot!

I'd love to see one of the long ones though, I actually like filling stuff out like this, I don't know why

[Sprailenes 47]

We got ours last week and it was just opened today.

We got the short one, I got to fill in my own spot!

I'd love to see one of the long ones though, I actually like filling stuff out like this, I don't know why

Because you love yourself that's why

I am the same way.

I also like filling out online quizzes to see what kind of psychopath I am or something...

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Yes, got ours earlier this week and returned it the next day.

Now, that I find interesting, and that's as politely as I can phrase it.

The form we received asks specifically how many people lived in the household as of April 1, 2010. If you, Kathryn, or anybody for that matter, mailed in their form with a number assigned to that question, I wonder how you were able to establish an event that has not happened yet, as it is assigned to a date of the future.

Either one takes the Census seriously, which would imply a simple inability to mail it back before April 1, 2010, or one thinks it's a bunch of BS and a waste of taxpayers' money, which would imply one could fill in anything, claim to be an Pacific Islander of some form, and so on. Who really cares.

What is impossible, however, is to have mailed it back already, and to take it seriously, as it is impossible to have answered the questions truthfully and have mailed it back at this point in time.

Seriously.

[Danu 19]

Now, that I find interesting, and that's as politely as I can phrase it.

The form we received asks specifically how many people lived in the household as of April 1, 2010. If you, Kathryn, or anybody for that matter, mailed in their form with a number assigned to that question, I wonder how you were able to establish an event that has not happened yet, as it is assigned to a date of the future.

Either one takes the Census seriously, which would imply a simple inability to mail it back before April 1, 2010, or one thinks it's a bunch of BS and a waste of taxpayers' money, which would imply one could fill in anything, claim to be an Pacific Islander of some form, and so on. Who really cares.

What is impossible, however, is to have mailed it back already, and to take it seriously, as it is impossible to have answered the questions truthfully and have mailed it back at this point in time.

Seriously.

I'm going to assume most people will know exactly how many people will be in their house in 2 weeks, unless they are pregnany and expecting sometime really soon, or if something unfortunate should happen, and therefore they can fill it out and send it out ahead of time based on the knowledge that random people aren't going to suddenly be living in their closets.

Edited March 20, 2010 by Danu

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Yeah no kidding. It's actually pretty easy to predict how many people will be living in your house in the next two weeks. When your entire family lives in another country, you're not pregnant, and you really don't like any of your friends that much, who would be moving in? Maybe a dog, but apparently they don't count. But, I guess I just don't take it seriously...

On a less crabby note, there's a short version and a long version? What's the difference? And don't say one is short and one is long

[Danu 19]

The long version has a lot more questions that are more specific...couldnt tell you exactly what as I've never had one.

[TimandJoyce 1]

I'm going to assume most people will know exactly how many people will be in their house in 2 weeks, unless they are pregnany and expecting sometime really soon, or if something unfortunate should happen, and therefore they can fill it out and send it out ahead of time based on the knowledge that random people aren't going to suddenly be living in their closets.

that's good Danu!!

I filled out ours, didn't take long at all. We got the short form too. And in 10 years, should we both still be alive..the answers will be the same...(except the age part...)

[Danu 19]

that's good Danu!!

I filled out ours, didn't take long at all. We got the short form too. And in 10 years, should we both still be alive..the answers will be the same...(except the age part...)

I actually think it pretty funny if you don't know who is going to be there in two weeks... OMG a leprochaun! Where did he come from? now my census is all wrong. Damn.

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

I still haven't received my US 2010 Census form yet, and more likely than not, I'll never get one...

Which is fine by me.....

Are we supposed to get them by mail? And if so, when should I expect such?

I did though look this up online, as I kind of wondered what all the fuss was about...

Too bad the didn't have an online option instead....

Interesting set of questions....Didn't see too many problems with...

Except for the "race" question...

Oh come on, does it really matter what one's race is?

Seems like discrimination here....

No surprise really, as pretty much everything in the USA requires the "race" question..

Lol..To this, I have taken many approaches to answering such....

For example, this is what happened during my N-400 interview.....

IO: (looks at the ‘race’ section of the application form, sort of perplexed that I have checked of multiple boxes, and included my own box that says ‘prefer not to answer/discriminatory question’ (they did not have such a box, so I drew one up...lol..), but checkmarks those sections anyways...lol…”I’m multiracial”, I like to say…...)

Hmm..I wonder how I will fill out the form when/if I ever get such....

I wonder too, how my son will fill out such a form someday...(yes, he's multi-racial too...)

I like the idea someone else posted earlier about filling it out as A-M-E-R-I-C-A-N!

Anyways, good luck to all filing out the US Census forms.... Happy form-filling, everyone!

Ant

P.S. I don't understand either, as to why the government wastes so much money promoting such forms...That money could have been put to better use, instead of for cheesy advertising campaign. Use it in the community right away instead of waiting for the forms to come back to decide what to do with the money!

Edited March 20, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[ashenflowers 5]

I actually think it pretty funny if you don't know who is going to be there in two weeks... OMG a leprochaun! Where did he come from? now my census is all wrong. Damn.

HAHA OMG!

[Leafgal 3]

Danu, send that leprochaun to my house (after April 1 since I didn't count him in our census)