Sunday, March 28, 2010

2010 Census

Okay. I am curious why I seem to be in a such a minority in feeling that the Census form seems so blatantly unbalanced in it's request for information.

I was almost expecting a Spanish version first, then English, but gladly, was not presented with that choice...

But, what is up with Question 8? Wanting to know if I am of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin, and if so, what country do I originate from. This is not a race, but a place of origin.

Then, Question 9...concerning race. First one is White. Second, Black, African American, or Negro. I found this staggeringly obvious in it's omission. If our dark-skinned citizens require three different racial descriptions, how is it that White is only one? Last I knew, White was a ridiculous term laced with a history of all kinds of negative connotation, with Caucasian actually being the correct racial term as Negroid was the original correct term... I personally don't like to be called White and always write in Caucasian, if it is necessary for me to state "what I am". White is the color of a sheet, or a clean piece of paper, not me. If language and proper names and terminology are so critical in these days of political sensitivity, then why and how does the term "White" still stand so singularly?

It's like trying to find that old crayon color, "flesh tone", a pasty pinky color with the implication that everyone's flesh is that color... Crayola no longer makes that one.

And, as for Question 8, why is it that only that "group" is being asked for their origin? Why is it not important where my "Whiteness" comes from? Germany, Ireland, Poland and Holland all had a part in what makes me "White".

So, in the end, there does seem to be a certain agenda to this year's Census form and I am choosing not to participate. This form's original purpose was solely to determine how many representatives each State would be allocated in Congress. That purpose and that purpose only. I will give them that, my body count, and that's it.

As for all the other questions on this form, one can only wonder, where is the outrage over these requests for information?

Where is Reverend Al when you really need him?