Posted on 03/17/2006 9:13:20 PM PST by Jeremydmccann
Same here my friend. The long form got sent back with only 3 people listed at the address. I received a phone call from some government douche bag demanding I give them the rest of the information. I told her the Constitution only requires the number of people and hung up. Never heard another word.
The info on those early censuses (censii?) is invaluable to genealogy enthusiasts like me becaue it was asked of every person. However, what they are doing today is more like a statistical survey since the questions are only asked of ?randomly? selected people. I doubt that it will ever be printed on the detailed census information that is released after 70 years.
After 1850, the census had the occupation of at least the head of household.
In 1900, they asked how many years each person had been married, month and year of birth for each person, how many children each married woman had given birth to and how many of those children were still living.
Very useful information for genealogists, although the data isn't made public for at least 70 years (you can see the 1930 census now, and possibly find your parents or grandparents on it.)
If you look at the last census form I filled out I'm a single, hispanic, High school dropout, buddist, union worker making $275,000 a year. They can ask all the questions they want....
That was because originally not everyone could vote, but districts were apportioned by population, with slaves counting as a portion of a person. That was a political compromise to keep the southern states from having the highest representation in the House. The other options were to count every slave (population would be heavier in the south) or count none of them (population would be heavier in the north). To balance they agreed on fractional representation for some.
Between the NEOs and democrats that should account for most of the population...
Right. My point was that the census takers have always "needed" to know more than just "how many people".
In 1790, white people were grouped by males of militia age, males younger than militia age, and females of any age. ;-)
its = possessive form of it
Oh, thank goodness, the grammar police are here!
When I got the 2000 census form, I answered only the first question, putting a large legible 2 in the box which asked how many people live here. This is the only thing the constitution requires. I then mailed the form back to them.
This was followed by visits from their minions whom I refused to open the door for. Finally they went away.
Our inquisitive federal government has been demanding that selected U.S. residents answer 73 nosy questions. They are threatened with a fine of $5,000 for failure to respond.
If you ignore them, they eventually show up at your house.
Once there, it's easy to give misleading and nonsensical answers and to claim whenever asked not to understand.
Have never heard back; I wouldn't expect people who could only get government jobs to understand.
Don't comply, other than headcount to apportion representation. Screw Big Stupid Government.
Oh, at least give them the amount of information that was on the 1850 census. Your great grandchildren will thank you. ;-)
bump
They didn't even get that much out of me. I said "Three people live here, one adult, two minors." I just kept repeating it until the guy walked away. No one ever followed up.
To all other questions, I respond "NOYFB!"
They cannot say that I did not respond.
"Now" a part of the Department of Commerce?
I'm not sure the exact date it happened, but here's a document from 1936 that shows it was, seventy years ago:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/lifetables/life30.pdf
Glad to see your eagle eye is right on top of things. ;-D
Add me to the growing list of those who didn't fill it out.
When they came to my house to ask about it, I looked them in the eye, and said, "Two." When she asked what I meant by that, I said, "The Constitution requires me to tell you 'two' and nothing more. That's how many people live here."
They never sent anyone after me, but that's what I would have told them, too!
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