Contrary to historical trends," the Houston Chronicle reports, "some of the toughest challenges" facing the agency responsible for carrying out the 2010 Census are not "counting the traditionally undercounted groups such as African-Americans and Latinos. Instead, a new and growing threat to an accurate national head count is coming from anti-government conservatives who may not fill out their forms to protest against 'Big Brother' in Washington."
For months, right-wing activists and politicians have been criticizing the Census and urging people not to return their census forms. (See several examples below.) The anti-census rhetoric grew so heated that three Republican congressmen publicly chastised fellow Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) last year for declaring that she would not fill out her census form.
"Boycotting the constitutionally mandated Census is illogical, illegal and not in the best interest of our country," said Reps. Patrick McHenry (N.C.), Lynn Westmoreland (Ga.) and John Mica (Fla.), members of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives.
Even Fox News host Glenn Beck found Bachmann's anti-census stance baffling.
Registered: 04/06/02
Posts: 8469
Loc: Ishpeming, MI 75.128.229.255
Ours is filled out and sent in. Getting people riled up and encouraging anti-government attitudes is dangerous IMO.
The crazies are coming out of the woodwork and there's a good chance people are going to get hurt. I find the right-wing extremists scarier than al-Queda since they're right here and look just like everybody else (for the most part).
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Feisty survivors populate this site. Avoid controversies unless you have a very thick skin.
Mine filled in accurately. And sent in days ago, right after receiving a card from census asking where it was? Told my son we got a card from the census wanting workers at good pay for training and working with the census. He being a good Rush ditto head said, Nope he didn't want to get shot!! Ha! Paul
Yes, the Karen (pronounced Ka-rin) are a minority indiginous people from Burma who are political and religious refugees. Many live in refugee camps in Thailand. Many countries, primarily US, Canada, and Australia, have granted them refugee status because they are being slaughtered there.
They are wonderful people and we are so fortunate to have them as members of our congregation.
