I heard that counties in upstate New York have a majority prison (and Black and Latino) population that get counted as living in the county, even though the prisoners are from downstate, like NYC. This appears to bring disproportionate representation to rural counties where the population is tiny, and largely white. Is this true?

I am living in a weekly rent hotel while waiting for my house to be ready. Will I receive a census form? I’ve never missed filling one out and would hate to do so now.

At least in CT the census bureau seems to sending a postal service mailing that says we will be getting a census form in the mail next week.

This seems like an incredible waste of tax payer money.
Why?
I’m all for a census, but why waste time, paper, and money telling me the form is coming next week?

Thanks, Will

Why did they waste the time and money to send pre-Census letters? Why not just send follow up letters for those who do not participate. Or a billboard? Geez, what a waste!

I will answer the constitutional questions in the Census. How many people live in this house. Nothing else!

The government has no right to know my age, sex, race, or who owns the home!

The first guest did not know that there are legal consequences for not answering the census questions. A fine of up to $5,000 can be imposed.

The guests never talk about how the Census tract data is routinely packasged and sold to marketers and corporations. Such purchasers can then manipulate the data and merge it with other data to discover specific demographic information about individuals.

Anyone who believes that census data is confidential apparently has not read the numerous stories over the years about intentional and unintentional breaches of so called confidential information that is held by the government and private companies.

Does the Census count Illegals?

Why should a community benefit from illegal aliens that the census counts?

If patients’ medical records go online without consent in the UK with their government run medical system (in the news today), what makes people think that it won’t happen here under Obama Care or Census data?

I suppose ignorance is bliss!

What about the issue of inmates in prisons? My understanding is that inmates will be counted in the district that the prison is in and not from where they live. That will skew the census towards rural areas, where most prisons lie, and away from urban areas from where most inmates come

The phrase I just heard.. about people from different ‘races’ marrying, just strikes me funny. We’re really one ‘race’, the ‘human race’. Hopefully we’ll focus less on this, as this man just said, as more people from different parts of the world melt into the pot. – jb

I have no problem filling out the census for my family of four. The thing that ticks me off is we got a letter yesterday telling us the census is coming next and please fill it out.

WHAT A WASTE OF OUR MONEY!!

“The government has no right to know my age, sex, race, or who owns the home!”

Not only the government, but anyone who cares enough to find out can easily to do so. Seriously, do you think that info is not nknown already?

Recently, I was buying a house and at the same time applying to the NY bar. Between these two application processes I had disclose every single significant and insignificant fact from my life concerning finances and everything else you can think of.

Even the KGB in my old country had the decency to do their own leg work. These guys here simply told me to compile files about myself if I wanted a house and a license to practice my chosen profession.

The census relates to South Africa and its murder rate. Ummm HUH? What is this, the Glenn Beck hour?

I am glad these tea-bagging red state yahoos have a place, better to air their ignorance and bigotry.

Tom,

Why did you not ask what the caller meant by “look what happened in in South Africa. It has the highest murder rate in the world” \Did the caller mean that ending apartheid was not good? Your guest Jason then went on to say that he doesn’t think that the Tea Party is white supremecist.

Huh?

Conservatives are afraid. That’s why they are the way they are. Fear causes people to push for stronger defense, capital punishment, putting up walls around the country, gun rights, and the list goes on. The next time you argue with a conservative, just understand this about them. What is the cause of this fear? I don’t know the answer.

How are the homeless counted?

I am not going to respond to the 2010 Census. I do not feel that the detailed information that the government is asking for is completely necessary. As far as privacy is concerned, NOBODY can guarantee 100 percent that the information that is sent in can be kept private. The only one who needs to know how many live with me or not is me. I consider this to be noisy and rude, especially if they plan to come knocking at my door and harassing me up to six times plus asking neighbors and others near me about my residents if you don’t respond. LEAVE ME OUT!!!

Alex, Just because the government can find out and should already know this information doesn’t mean that I need to assist them in their work. They ask for a reason, so the real question is what do they plan to do with this information? and is it constitutional?

Regarding privacy and the census, all of the information becomes public after 70 years. Anyone in the world will have access to it online. The folks at the census always neglect to tell us this.

I cannot believe the calls coming in today.

Iraq?We don’t want to become clannish like Iraq? We all want to pull together in the same direction?

I guess the caller means we should all march lock step into an immoral war based on lies.

Yeah, that’s what America means to me.

further reason to STAY OUT!!! I agree with Jason, I do not need to assist them with the figures.

How about some push back against the right wingnuts who call suggesting that Apartheid was the good ole days? This was a blatently racist comment. The response: Hmm.. thanks for calling.

Guest Joel said that Sarah Palin’s children are mixed race and then says her husband is part “eskimo “. That is considered a racist term by the Inuit people.

The caller missed the point on South Africa; it’s not an example of a mixed-race country, but of the damage done by racial oppression.

If it is indeed the “murder capitol of the world”–I hadn’t heard that myself–it’s because systematic oppression destroys the mutual bonds that hold a nation together, and leaves its people scarred, hopeless, and angry.

So if we gotta use it as an example, let’s use it as an example of why we SHOULDN’T discriminate.

Why did you even take the call from Jason?? You have an hour to have an intelligent conversation. Please don’t waste it!

A note to Tea Baggers: Message received. You may now go back to laundering your hoods and cleaning your guns.

So if Bush did it we should do it again? I don’t understand why leftists always vilify Bush and back up their current actions by … Bush did it too… Using their own logic, doesn’t that automatically make their actions wrong by copying the vilified Bush?

Why do they need to know about your race??? I think that if all they want to know is how many and where people are, where you come from does not matter. If they want to figure out where to send money based on your “race”, its a racist question!!! If I am from mexico, africa, europe, china,….. do I get more or less sent to my area??? I know that it was used to push back against the souths opinion about slaves and their view about them being worth 3/4 a person. Its backwards thinking!!!

A previous listener seems to think that the idea of diversity destroys the American fabric. He spoke about our having pulled together in the past. That’s really a fairy tale. It is with aceptance of diversity (not “tolerance”) that we all begin to finally participate, and become equal citizens.

The letter was also sent out first class and not bulk.

A postcard would have done the job better; it would have been less expensive and people would have seen the message without even needing to open it.

For the record, I’m not a conservative anti government nut. I support the census and thought Bush’s tax letter was equally stupid when I received that.

Caller Margaret, the geneologist, made the most astute comments.

There is a hostility to history, actual history, not Tea Party history, which seems to ignore anything that happened before 1775 or after 1787. And they are a little fuzzy on the details of even that decade.

I guess it’s a crock pot and not a melting pot. I love stew; all the textures with a shared flavor.

I love diversity, but to make it a strength for you community rather than a conflict, you need clear, effective communication between all parts of it. Communication builds culture, and that’s what gives your stew a good flavor.

I think the census is extremely useful. Whenever doing research for school or for work, I would use the statistical information that is provided by our government. It is one of the most far reaching surveys that are conducted in the U.S. On a more personal note, I can’t wait to see how my community in Michigan has grown and or changed. So much has changed in the state since 2000, and the census is a way to capture on paper, what we have witnessed with our eyes.

Joel Kotkin? Ask him about his blog and in particular his strong right wing views. Notably, he argues that Obama has “declared war on the suburbs”. Seems like GOP fear mongering to me…

http://www.joelkotkin.com/content/00143-war-against-suburbia

Seems like the government has often used information to control and suppress some people’s freedom, often groups that were disempowered anyway (Native Americans, African descent, Asian descent, etc.) Are some current fears due to a vague or concrete sense among more Americans that there is a great empowerment of the wealthy and disempowerment of poor and middle class citizens taking place, and politicians and media have projected the responsibility for that onto “government”?

I’m a little horrified by the racism that some of the callers have expressed disguised as legitimate fears about our changing nation. People are using myths about “what made america great” to suggest that diversity and immigration are a threat; the reality is that this nation would cease to function without immigration and compromising diversity would rob us of some of our greatest talents. I think the census is frightening to some people because it challenges the idea that we are a nation of whites – we’re not and we never have been.

I received notice from the Census Bureau yesterday that my 2010 questionnaire will be arriving shortly. What surprised me about this is that only a few short weeks ago, I dutifully completed a shockingly extensive Census Bureau questionnaire (it took hours to fill-out!) that, among many other things, included detailed queries about the 5 members of my family, the value of my home, tax load, utility payments, income, educational attainment etc., etc. I assumed this was my 2010 Census long-form, but it seems it was not! Apparently, the division of the Bureau that administers that questionnaire has no relationship to the “2010″ division and I will have to fill out yet another form when it arrives. This is foolish and wasteful.

I don’t think sending a “your census is coming” letter will save ANY money, it is ALL WASTE. I am not going to ‘look’ for the census simply because I got this letter. I get mail 6 days a week and no one sends me a ‘look for’ notice for anything I find in there. Maybe I’m just stupid, but I look at everything I take out of the box. I guess I should just open ‘look for’ notices and the thing I am told to ‘look for’ from now on. I hope the people sending bills don’t mind if I ignore their ‘unwarned’ mailings.

If you want to save on the cost of sending someone out to households that didn’t respond, send THEM a letter first, THEN send the agent if they don’t respond.

Privacy is a constitutional right, guaranteed by the 14th amendment to the US Constitution. If you do not protect your privacy, no one else will.

The census tract data is routinely sold to marketing firms and corporations. No one ever mentions this. Census data can be manipulated and merged with other data bases to link specific census demographic information to specific persons.
**********************************
Here are the questions, since the host and guests have decided not to highlight them:

How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?

Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1?

Is this house, apartment, or mobile home: owned with mortgage, owned without mortgage, rented, occupied without rent?

What is your telephone number?

Please provide information for each person living here. Start with a person here who owns or rents this house, apartment, or mobile home. If the owner or renter lives somewhere else, start with any adult living here. This will be Person 1. What is Person 1’s name?

What is Person 1’s sex?

What is Person 1’s age and Date of Birth?

Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?

What is Person 1’s race?

Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else?

*****************************************
Identity theft is very real and is a crime. Don’t be foolish. Protect your information. No one can guarantee that your information will be kept confidential.

Having worked in state and community planning for over 30 years, I would like to testify as to the value of the data that the decennial Census provides. Out nation and communities are constantly changing. Census data gives us one of the best periodic “snapshot” of who we are, how we are changing, and where we need to do in terms of adapting the physical aspects of our communities to accommodate our changing needs. Census data are used to plan for housing needs, transportation, education, and other important social needs. It greatly disheartens me to see the animosity and mistrust by some in our society of what is a necessary and important federal government function.

I’m rather amused by the idea of the Teapartyers boycotting the Census & inadvertently giving the impression that this country is more ethnically diverse than it really is…

A point that I didn’t hear stressed on the radio program is that the personal info collected by the Census Bureau remains confidential- by law- for 72 years. Any info released by the Census in the meantime is strictly for statistical purposes.

I hope that the politicians don’t use the information for gerrymandering. It makes me ill when I see a district’s lines changed to try to capture votes based on ethnic backgrounds.

Joel teaches? (thought his name was Jason)

Wow, American Universities must be hard up.

Are some current fears due to a vague or concrete sense among more Americans that there is a great empowerment of the wealthy and disempowerment of poor and middle class citizens taking place, and politicians and media have projected the responsibility for that onto “government”?

That’s not a bug; that’s a feature of low-information media, the politicians who can’t risk running afoul of it, and the consumers who never leave its cozy womb.

Pivoting that, can we get the Dale Gribbles of the world to not answer the census this year? If they’re so anti-gummint and Don’t Tread On Me, seems like they’ll do nicely without any more of my tax dollars or our collective seats in Congress.

I am nearly 60, of the same generation as many of the so-called tea party-ers. I have been appalled at the level of intolerance given the changes my generation witnessed decades ago. I want to scream to them to get with the times. Cultural, linguistic, religious, and ethnic diversity–none of these are new in our country. They can deny their intolerance or excuse it as fear of change. I call it prejudice and ingnorance.

Joel darling, Iraq doesn’t think of us as a role model.

census 2010: how many people actually lie, for one reason or another?

I am curious – if you have people who are illegal, the homeless, etc. in a district, do they count towards the number of representatives that you can have?

If yes, how does the census count the homeless?

Do they just take numbers from shelters? Locally, we do a homeless count each winter. It is coordinated on the same night across the region. And we know that the numbers are not accurate, only best we can do.

And do they estimate any numbers? correct for errors? estimate illegals that will not answer?

Caller Armando, in referring to himself Mexican-American and his wife “Caucasian-American”, inadvertently illustrates an important point: Until we refer to ourselves as simply *American* — and all make an effort to *assimilate* the best parts of our heritages into the collective culture of the United States — we will never truly be a melting pot, but a stew (as caller Paul noted).

Further, we must move past the labels of Democrat and Republican — and neither is necessarily synonymous with “young” or “old.”

Perhaps if the strongest and bravest in the younger generation weren’t oversees, and if the smartest weren’t drinking their brains away on campuses, we’d actually see some innovation happen.

I love how people complain about first class postage for census reminders.

Too bad people didn’t get this upset about the Iraq war.

Relax teabaggers, I got a letter yesterday telling me that the Rapture is coming soon, so you won’t have to fill out your census form.

Well said, ThresherK!

“I guess it’s a crock pot and not a melting pot.”
Posted by Dave Eger

Try cesspool.

RE: Wait one minute…Joel darling, Iraq doesn’t think of us as a role model.

With all due respect, you can’t be certain of that.

RE: I love diversity, but to make it a strength for you community rather than a conflict, you need clear, effective communication between all parts of it. Communication builds culture, and that’s what gives your stew a good flavor. Posted by Dave Eger

Agreed. Unfortunately, communication is extremely difficult when some can’t be bothered to learn the language.

Archie:

Paste this link into your browser and watch:
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/3/9/105_000_tattoos_iraqi_artist_wafaa

Here is a piece of the transcript of an Interview with an Iraqi-American artist whose brother died in the war.

WAFAA BILAL: “…And Counting” is a new project I’m doing, which is using a tattoo as a medium and playing with the idea of visible-invisible issue. You have 5,000 American deaths in Iraq, and you have 100,000 Iraqi deaths, as the consequences of this war. And what I’m trying to do, I’m trying to create something as an engagement. I’m trying to create a platform, a virtual and physical platform, one people could come and even just, as a start, acknowledge the number. The number is just staggering.

And when I was invited by the Elizabeth Foundation of the Arts to talk about the Iraq issues and the death, I didn’t know—or I didn’t want to create another physical monument that’s going to be abandoned after a few years or few months, few days maybe. And how do you remember human being that’s been killed by an aggression? And what I wanted to do, I wanted to create that monument, when I could carry it with me.

And what I’m doing is, the entire product is three stages. Stage one, I lay down the Iraqi cities, Iraqi map with no border. Then I am putting 100,000 dots, one dot for each Iraqi, in an invisible ink. It’s not going to be visible unless you have a UV light. And stage three is the 5,000 American deaths going to be on top of the 100,000. So, at the first glance, on my back, you are going to see the Iraqi cities in Arabic and the 5,000 dots that represent American death. And there are different circumstances when you have a UV light. You are going to see the 100,000 dots come to life. And that is examining the issue of Iraqi death is not being visible, is not being acknowledged. And the number, it’s so high we cannot even comprehend.

With that project, a place and a dot, for each dot, we are—people donating one dollar for Rally for Iraq organization to raise a scholarship money for Iraqi children who lost their parents during this war. And this is just an objective of leaving something tangible, not just the art piece on my back, but also something that’s practical, something that gives hope to the Iraqi generation under this war.

Agreed. Unfortunately, communication is extremely difficult when some can’t be bothered to learn the language.

Yep, them teabaggers are all on record as having been being inclusive until them furrin-speakin types tried to summarize Proust during a book club meeting.

How many EFL (English as a first language) goverment employees have been wasting about a year trying to communicate with English-speaking teabaggers?

I say we should TAKE ANOTHER CENSUS

The Census of the dead, we should tattoo it on the bodies of those responsible: Karl Rove, George Bush, Dick Cheney and many in the media.

Here is the pertinent language from the US Constitution contained in Article 1, section 2, clause 3:

“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.”

All persons are counted, whether citizens of the country or not. Presence and residence in the country is what matters.

Please read the U.S. Constitution. It still matters. There are certain persons in the country who believe that the U.S. Constitution does not matter. It still does. They are very wrong in their thinking. We need to unite. Multi-culturalism and diversity are only separating us. We are all Americans. Do not allow the politicians and the special interest groups to use the divide and rule tactics. We are still a great country, desite what Howard Zinn preached. There are too many guilty and self-hating people in the country. Stay informed and stay positive.

The ONLY people dividing us GENERAL (arrogant name for an arrogant man) are YOU, because you refuse to accept responsibilty for past wrongs.

AND IF YOU ARE SO PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN, WHY ARE YOU AFRAID TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED?

If you we do not take reponsibilty for ourselves then we are are united under LIES.

What about us Americans residing overseas? We are no longer an anomaly in this global world. We are estimated to be about as populous as the state of Colorado, or around 7 million. We vote, we (are obliged to) pay U.S. taxes, we sell U.S. products, and we promote American interests and values. And yet we are invisible.

It’s interesting that the people who are saying multiculturalism is destroying the fabric of the country seem to have a very selective view of history.

When New York City was New Amsterdam there were over 100 languages spoken in the area.

I was watching a documentary recently about the famous trapper and frontier guide Kit Carson who’s first wife was an native Indian, and second one was Mexican. He spoke several languages even though he was illiterate, he could not read or write.

In the early days of the west which I we can say is anything west of the Mississippi, people were marrying all into all kinds of different races, creeds and so on.

This country despite the absurd 18th century ideal of manifest destiny, is one of different cultures coming together. Be it Danes, Scots, French, English, Irish, Chinese, African of many regions, Turks, Poles, Russians, Swedes, I could go on but you get the idea.

You folks who are holding on to a myth of some kind of purity of what an American is are pretty disillusion and selective.

If you live in the South West, well that all belonged to Mexico for a few hundred years before it became territories of the US and then states.

The whole idea of this country is one of excepting people from all over the world, at least that’s what it says on the Statue of Liberty.

I think the intolerance of some callers intolerance is why there is so much intolerance. You have to admit, the white working class are not rich, and never have been, and they are the ones who live side by side with the minorities that Government initiatives, passed by wealthy people, who do not have to live day to day with their rulings. You can’t say nigger in this nation, but you can say redneck. That’s not equal distribution of tolerance, and whether they realize it or not, their anger springs from that.

I’m sure my post will be dismissed. It’s expected that it will be. But, if you want to know why these people are so angry, there is your best, most concise, answer. You can say it’s not warranted that they feel this way, but what do your ideals have that trumps their emotion? They feel this way for a reason, and nobody ever says to them “Well, maybe you have a reason to feel angry, lets figure this out.” Instead they get called rednecks and tea baggers, and white trash, and nobody bats an eye. They’ve always been working class people, not rich white sterotypes. Who’s an advocate for these people? They get the message loud and clear; they don’t deserve one. Well, that leads to anger, so…there you go.

Dear Vindi:

November 2010 is coming. Get registered and get ready to vote. In my mind, I have already voted. In St. Charles, Missouri today there is a counter Obama rally (2,200 people), but it will not be reported by the drive-by media. (The closed Obama healthcare rally is drawing about 400 people). Any wonder why people are upset? The MSM no longer controls the narrative. F. Chuck Todd and the Senate can complain all they want to about Drudge. You cannot censor the truth. It will always be revealed. November 2010. Be there or be no where.

Dear Wait One Minute,

You assumed that my comment indicated that I was not going to respond to the census. I never said anything about not responding to the census. I never advocated not following the law. I only requested that people read the U.S. Constitution. I suspect that you are not particularly bright or informed. I suspect that you have never read article 1, section 2, clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution. You are irrational. You are illogical. You reached a conclusion without any facts. You appear to lack critical thinking skills. What country has not made mistakes? You have made mistakes. We all have made mistakes. What would you have the country do? I cannot help it if you are filled with guilt, hatred of the country, and hatred of yourself. Finally, I am a general. A real live general. Have a nice day. Try to keep some positive thoughts. Oh, one more thing. Typing in capital letters is really annoying. There is a shift key. Use it appropriately and that is an ORDER.

I agree with the anti-census posters above.

The government don’t need to know nothin’ about me or my kin. If anyone comes snoopin’ around on my property asking questions, I’ll spit some beechnut in their eye and hit ‘em with my banjo!

I’ve also got my eyes peeled for the black helicopters.

“The voter”,

Hey! I was at that rally too. I was the fat guy carrying the picture of Obama with Hitler’s moustache. I think your count was way off though. I saw it reported on Fox News that the attendance was much closer to 220,000.

To “THE GENERAL”

“You assumed that my comment indicated that I was not going to respond to the census. I never said anything about not responding to the census”

you assume
1. that my comment was directed to you. I did put a space between the comment directed at you and my comment directed at the people here claiming that they are NOT going to fill out their census forms. You are not the center of the universe.

2. you also assume that you people have not read the Constitution. Taht you are someone superior in your knowledge

3. also, I am not guilty of war crimes. Nor do I accept responsibilty for war crimes. I will be proud to be American when past wrongs are righted.

General, you are a bastard, worse, you try to play yourself off as intelligent. you are the living embodiment of arrogance.

Was Abu Guraib a mistake?

The above statements are why the Tea Party is on the rise. Keep it up! The more you poke that beehive with your one-sided, bigoted, liberal views, the stronger we get.

AND I AM REALLY SORRY FOR WRITING IN ALL CAPS. GENERAL, YOU KNOW WHAT’S REALLY ANNOYING THOUGH? Living in a country such as Iraq, and being attacked because a distant government says that there are weapons of mass destruction in your country, when there aren’t any. Is it easier for you to accept the truth when it is not in capital letters?

Hey General,

Why are you so defensive about being an American that you have to hide behind words like mistake? Why can’t you just call a wrong out in plain-spoken english, and not wrap it in the flag or intellectual-sounding bullcrap?

A lie’s a lie, ain’t it SIR?

Who are you really, “Flick”? You sound strangely like “Stacked”.

By the way, I will keep it up. I’ve found the best way to shine light on the absurdity of tea bag denizens is to try to make their arguments. It just comes off sounding silly and stupid.

Regarding your threats (tea party is on the rise. Keep it up!), I’ll quote one of our nations great presidents. “Bring it on!” -George Walker Bush.

“Finally, I am a general. A real live general.”

What’s your real name General?

I am just nobody, so who cares what my name is, right? But you, YOU’RE A REAL LIFE GENERAL.

Seems to me the only people who paid for “mistakes” in Iraq were the MPs. Not you generals, and certainly not the civilian leadership.
Pin it on the little guy. The American way, right SIR?

I haven’t listened to the show yet, but judging by the comments I am betting Tom and company didn’t do a very good job at explaining the Census very well.

Diane Rehm had a much better program on this topic last week. I suggest the ignorant fools posting here listen to it and understand why you are only hurting yourself and the community by not filling out the form.

http://wamu.org/programs/dr/10/03/07.php#32741

There are two forms. The actual 2010 census form is 10 questions. Then there is a long for which is randomly sent to 1 on 6 households. And, there is the American Community Survey, The (ACS) gathers information once collected from the census long form on a continuous basis. It is the largest survey in the United States and the only source of small-area data on a wide range of important social and economic characteristics
for all communities in the country. Approximately 3 million housing units receive the ACS every year.

The information gathered in these surveys determines federal funding for things in your community. It helps determine your representation in Congress.

But of course, if you’re already of the mind that “the gubment is out to get you” you wont listen to any reason anyway.

So go ahead. Ignore the form. Those of us who will will gladly send more lawmakers to Capital Hill to vote for our evul librul issues and take your funding.

Hey, General

Why don’t you take the hood off, if you are so proud of the fact that you are an American and a General, reveal your true self. What is your name SIR?I mean c’mon you’re a General, who is going to mess with you?

Hey people, don’t you feel so humbled that A REAL LIVE GENERAL has graced us with his presence? Talking with all us “guilty” commoners who don’t know nothing about the Constitution.

Oh, and guess what!? I was posting in the other topic about how whites were about to become a minority soon, so cry me a river Tea Baggers, when look what came out in the news today:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/10/national/main6284387.shtml?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel

Minorities make up nearly half the children born in the U.S., part of a historic trend in which minorities are expected to become the U.S. majority over the next 40 years.

In fact, demographers say this year could be the “tipping point” when the number of babies born to minorities outnumbers that of babies born to whites.

I guess the bible belt shouldn’t have worked so hard against family planning issues. It came back to bite them in the ass!

These comments have been funny and strange. No one has to be a computer wizard to know that Americas corporations know MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more about you than the government does.

Who controls, and sells your credit information, your health information, your purchasing information, etc. NOT the government! If you really want to test this, type your name and address into Google (also NOT the government) and see what you get.

The overwhelming bulk of information about you is the information you have freely given to corporations, and these corporations couldn’t care less about the trivial information that the census gathers.

Do big-wig generals often monitor chat forums? Wow, you guys must be scared of what us dumb rabble are thinking.

Cory, bringing it on is exactly what the Tea Party is doing. You’re going get your wish, I promise! I can’t wait!

Hey TOM,
I gotta an idea for a show.

How about “the General” and Wafaa Bilal on “mistakes” and the “census of death” in Iraq tattooed on his back

Wait one minute…quite frankly, screw Iraq. America, love it or leave it!

Gina, most of those babies born are to illegals who come here, abuse our hospitality, destroy our ER’s and social support nets, and pay no real taxes! They are THIEVES in that regard, and CRIMINALS for breaking into our nation. That’s a FEDERAL CRIME! No children born to invaders should be counted as legitimate.

Ms Sullivan is mistaken. The founders did not consider ‘distribution of resources’, they did not see the federal government as being in the business of distributing resources. I it s matter of fair representation in congress.
Who is counting people living aboard their boats?
We live out of the country right now so I guess even though we are citizens, voters and land owners we will not be counted. But those there either accidentally or illegally will be counted. Do they count the hotel rooms full of tourists?
This whole things seems to be missing the point which is fair representation of the citizens in their government.

I don’t understand why people want to promote failed cultures over the ones that brought us the modern world we all enjoy. It wasn’t the Incan, African, Indian, or Polynesian cultures that brought the world Electricity, Airplanes, Cell Phones, Democracy, or the Internet. It was the dominant culture that did that. The other cultures failed! They lost. America loves to shack up with the losers of Global History now. It’s suicide. If all these cultures had it so great, then why did they come here? Simple answer…our culture did it right, and they all want a piece of that.

Dear Wait One Minute:

Please get back on your medication. You sound very angry. In the words of Nancy Pelosi, you sound like
“one sick person.” I cannot help it if you have not read the U.S. Constitution. Did your teachers even cover the subject in school or did you enjoy a wonderful, modern day public school education? Those of us who went to private school always made fun of you wretches. Have a happy day.

I work at the Census Bureau, and I can tell you I have no way in the world to find out one bit of information bout any of you. The phone book and your neighbor have ten times the info. And as one writer said, you freely give it up on the Internet every day.

I have a low level job, I can’t answer many questions, but I can try to answer a few that came up, the age question tells the people who need the data such as public schools, Medicare, how many people will be of school age, and retirement age, and when. Your tax dollars pay for that. The sex question tells the facts about how many women and men there are in the country. The race question does the same, no one can lie and say the country is mostly white. The homeowner question also says how many people own or rent, I have heard America is unique in that many people own their homes. Census data shows if this is true or not. The homeless do get counted, but I am not part of that so I don’t know how it will be done. The data is also used to update the GPS systems. If that annoys you, don’t ever use the GPS system again. If you think the Census Bureau can get the data from someplace else, where would that be? We don’t ask other government agencies about your data, we ask you. We do not accept second hand data. If you lie on the forms, we have to key, or scan what you say, it is not up to us to change what you have said. There are countries that have no census that I know of, the government makes up what they want the rest of the world to believe, we are better than that.
This is just me talking, but the Census data prevents people from lying about the demographics of the country to suit themselves.

PARDON THE CAPS…Ms Morello or Sullivan called it CONSERVITIVE RESISTANCE TO THE CENSUS while other bloggers questioned WHY BE RESISTANT?
Show guest, Mr Kofkin provided the answer–the solution to diversity is to strengthen America’s SET OF CORE VALUES. Isn’t this what the resistant conservitates are about? WHAT IS MORE CORE TO OUR NATION THAN THE CONSTITUTION AND BILL OF RIGHTS? It is not a census count that is bening objected to — it is the implication that the government can violate the constitutional defination of the cencus and then threaten us with punishment for not complying…THE RESISTANCE IS TO VIOLATION OF OUR MOST CORE VALUE — THE CONSTITUTION.THIS IS THE SAME RESISTANCE THE TEA PARTY (TRANSLATE CONSTITUTIONALISTS) HAS AGAINST GUN CONTROL, AND OTHER SLOW BUT STEADY IMPRINGMENT ON OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.
One other comment on Mr Kofkin’s comments, yes diversity has been good for our nation but past imigrants SHARED A “CORE VALUE” TO BLEND AND BECOME A PART OF THE AMERICAN CULTURE. New imigration includes those who’s religious beliefs prohibit them from allowing blending or worse that Americans (and the core American values) are wrong, that Americans are infidels. THAT KIND OF DIVERSITY IS WHAT MR KOFKIN DESCRIBED AS BAD IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD–and it’s not likely to help here either!

GavinB,

Just to make sure I understand what you are saying…
1. Might makes right?
2. All expired civilizations are failures? Does this include the Romans, Persians, and Greeks?
3. We have gained nothing of value from any of the “worthless” civilizations you’ve mentioned?

Cory,

Get yer head out of the sand!

1. Violence is truly the supreme authority from which all other authority is derived.

2. The Greeks and Romans and even Persians were all great civilizations that were gobbled up from the inside out, and lead to new dark ages after every time. Because the spoiled offspring of the strong people who built those civilizations forgot what it truly took to command power. It’s not how nice you are. It’s how tough and smart. This is what is happening here. History repeating itself.

3. We have taken much from other civilizations. The operative word here being “taken.” We didn’t ask for it. We TOOK it, and then made it even better.

The caller was right, we’ll be South Africa soon. Something to look forward to indeed!

Rolling Blackouts, Farm Murders, an educational system continually dumbed down, Inflation, Racial butchery, you name it! All things to aspire to! NOT!

Somehow a program on the census turned into a crying towel for Iraq. So, I apologize.

I apologize that we didn’t decimate Saddam’s Army in the first Gulf war, overtake the country, destroy the WMD at that time and free the Iraqis. Many of you Iraqis and thousands of Americans would still be alive had we done so.

I apologize to the victims of 9/11 that President Clinton allowed OBL to escape, contributing to the attack on the US.

I apologize to the American people that we failed to level Iraq and in particular Fallujah in the second Gulf war which would have spared many American and Iraqi lives.

I apologize to the victims at abu grab that we put underpants over your heads instead of chopping off your heads as you did to Daniel Pearl.

Hey General,

Why does a big important person like you care what us lowly public educated fools think anyway?
Geez, I would think someoone as important as A REAL LIVE GENERAL would have better things to do than converse with us lowlife.

Hey General, are you the one that ordered the torture at Abu G? That led to at least one actual death, I mean real death, not the hallucinations that comes with all the medication you are on.

O’Reily likes to rib Jon Stewart’s audience as “stoned slackers,” but it is ODD how just yesterday this guy was trying his damndest to convice us stoned slackers of how justified torture is. Why do these big wigs care so much? since we are obviously so stupid and foolish and in the minority. We are constantly told we are in the minority and NPR is our last bastion of liberal nonsense. So why would someone like “The General” who says he is a REAL LIFE GENERAL, care what this totally out of touch stupid minority thinks on this little chat room?

“I apologize to the victims at abu grab that we put underpants over your heads”

What about the guy that was killed? The one that we were told was a heart attack? That was somebody’s brother or father or cousin.

Does he count? hey we are talking about the census right? We are talking about counting people. Why are so many Americans afraid to be counted as Americans? Why is the fear coming from the very people who claim to be patriots?

The problem with the Census is that it seems to be based on the myth of “white racial purity.” Any white person who admits to any non-white ancestry (with the exception of American Indian) is automatically classified by the Census bureaucrats as a member of the nonwhite group. In the case of more than one nonwhite ancestral group, the Census Bureau seems to choose the one with the least social status. By doing so, they are sending a negative message about racial intermixture.

Hispanics are the largest “mixed-race” group in the U.S., and the Census Bureau has always tried to hide this fact.

All day I’ve been thinking about the gentleman that called and was worried about the changes that are occurring in our country. I think he is afraid that tolerance and acceptance is going to bring disaster to this country. As an example, he claimed that South Africa was the murder capital of the world. Not true. And a brief internet search would reveal facts, not fiction and probably alleviate his fears. But what he should know is that the United States has the highest murder rate of any non-third world democracy in the world. But as we have become more tolerant toward all the people in our country, crime rates have dropped.

I truly do not mean to rude to you Boyden, but, what a skewed load of nonsense! Murder rates in South Africa, and in fact any nation, are done by percentages of said countries population. The United States is larger than the whole of Europe in land mass and population, and there-by far in excess of South Africa! You have heard of the term “per-capita” haven’t you? The Per-capita murder rate in South Africa is the highest in the world!

And it is not “tolerance” but money that dictates the drop in crime rates. In fat years, the crime rate goes down, because people have jobs and don’t resort to crime as much. In lean years it inevitably goes up. It has nothing what-so-ever to do with Diversity or Tolerance.

And while we’re on it, lets define “Tolerance” and what that really means in the United States. Tolerance means making accommodations, sometimes bending over backwards, for people of color, while never giving the floor to anyone who is not. You can see that attitude displayed here when the mention of white concerns is immediately met with disdain, insult, and a sense of entitlement on the part of anyone who is either not white, or believes unquestioningly the quasi-religion in this nation of political correctness and multiculturalism.

Africa is black, The orient is Asian, but Europe and America are “racist” and must never acknowledge their cultural and racial origins. You of course see the hypocrisy in this ideology. What it all comes down to is revenge in the end. European and Americans dominated, civilized and raised the bar of the Global Civilization, and now it’s “payback time.” No good deed shall go unpunished.

Civilizations do not disappear because of War, Famine, Economic Catastrophe, or Moral Decay. Civilizations disappear because the peoples who build them disappear. This is why Japan, who nobody would argue is not racially Asian, or take issue with that, is still here, while Greece, Rome, and Egypt, are long gone, even though Japan was there the whole time along side them.

Why does every conversation have to turn into a majority minority conversation…and then we wonder why there is always so much division between races. Let it go.

Also, not surprising the Tea Party movement is looked down upon.

Predictable

No, he doesn’t count…but dead Americans dragged through the streets and hanged from a bridge…they count.

Tom, I can’t believe you gave that Tea Party guy a pass on his obviously racist insinuations. The comment about South Africa could not be more obvious! He was saying that it was better with Apartheid because, look out, the black people are free now and it’s become the “murder capital of the world,” in his words.

It’s disgusting that you wouldn’t take that man to task when he used your show as a platform for his ethnocentric, racist — potentially white supremacist — views.

Parker, there is nothing wrong with identifying with others that look and think more as you do. Nobody questions realistically, the Congressional Black Caucus, even though we have a “Black” President. Let it go? We’ve tried. Minorities are the ones that won’t let it go, by-and-large. It’s because they covet, and that makes them angry. Their societies did not build this nation by-and-large, so it must be “whitey’s” fault that they feel angry about that, even though if “whitey” truly wanted to “wipe them out” they would have done so a long, long time ago. All Civil Rights were supported, primarily, by others, outside of people of color. That is why those ideas and laws passed. It was a simple question of enough votes. In the past minorities did not have enough human beings to provide those votes. And yet, even today, it’s not enough to even have them say “Thank You.” A simple “Thank You” they can not manage. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Steve, I find it discusting that you attack a single caller for being “racist” while never mentioning the fact that the NAACP still exists; a organization, exclusively by name, devoted to only a single race. Yes they say they are for all peoples, but how many white guys are on their board? Yeah, that’s what I thought. You call a person a “racist” for making a valid observation, all the while saying nothing about a Political Force built solely on race. Real nice. Where is your colorblind ethos now?

GavinB, please don’t assume I’d be any less angered if a black caller rang up and say “Yeah, whitey’s going down! Can’t wait until the whole country’s ‘of color’.”

I understand the need for the census. However, one caller mentioned “being on the same page” and I’d say that no one in the US is even in the same book! Residents are no longer “American” primarily because we have no commonality any longer. A multi-lingual survey is a PRIMARY indication of this. We have no common language! Prior to this census issue, NPR trashed the Eurooean Union for pretty much the same reason: no commonality, including language.

There is no “American Responsibilty” to promote “American Loyality”. So why should anyone feel compelled to participate in a census?

That’s patently ridiculous. There will always be those who prefer to live and mate with those that look like them. And it is their God Given right to make that decision. So long as they do not harm anyone physically. They may do as they wish. Whites have given. In Zimbabwe right now, all whites must give 51% of their business over to Black People by law. Where is your outrage there? If a law like that were made here, where anyone who was not Native American had to turn 51% of the businesses that they created over, there would be a hellstorm, but it’s white people there, so screw ‘em right!

I invite people to consider: NPR recently interviewed a 25 year old Mexican male who ADMITTED he’s here ILLEGALLY. In Newburgh NY, an ILLEGAL Mexican was interviewed by a local newspaper. A photo of his house appeared with the printed interview. No efforts toward deportation followed. Immigration laws are violated. No corrective action is taken.

The US government has sadly set the foundation: laws are made to be ignored or a source of humour.

If the Federal government WILL NOT enforce a blatant immigration law, as long as it REFUSES to label “ILLEGALS” as “ILLEGAL” AND take appropriate action against them, I, as a BORN AMERICAN OWE NOTHING, including participation in this census, to this government, which has become little more than an impotent, poor laughing matter.

Furthermore, as long as statistics are bent along favouring PARTICULAR Racial lines, TRUE “Minorities” are ignored in favour of misnamed/misclaimed, so-called “Minorities” I, personally have no interest in participating in anything governmental. Demographers are little more than Liberals who refuse to accept FACTS. There is no TRUTH to be trusted; NO CREDIBILITY. Sad. Terribly sad. This is the U.S.

No, this will be the US. Just as we let the Rhodesians be taken over by Communists, so too will we allow ourselves, under the guise of “race.” Khrushchev was right! “They have destroyed us from the inside out!” They infiltrated our Higher Education sources, and produced an ignorant generation that killed the American society. We will not go the way of the South Africans. We will go the way of Rhodesia. There was no Apartheid there. In fact, they had better racial policies in 1965 than the US South did, but we sold them out, and in doing so, betrayed ourselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EymtjCcoshE

Strange: these people can’t wait to come here, get the Yanker dollar, scream racial bias BUT refuse to speak OUR English language, listen to English radio, watch Englisg TV, read English newspapers. They DEMAND that WE adapt to THEIR culture, heritage, traditions, language.

And it’s disgusting how WE allow this… even NPR/WNYC is turning traitor, against the American, with biased reporting and even now, yet another Spanish-themed broadcast when so much of NYC’s FM radio is turning against English.

Hope dies as we watch.

To paraphrase the late Kenneth Boulding, if you believe in infinite growth on a finite planet you must either be an economist or a fool. Which is your guest? You guest promoting another 100 million doesn’t seem to understand that the U.S. is a subset of the planet. He is promoting a great ponsi scheme. We can’t always have more people in the younger age brackets because the planet is finite and zero population will happen whether we like it or not. The only question is, will zero population growth be brought about by the good old fashion way of disease, famine and war or will you use our intelligence to find a less painful way to get their. So far it seems that public policy prefers the former.

The Census, a snapshot of what America is becoming. To get an early idea, go south to the border and look across to Mexico and you will see what America will be like in a few years. America once described as a melting pot decades ago will in the future be described as a boiling pot of diversity. Immigrants decades ago assimilated into our culture, the new ones will change our culture.
I thought I would never live to see the day when illegals marched in American streets waving the Mexican flag and demanding their rights and singing their version of OUR national song. A famous Communist leader once stated America would be defeated without firing a shot. It seems he was right, the take over of America has begun.

The amount of intolerance, hate and ignorance being spouted on this forum is astonishing.

It’s truly a shame that some of you people seem to think this country belongs to you and that people who are not like you racially or politically are to be demonized.

You all act like thugs and cowards.

Were the 500,000 who died on the Civil War Battlefields to liberate Blacks, either side, they died to resolve the issue, cowards?

Were the men who purchased Libera, as a homeland for any Black who wanted to return to Africa, cowards?

Were the men and women who marched with the civil rights movement who were not Black, cowards?

Were the people who supported Affirmative Action, who were not minorities, cowards?

Were the people who voted for a Black President, who were not Black, cowards?

Is it so wrong for them to be thanked, and given equal consideration now that they have willingly accepted minorities into this nation, when they could have just barred them out, or even killed them, but chose not to, to asked to now be truly be treated equally, and without insult?

NO! It is you who are a coward jeffe! You who ignore the facts, and continue fighting battles already won, because they are now easy battles to win!

If there is to be true racial peace, then the time spent on minorities must now be spent on those that gave them consideration. Being white is not a crime! Pride in ones race is not a sin! Benevolence has been shown from the former majority, but it has yet to be returned in kind! And keep in mind, white people are STILL the majority. You treat us badly, after all we have done–more than any other dominating race has ever done for others, and look to Africa, Mexico, Asia, would you get as fair a shake as you have gotten here…HELL NO YOU WOULDN’T HAVE–and there is still time to push WAY, WAY back. The message: deal in good faith, all Americans, and be Americans, or actions can be taken. We are not fools. This is the test! Have we been foolish? You tell us. This isn’t over by a long shot, so choose wisely; choose as fairly, overall and in historical context, as you have been treated. If you think you got a raw deal here, then get the hell back to where you heralded, and try that smack there! It’s equal for all or bust! Time for whites to be considered as well, hell, we’re only the builders and STILL the majority afterall!

Stack you have done this act before.
I get it, you’re an angry white guy who needs to degrade people different then yourself. Or are you. I seem to remember a person using the same name as you saying the same things you say here claiming to be “putting people on”. Which is it? I think you are the angry white guy I describe but even if you are not you have so many issues to deal with it’s not funny

You use threats and think you have more rights than people who are not like you.

Just to show you what a complete numskull you seem to be this is from the national archives.

By the end of the Civil War, roughly 179,000 black men (10% of the Union Army) served as soldiers in the U.S. Army and another 19,000 served in the Navy. Nearly 40,000 black soldiers died over the course of the war—30,000 of infection or disease. Black soldiers served in artillery and infantry and performed all noncombat support functions that sustain an army, as well. Black carpenters, chaplains, cooks, guards, laborers, nurses, scouts, spies, steamboat pilots, surgeons, and teamsters also contributed to the war cause. There were nearly 80 black commissioned officers. Black women, who could not formally join the Army, nonetheless served as nurses, spies, and scouts, the most famous being Harriet Tubman, who scouted for the 2d South Carolina Volunteers.

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war/

How am I a coward? I’m standing up to your juvenile diatribes. I wish I could do it in person. I’m not scared of your ilk. People like you have nothing better to do than bring hate, spite and malice into the world.

What a waste.

[...] Driving home last night, I caught part of an episode of On Point with Tom Ashbrook. The topic was the 2010 U.S. Census. I’ve been interested in the forthcoming census (forms will be mailed next week): its [...]

The impression I get from the racist comments, is that those who do not have white (enough) skin should be treated like pets that are unaware that they are owned, and if they don’t act kindly toward their masters and beg for forgiveness for their existence and their housing, and food, training, ect. then the White Masters are going to set the whole plantation right again.

There are some valid points within the rhetoric, but they are being framed wrongly on the basis of race.

The example is not South Africa, not Rhodesia, but Rwanda. Some angry politically connected racist gets on the radio and stirs the hatred of the ignorant until a race war is the result.

Gary, would you define your usage of the term “racist comments” please.

I see “racist comments” every time I hear the words “Diversity”, “Multicultural”, or “African-American, Mexican-American”, “LaRaza”, “NAACP”, etc. And especially when I see the name “NAAWP”…oh, wait, that one doesn’t exist.

Cale or Stack, it does not matter if you are the same person or two different people as you are cut from the same cloth.

You left out Irish, Italian, Lebanese, Chinese, Polish, Russian, you get the idea, I hope.

You think you are smart by turning around the idea of racism as if it’s somehow white people who are the victims here. Whites are the ones who enslaved the Africans, made the Jim Crow laws, kept Blacks and Jews out of restaurants and hotels and Ivy league universities. It amazes me how people like you think you are a victim, amazing it really is amazing.

Jeffe, White people are also the ones who liberated Europe, give money to Israel and support it daily. White people laid half a million lives down to free Black People amongst many many other actions of grace. Racism is a live and well, and propagated by people of all races. It’s high time that Whites be given their day. For anything white people have done wrong, they’ve done 10X that amount in good. And so far as slavery goes, the Arabs slaved Africa for 700 years before a European ever stepped foot on the continent. In fact, slavery was a culturally accepted norm amongst the Blacks of Africa themselves! The Blacks sold their own to Dutch and Jewish slave traders.

You are so backwards and twisted in your knowledge of history it’s astounding Jeffe. You don’t need to be advising anyone! You need to crack some books!

@Cale The racist ideology that I refer to is the Mein Kampf styled statements from above and others expressed in the media.

Cale so because “White People” suffered it gives you the right to twist things around to support your world view?
Blacks, Jews and Asians all died in wars as well.
African American solders fought and died for this country and could not eat in restaurants, had to ride in the back of buses and were subjected to Jim Crow laws. In the South were a lot of German POW’s were interned, the Germans had more rights than the Black solders did.
Give me a break pal.

Slavery was in the Bible, does that make it right?

Whites earn more than non-whites in this country per.
White men earn more than white woman.

What history books are you suggesting? The ones that rewrite history to support your views?

Cale the US government is not only a government of and for whites.

And so far as slavery goes, the Arabs slaved Africa for 700 years before a European ever stepped foot on the continent. What is the point of this statement?

That because slavery existed before we became a country it was alright?

Aging baby boomers attacking “white males” are still stuck in the ideology of the 60s. It’s no surprise to anyone under 40 that the real racists these days populate the “minority advocacy” groups like La Raza and the NAACP. If you take anything said by these groups and replace their particular race with “white europeans” its impossible to avoid just how offensive and divisive they are. The nooses these days are hung by the leaders of these groups just to try to maintain the illusion of the downtrodden minority (see the recent incident UCSD incident if you’re not convinced).

Aging baby boomers are busy fighting the last war. It will be a relief when they move out of the political dialog.

White males who define themselves by degrading others are stuck in a mind set of victim. As Rob L has clearly pointed out by his comment.

That’s right Jaffe, so don’t piss us off. 2050’s still a long ways away, and like it or not, while males are going to be the majority for quite a while.

Rob L I’m shaking in my socks. Give it a rest and try acting like an adult and not some high school bully.

Not a threat, Jaffe, just a reminder of the facts. Whites are a majority of the population, create a majority of the GDP, fill a majority of the most important political, business, and technical positions in this country. Bashing white males is the ineffectual past time of the pseudo intellectual.

I’m not bashing all white men, it’s only the ignorant self satisfied prigs who think they are Gods gift.
Who think they are entitled just because they are white men. That’s not all of them. However if the shoe fits…

Recently, I found the 2010 Census form hanging on my door. As I began filling it out, I came across a dilemma. The U.S. government wants to know if my children are adopted or not and it wants to know what our races are. Being adopted myself, I had to put “Other” and “Don’t Know Adopted” for my race and “Other” and “Don’t Know” for my kids’ races.

Can you imagine not knowing your ethnicity, your race? Now imagine walking into a vital records office and asking the clerk for your original birth certificate only to be told “No, you can’t have it, it’s sealed.”

How about being presented with a “family history form” to fill out at every single doctor’s office visit and having to put “N/A Adopted” where life saving information should be?

Imagine being asked what your nationality is and having to respond with “I don’t know”.

It is time that the archaic practice of sealing and altering birth certificates of adopted persons stops.

Adoption is a 5 billion dollar, unregulated industry that profits from the sale and redistribution of children. It turns children into chattel who are re-labeled and sold as “blank slates”.

Genealogy, a modern-day fascination, cannot be enjoyed by adopted persons with sealed identities. Family trees are exclusive to the non-adopted persons in our society.

If adoption is truly to return to what is best for a child, then the rights of children to their biological identities should NEVER be violated. Every single judge that finalizes an adoption and orders a child’s birth certificate to be sealed should be ashamed of him/herself.