Ron Paul’s Texas Straight Talk 3/8/10: Census: A Little Too Personal
http://www.house.gov/paul
http://CampaignForLiberty.com
Last week Congress voted to encourage participation in the 2010 census. I voted No on this resolution for the simple, obvious reason that the census- like so many government programs- has grown far beyond what the framers of our Constitution intended. The invasive nature of the current census raises serious questions about how and why government will use the collected information. It also demonstrates how the federal bureaucracy consistently encourages citizens to think of themselves in terms of groups, rather than as individual Americans. The not so subtle implication is that each group, whether ethnic, religious, social, or geographic, should speak up and demand its fair share of federal largesse.
Article I, section 2 of the Constitution calls for an enumeration of citizens every ten years, for the purpose of apportioning congressional seats among the various states. In other words, the census should be nothing more than a headcount. It was never intended to serve as a vehicle for gathering personal information on citizens.
But our voracious federal government thrives on collecting information. In fact, to prepare for the 2010 census state employees recorded GPS coordinates for every front door in the United States so they could locate individuals with greater accuracy! Once duly located, individuals are asked detailed questions concerning their name, address, race, home ownership, and whether they periodically spend time in prison or a nursing home – just to name a few examples.
From a constitutional perspective, of course, the answer to each of these questions is: None of your business. But the bigger question is – why government is so intent on compiling this information in the first place?
The Census Bureau claims that collected information is not shared with any federal agency; but rather is kept under lock and key for 72 years. It also claims that no information provided to census takers can be used against you by the government.
However, these promises can and have been abused in the past. Census data has been used to locate men who had not registered for the draft. Census data also was used to find Japanese-Americans for internment camps during World War II. Furthermore, the IRS has applied census information to detect alleged tax evaders. Some local governments even have used census data to check for compliance with zoning regulations.
It is not hard to imagine that information compiled by the census could be used against people in the future, despite claims to the contrary and the best intentions of those currently in charge of the Census Bureau. The government can and does change its mind about these things, and people have a right to be skeptical about government promises.
Yet there are consequences for not submitting to the census and its intrusive questions. If the form is not mailed back in time, households will experience the pleasure of a visit by a government worker asking the questions in person. If the government still does not get the information it wants, it can issue a fine of up to $5000.
If the federal government really wants to increase compliance with the census, it should abide by the Constitution and limit its inquiry to one simple question: How many people live here?
Duration : 0:3:43
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Ron is right. This …
Ron is right. This government cannot be trusted at all. It will be a cold day in Hades before I fill out and send in a census form.
be careful…you …
be careful…you may just have the mexican people in texas claim their land that was taken away from them ……
be thankful for what you have…
the government …
the government already knows who and what you are by your taxes you file every year, unless your an illegal
Yojim…EXACTLY!
Yojim…EXACTLY!
basic…because …
basic…because they are CORPORATE/BANKING WHORES.
Syt…AGAIN..what …
Syt…AGAIN..what the does the gov need to know all this crap for?????
If a PRIVATE entity wants to study us…great….make it volunteer and deal with the info that WE DECIDE to give them.
You sound like a commie.
Go to Cuba
Sytby…DUH. …
Sytby…DUH. Howeverf…the Constitution applies to only Americans as a country…not groups within the country.
Get a clue!
WTF is going on …
WTF is going on with all this invasive crap??????? Freaking gov. I am so sick of their bullshit!
HELL YEAH- RON PAUL 2012!!!!!!
Yes, we should make …
Yes, we should make sure that the government works for us, not we for them. The government has no right to impose a lengthy questionnaire on us, if we don’t want to answer it. I suppose a voluntary census would multiply Acorn double dippers by the thousands…
vote ron paul 2012
vote ron paul 2012
This info will be …
This info will be used for Gold Confiscation as well..
Let’s unpack this: …
Let’s unpack this: “encourages citizens to think of themselves in terms of groups, rather than as individual Americans.” To whatever extent one identifies as “American” is the extent to which one identifies as part of a group: the group of people who reside in the United States.
This information …
This information saves myriad researchers untold time and money by having a wide range of data available and ready for analysis. This is known as “secondary” or “existing data.” Withholding such information -which is one’s right as a sovereign citizen- renders one invisible on issues relevant to the information so withheld. Food for thought, for those to whom thought is not anathema.
@youbestbequiet Ron …
@youbestbequiet Ron paul eventually won you over, and with your help, hopefully many more like you join in too.
@bASICeXPOSURE …
@bASICeXPOSURE Because 98% of those we elect only care about how o et elected again. They don’t care (or don’t know ) about he constitution because we who elected them don’t know (or care ) about the constitution, and specially we don’t know the (historical) reasons for the articles in he constitution. What can we do, is try and inform our friends and families without getting into heated arguments with anybody.
so where is our …
so where is our freedom over this i might give them one answer
Why isn’t there …
Why isn’t there more elected politicians so concerned about our constitutional and individual rights to protect them?
Thank you Ron Paul!
Ron Paul 2012
Urge Dr. Paul to …
Urge Dr. Paul to run for President in 2012 at draftronpaul . com
Wish there were …
Wish there were more like him. Watch America: Freedom to Fascism, by Aaron Russo – eye opener. Ron Paul is in that vid. Talks about the Federal Reserve and the IRS. You can watch it in full on Google video. Made in2006.
Ron Paul 2012!
…
Ron Paul 2012!
Get your bumper stickers at RevolutionArsenal . com
He’s only one in a …
He’s only one in a body of hundreds but I’m glad Ron Paul is there to carry the voice of reason. Even if nobody else listens I can sleep easier knowing that at least one person has my back in congress.
I didn’t support …
I didn’t support Ron Paul in 2008, Now I wish I had. The more I listen to him…The more he makes sense!
Ron Paul 2012
Ron Paul 2012
Yeah, quite the …
Yeah, quite the socialist that one.
so much for …
so much for Kucinich, and other “human rights” advocates