Posted on 01/29/2009 11:29:23 AM PST by mark gordon
MY REFUSAL TO COMPLY!
January 29, 2009
I received the American Community Survey about a month ago. This compulsory 28 page document published and administered by the U.S. Census Bureau clearly demonstrates the need to ask the question " Who is out-of-control in our government?". Perhaps, more importantly, "Who is in control, outside of our government?" I decided, almost immediately, not to comply. A little investigation confirmed my suspicion. Namely, there are countless others of you out there who share a common concern about this interrogative survey as well as the motives of our government. I say " our government" because I still keep close to my heart the memory of a government and an America I supported while serving in the Vietnam war. A time when the enemy was perceived as a threat against our great nation and not from within. I received a second ACS just last week with a letter that hinted vague threats. This appears to follow the pattern described by most of you who have already experienced the ordeal. My course of action is best described by the following conviction.
It is the duty of every U.S. Citizen to practice civil disobedience when the government exceeds its authority.
The U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 states; "The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years." This gives the government authority to conduct a census every ten years by enumeration. Any demand placed upon a U.S. Citizen beyond that provision is unconstitutional. A paper history of the U.S. Census records throughout the life of our nation plainly exhibits the simple process of enumeration as the only method permitted to obtain a "head count" and only at an interval of ten years. The ACS far exceeds the intent of the U.S. Constitution for the purpose of congressional redistricting and allocation. The questions are extremely intrusive into our private lives and a blatant attempt to extract vital personal information that cannot be obtained by any other means. Also, it is my view that this campaign endorsed by our legislative body, in part or whole, is being used as a test ground to determine how far the American people will bend and stay pliable under the control of a central government. Summarizing my intent;
1) I will not comply with the demands of a government that has exceeded its authority. 2) I will not pay any fine. 3) I am, bold words but spoken true to my nature, willing to be imprisoned but not subjugated.
In doing so, I will practice civil disobedience for the first time in my life. Given the safeguards written into the U.S. Constitution by our founding fathers and the love of country they entrusted with us, I can do no other.
Mark Gordon markbgordon@yahoo.com
PostScript - I would be more than pleased to provide a PDF copy of the American Community Survey to anyone who is unfamiliar with its contents and intent.
I've taken it more than once including the "sub-surveys", for lack of a better term. Currently, I'm a representative household for the health care-specific survey. If you think the general ACS questions are intrusive wait until you see the health care one.
So, do you need government intrusiveness explained to you?
Not at all. I think it is intrusive. But I do think some of it serves a legitimate government purpose. I'd be happy to take these surveys - anonymously.
Very intrusive. And given the fact that the survey demands name of each person in the home and asks specific questions of each one, I would probably throw Roe v. Wade and its “penumbra” which created the liberals’ vaunted right to privacy back in their faces and refuse to answer any information which is personally identifiable.
I index past census records into computer-readable programs and I have seen the creep of U.S. census information. Early census records were simply head counts by sex and whether minority or majority age, maybe acreage owned, then children’s ages were added, then citizenship, immigration year, whether a resident could read or write, race, marital status, relationship of residents to each other, whether the family owned or rented, birthplace, birthplace of parents of each resident. But nothing compares to the sample 2003 questionnaire. Truthfully, I’d have to spend a fair amount of time researching to even answer a lot of those questions.
I will be a "non-complier" in 2010 (and in 2009 if I get the ACS). My wife, who has the right to make up her own mind about compliance relating to her, will be instructed that she's not authorized to disclose any information on anything I own separately or jointly, or on any personal attributes of mine. She can tell them she can't respond on my responsibility.
I'm willing to go to jail for this. By the time they come to collect a fine, my money will be out of the bank, hidden in a safe place. If they want to put a productive, tax-paying citizen in jail for noncompliance with unconstitutional laws, just let them. That's less money they can use to redistribute to the lazy and unproductive.
The census has been used too long to divide us into groups and set us against one another. The data gained therefrom is the basis for computer modeling by which our politicians gerrymander us into safe Republican and Democrat districts, thus undermining our election process and causing much of the putrid stink that's rampant in our politics. The data is also what allows our politicians to decide whose vote to buy, and how much of our money to use to do it with and where.
Sorry. I refuse to willingly participate in the undermining of this nation that this data enables the slimeballs to get away with.
I doubt they will do anything of the sort.
I've filled out the questions I wanted, left blank the ones I didn't like, and never heard anything again.
They don't appear to care/notice as, over the years, I've been designated a represenative household for a couple other issues. Same thing. Fill out what you want, leave the rest blank.
I don’t....but my child loves to ‘doodle’. LOL!
Really...it's not as if the FedGov doesn't steal from us right under our noses on a consistent basis ; )
"I don't recall."
. .. But I do think some of it serves a legitimate government purpose
Considering the first statement, the second legitimate purpose may well be defined as "a way to push through national health care legislation". I can hear it now on he news
"Juanita, after leaving her rented, uninsured, shack, spends four hours on public transit to get to her low-paying, temporary job where she does not have health insurance for her fourteen children...
Then the other part of the survey is added..But John, who lives in a fashionable mansion gets to drive his Mercedes one block (wasting gasoline and polluting the air), to his executive high paying position, can well afford health care for his 2.5 children and his diamond-laden wife...
Juanita just got richer. All due to a survey.
And as you said, not filling it out indicates you don't exist. That most certainly won't opt you out of the present, too many trails will still lead to you, but it might deny your descendants the fact of your existence in the future.
Truthfully, I’d have to spend a fair amount of time researching to even answer a lot of those questions.
___________
That’s the truth. They even ask about savings accounts and what the last years average electric bills!
LOL! There is no check box for insufficientdata, but I like it!
They wouldn’t even get into my yard without running into my welcoming committee. A huge 105 lb. German Shepherd that doesn’t like anyone but us, a 65 lb. psycho Collie/St. Bernard mix (think Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) and a muscular 110 lb. German Shepherd/Sharpei mix that loves to wrestle. I”ll just sit on my porch in my rocker and laugh at them.
I had the long form census and gave name, address, and number in the household. They are entitled to that information.
My race? Other - Human
Religion? Other - Jedi
Distance of daily commute? other - variable
Other questions? Answers were truthful but not helpful (as with Clinton under oath), or at least not provably false.
I had a lot of fun and never heard any complaints about my answers.
I ditched a tattered Old Glory for a Gadsden flag myself. That brings up a question. I still have the tattered Old Glory folded away in a closet. Does any American Legion still take old flags for proper disposal? Can I just drop it off?
Only fill out the parts required by the Constitution. Name, rank and serial number - period. BTW there is no delivery confirmation so you just did not get yours.
Savings accounts? Zero (you think of them as bank accounts)
Electric bills? Also zero (oh, you thought they meant unpaid electric bills over a year old, so sorry, but you don't have the information they asked for. Perhaps about the same as Al Gore, $1500 a month).
Research only takes time if you try to get it right. When they threaten you with prosecution for failing to salute on command, "seig heil", there is no obligation to be either truthful or helpful. As for whether to stand up to them or just have fun making up answers, that's a personal decision and refusal to respond is probably the more moral decision.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.