Word: census
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There are many reasons to dislike the census, according to its detractors: It's too long, it's too invasive, it's not necessary. Those who oppose the current form primarily on the basis of its length may be surprised to know that this year's questionnaire is the shortest in 60 years. Only one question has been added since we filled out our last count; it involves grandparents who are caretakers. Hardly the stuff a hypothetical Big Brother might like to know, but that hasn't stopped some politicians from raising a red flag over even the most innocuous...
...Census opponents have softened their resistance somewhat in recent days, chastised perhaps by the specter of reduced spending in their constituencies. The Census Bureau has taken little time out of its schedule to respond to political attacks, leaving that role to President Clinton and newspapers like the New York Times, which called Lott's preliminary resistance "irresponsible." But while they're staying out of the political fray, the bureau has invested heavily in television ads, currently in rotation across the country, which depict various and wholly unpleasant effects of dismissing the importance of a census form. A young mother struggling...
These are grim images - but probably no more than what's needed to counteract a small but vocal group who take issue with the census not because it asks those personal questions about indoor plumbing but because it dares go where few American institutions have the chutzpah to go. Fierce resistance has risen from various populations regarding the census's questions about race - always a prickly issue in America - now framed in a manner that highlights our particularly schizophrenic attitudes about skin color...
Indignant response to the census form (even the short version) caught many census officials off-guard; questions long viewed as routine are now attacked from every angle. For example, some black community activists argue that black respondents should check only the "black" bubble under race, ignoring the myriad choices and combinations available on the form. This is the only way, they argue, to ensure adequate federal subsidies to communities primarily populated by black residents. Checking off more than one race, some argue, threatens to dilute funding to any community. This creates a conundrum for a respondent who is, say, black...
...ethnicity" category, which includes various Hispanic and Asian subgroups. These fairly weighty decisions are undertaken in a respondent's first few minutes alone with the form. Who wants to know, some people may demand? Why do I need to define myself for the government? In defense of the census, I'd argue that those very questions expose the most important reason for participating in a complete and accurate headcount: If we don't define ourselves, the government will do it for us. The idea of a bunch of old white guys sitting around the Capitol Building doling out money...