The Census and the Constitution

by | Mar 10, 2010 | Headline News | 48 comments

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    Contributed by alanisimus.

    Jerry Day has some interesting insights and questions about the upcoming census. Just exactly what information can the government request of us besides how many individuals reside in the dwelling being polled? Do we need to be concerned? What are your rights? Review the youtube video for yourself… you decide.

    Ron Paul Gives Us His Take:

    “The invasive nature of  the current census raises 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.”

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      48 Comments

      1. Thank you for clarifying this subject…I had heard a lot of the possible outcomes in taking the census, but no one offered any solutions and was not sure what our rights were.  So thanks again!

      2. My plan is to not return the questionnaire, and when I get a visit the MIB, answer all questions with “two weeks.”

        …a la that scene in Total Recall.

      3. Look, all you have to do is just leave a porn disc in the DVD and when they show up, just push play and crank the volume all the way up.  Then, volunteer to answer questions with a beer in your hand.  They’ll leave.  Ask them if they want a baloney sandwich, and they’ll never come back.

      4. Personally, I like the idea of invoking the 5th, Jonny V , since I have never had that opportunity before, and don’t have a porn DVD to pop in and ramp the volume up. But I like the concept ……….

      5. The nation is fortunate to have the leadership and courage of Ron Paul, a true American patriot.  

      6. I am attaching the below message to my Census form and mailing it back. If they show up, I’ll ask them the same questions Jerry Day has asked. I also intend to keep them on the front porch and bring out a video camera to tape them. And, as Jerry mentioned, I’ll then upload it to YouTube and other ‘Blogs.

        If you are serious about maintaining your freedom it’s time to make a stand. Stop joking about what you are going to do and be serious. Since the War of 1812 my family members have been fighting and dying for our rights. I myself am a Veteran. Either what my family and your family fought for was worthwhile or they were wounded or died in vain. Are the words “Give me liberty or give me death,” meaningful to you or are they just an old slogan by an American revolutionary and not words to live by?

        It is your choice whether to truly stand up and BE COUNTED FOR LIBERTY or become a weak sheeple and let the government rule your life.

        United we stand, and divided we fall. Show you are UNITED with other true patriots who value their liberty by taking a stand now.
        —————————————————————————
        Declaration To Make To Census Takers

        “I hereby affirm that the provisions of Title 13 “requiring” me to disclose my race, personal financial data, birth date, or any other personal, private information to the Bureau of the Census, an agency of the United States government; constitutes an unreasonable, unwarranted search of my person, house, papers, and/or effects; and a governmental invasion of the sanctity of my home and the privacies of life.  As such, these provisions violate the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, and are thus wholly void and I am not bound to obey them.

        I have completed the only those sections of the Census form pertaining to the Constitutionally-mandated actual enumeration, as follows:

        1.    The actual number of people living at the address printed on the form, excluding untaxed Native Americans;

        2.    Age of each person in accordance with US Const. Amendment XIV, Section 2.

        3.    Sex of each person, in accordance with US Const. Amendment XIV, Section 2.

        I have thus fulfilled my obligation to the attainment of the actual enumeration of the populace of the United States.
        Any fine or other sanction that is levied by any office or organization stemming from the unconstitutional provisions of Title 13 in connection with my response to this or any other Census-related questioning will be challenged in a court of law.”

        • Hi Steve. I’ve seen this form floating around but I find nothing in the 14th amendment that requires anyone to disclose their age or sex. Am I missing something?

      7. what you need is a dog that’s been trained to hump peoples legs………….

      8. When you know the Census takers are in your neighborhood dress up in your best Rambo Garb with your sidearm on and an M4 over your sholder. Cut the leg humping loose and crank up the DVD.

      9. I found a very useful tool to combat Government Agents (Census Takers) its the “Public Servant’s Questionnaire” you can google it and get copies.  Read several of them one gives the limits on federal power and your rights under the privacy act of 1974.

      10. Look, the real deal here is to treat these idiots the exact same way you would treat a jehovah witness at your door.  Years ago, a buddy of mine had a little dog named Tuffy, and we lived in an area that the jehovahs used to flog mercilessly (looking for idiots to join their “church”).  This guy would spray some Pam cooking oil on the little dogs balls before opening the door, and Tuffy would sit down and start licking his sack like there was no tomorrow.  The licking and slurping was really loud.  Then Tuffy would drag his ass across the carpet with his front paws.  He could actually go pretty fast like that.  ZOOM!  ZOOM!, back and forth across the floor……..  I can’t even remember how many times he pulled that off.  I don’t know if he got any census workers, but the memory must be burned into the brains of half that jehovah church.  We thought it was hilarious, I laughed until my sides hurt and I damn near peed.

        The trick is to do stuff that makes these folks so uncomfortable that they have no desire to ever come back.  There-in lies the makings of some really good fun.

        The ultimate goal would be to make one of these guys fling down their papers and admit that you’d “broken” them.  That is the challenge I lay before you.

      11. HILARIOUS ideas!!!!  Unfortunately I don’t have the time to worry about these jokers showing up so I will just tell them I already gave them the number of people in the house and thats all they are going to get.

        I wish there was a device to screw up their GPS receivers, something I could  use from behind the door to disable it or scramble it.

      12. Johnny v,

        I just about passed out from the images in my mind dealing with PAM and Tuffy the wonder dog. I’ll never look at a can of spray PAM the same way again.

        Actually, I live out in the country so I probably won’t get one at the door. If I do, I’ll probably pick that time to sight in the 30-06, or at least check it. Have them sit down next to me and start asking questions as I fire off those ear-busting rounds that burn 50+ grains of powder. Of course, most people that would voluntee to be drones for the empire would be VERY uncomfortable with guns. Thats the whole idea, I guess, right?

        No, I figure I will get a form in the mail. I’ll answer everything I”m lawfully required to answer. Number of people living at this residence is probably all their going to get.

      13. I just got my Census form today. Something that strikes me as odd, is that question one (1) “How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?”; is separated from the rest of the questions inside a darker blue box with a black line clearly “fencing” it off.  It seems to me that the Census Bureau is telling us that “that question” is the only one required to be answered.  I also found it odd that they expect me to know how may people will be living here on April 1, 2010 when it is only March 15, 2010.  After all, what if something unfortunate happened to someone who may or may not be “living” here today? Are they asking me to lie on a government form, or are they just trying for an estimate instead of the required actual headcount?

      14. Comments…..100% deadon scott……  i thought all the exact same things.  what if i have a wife that’s pregnant and due on march 31st??  is that a yes, no, maybe??  what if the baby is late, and i say yes??  that’s one extra person i counted, that wasn’t here.  will that tilt my congresionall seat because of it??  what if i’m walking to the mailbox on march 31st, and get it in the mail, and as i’m walking back to my house, i drop dead……  oop’s, i lied!!!!  why do they need to know nationalities of the people living here??  should i answer mexican……  illegal???  what if my wife is mexican, and i’m white??  didn’t see a box for that one…  wtf???  i will give my first and last name, and address, and my spouse’s first name, and my two children’s first name.  that’s it……  they can fine me all they want.  i’ve been layed off for a year, so i don’t have any money, anyway…….  thank’s lefty!!!!!

      15. The only thing missing from this video was the mickey mouse hat and pink too-too……..

      16. seriously folks, just tell the census people to FUCK OFF!

      17. U Perverts, whats wrong with putting your name down for who’s living at this address. They tell U what it’s for.  If you are so paranoid  about identifying your self, could be U should be incognito and without representation.  Step forward and be counted.  Like the rest of us.  U want to be in La La land forever ??

      18. @Steve Richards: Thanks for your post. You had the same idea I had, and your words are exactly what I was looking for. This will get printed and mailed back with my forms.

        @Patriot One – I like the idea of knowing what the takers have been told. Insider info is always the best.

      19. Comments….. My census form has only10 general questions, none of what is being mentioned in this article.  Please stop with the nonsense of frightening people.

      20. I have to agree somewhat with Sandy. When I got my census form I noticed it did not have any of the sensitive financial or private property questions that Jerry Day mentioned in the video. So exactly WTF is going on? Are the census questionnaires different in different parts of the country? Or is Jerry in La la land?

        I do agree on the Constitutionality aspect of this though (primarily that it’s NOT Constitutional beyond a simple head count with names).

        One thing perhaps none of you may have considered, and I didn’t until my wife alerted me to this, is that this may be the WRONG time for civil disobedience. Now I’m sure I’ll get flack for this, so give me a chance to explain.

        What the government may be doing (unofficially) is compiling a list of individuals who refuse to answer all or part of their questionnaire. These individuals would be put into a list deemed “conscientious objecters” OR “Constitutionalists”. You can see how this term can easily be bastardized to read something like “Dissenters” later on, or even “Potential Terrorist”. The foundation is already in place for this taking place. Besides, we KNOW that the US government took the census data from the 1930s to round up Japanese Americans into internment camps, so saying that they can’t use the data for something like that again is an outright LIE. Besides, when the country is at (perpetual) war, there are no rules so anything goes.

        I think it a possibility that the government could use the information in the manner I suggested. I really didn’t want to comply but my wife gave good advice, ultimately I believe, when she said now is NOT the time to stand up. The time to stand up will be here soon enough. This may make me a coward, but I also go back to the following statement – Sometimes you have to lose the battle in order to win the war.

      21. Chris C:   If not now, when?   If not you, who?

        The government has sent Americans all over the world for decades, including me, to fight and die for “our freedoms” while killing our enemies. Until Americans are ready, en mass,  to spill their blood on the Streets of America for “our freedoms” the ABOMINATION that now passes for our government will continue to grind Americans into dust with every new piece of legislation and every Executive Order that erodes our Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Their quest for power over us is as insatiable as the greed of Wall Street.

        Wake up America! The enemy is not in the Middle East. It is not even in Mexico. Not even in Russia and China anymore. Our enemy is among us and work in the halls of Congress. Those that wish to enslave us live in Washington DC and New York City! That is evidenced by every lie that comes out of their mouth, and every act they enable.

        A new burst of freedom can only come from Patriots who are willing to put themselves on the line gainst an oppressive government. By ballot or bullet the bastards that seek to enslave us must be removed from office, arrested, tried for their crimes, and punished accordingly. That is our right as Americans!  It is our Revolutionary Heritage! Government is supposed to be of the people, by the people, and FOR the people; not for politicians, parties, and lobbyists!

        Lets start a New America Revolution in November! Eliminate the G-FLU: R1D1L1.    Democrats, Republicans, and Lobbyists are vermin!

      22. Comments…..I have a question.  How do the questions the census is asking compare to the questions asked 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, or 50 years ago?  Are they really asking more personal questions than in previous years?  Also, are we required to give names?  Names will help them to cross reference to make sure people are not counted twice, but as many of you have pointed out, that is also what will help them use this information against us.

      23. zukadu, I really don’t know. I wish I did. I just feel in my gut that this one issue is not the one to take a stand on, simply because of the nature of the issue (being a data collection program).

        I agree with virtually everything you say and how you feel regarding the abomination that currently presides over our country. But make no mistake, this is all-out war. Just as in a war on the battlefield, this war will have many small battles leading up to the final one. It will rely heavily on intel and be full of mis/disinformation. It is up to each and every one of us to discern for ourselves how best to proceed. But also make no mistake, we share the same end goals. No two of us will agree 100% on what is the best course of action as we navigate the dangerous waters ahead, but know that each of us serve a valuable role and that when push comes to shove we have each other’s back.

      24. Agreed. Every man must look within himself to see whether the fire of Liberty is ashes, embers, or flames.

      25. This video is lacking in facts. The census questionare does not ask any of the questions he said it did. There is no personal information they want unless you have a problem telling your age.  It says so much about a person that would be so rude to someone that was just trying to do a job.   I have to wonder what someone is hiding that would not want to be counted. And if the truth be told they probably already know more than you think about you. You give out more information on your tax forms than you do on the census.  If someone doesnt like it since you know they will be doing it again in 2020…….. Just move to another country so you wont have to be counted.  Problem solved. One less person we will have to listen to bitch.

      26. Steve Richards  said
        “Any fine or other sanction that is levied by any office or organization stemming from the unconstitutional provisions of Title 13 in connection with my response to this or any other Census-related questioning will be challenged in a court of law.”

        Steve, there are no courts of law.  Have you tried to have any corporate “government” official try to enforce the Constitution?  The courts pay it, and the People for that matter, no mind at all.

        In fact, you can’t even go to court.  you can only represent a federal entity in one.  By even taking the matter into their courts you admit a jurisdiction over you that they do not have.

        I doubt your threat will do anything to deter the robots that will come calling.

      27. Comments….. Dear Senator Paul,
        First, thank you so much for what you do for America.    You are a true Patriot in every sense of the meaning.    It is a shame we don’t have more in Washington.

        I sent in my Census within about a week of receiving it.   I completed the section which ask for the number of people in my household and mailed it back in, without completion of any other questions.   

        If they come knocking at my door to gain additional information, I will have the Constitution in my hand.  

        God bless you and keep up the fight for our freedom.
        Scott

      28. Deb,

        My form does not have the questions mentioned in the video, but neither does it only ask for my name and age.  It asks if I own or rent my home and has a couple questions about race, and there are other things too.  Perhaps you should take your own advice and get your facts straight. 

        I believe there are “long” and “short” forms, but even the short forms have 10 questions that go beyond a simple head count for representation.

      29. There is no long or short form. The 2010 Census form has much the same questions as were on the 1790 form, minus how many slaves you may have.

      30. The Census came by this afternoon. I missed them, darn it.

        The Commerce Department cites case studies in which certain courts ruled that the questions on the Census are entirely valid within the parameters of the US Constitution. Effectively, the government website is actively engaged in attempting to make the citizenry feel powerless and helpless about our rights not to answer invasive questions to the Census Bureau. Further, the Census Bureau “warns” that failure to answer any question they ask may (will) result in a $100 fine for each question not answered.

        What the Census bureau WON’T tell you is that they have NO authority to impose fines. Also, despite the attempts by the Commerce Department to intimidate us all into answering this “census” by telling us that the courts side with them (and that we better play ball or else), the word “census” has nothing to do with age, race, how many commodes are in your home, etc, etc.  One could make a sucessfully compelling argument in court by stating that a “census” worker came to the door and asked a series of questions having absolutely NOTHING to do with an actual tally.

        Others may submit to this act of tyranny. I will resist answering to it. If I am fined, I will fight it in court -and win.

      31. The Census is constitutional. “An 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, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.” Since it doesn’t say what that “Enumeration” is, it effectively gives the power to Congress to define it, via the “necessary and proper” clause would allow Congress to decide what the thing is. See also U.S. v Moriarty and Morales v Daley.

        Any idiot that abuses the Constitution by twisting it in the way you do deserves to fight it in court and get owned.

      32. I have spent the better part of the past few months studying The Constitution, the courts, and law. From what I understand, The Constitution does not apply to us – this is why most individuals who try to reference it in court always lose. Rather, it applies to sovereign entities ONLY. Anonymous was correct when he said there are not courts of law. There are only courts of commerce. Once you submit to their jurisdiction, they have you. The key is to never submit.

        The 14th amendment made us all US Citizens, born or naturalized, turning us (or rather our NAMESAKES) into fictitious government owned entities, thereby removing us from the protection of the US Constitution, which only protects sovereigns. The way out of all this is to reclaim our identity and cast-off this government created namesake.

        Contract law is the only law there is. If we refuse to contract with someone – the courts, the judges, the IRS, doesn’t matter who, then they have no jurisdiction over us.

        Sounds bizarre but there are court cases backing this up.

      33. I signed up to do Census taking as a part time, temporary  job. I stumbled on this site looking for the constitutional reference on the Census. In reading some of this stuff on this site,  I am wondering what kind of weirdo’s I’m going to end up running into out there. I mean, some of you people are straight out of the Tri-Lateral Commission/Area 51/Alien Abduction Conspiracy Network.  You people need to wake up to the 21st century and stop fantasizing about some kind of Daniel Boone/Mad Max existence.
        To all you reasonable people who have concerns, by law, Personally Identifiable Census Data (PII) can only be seen by the Census Bureau. Showing it to anyone else is a federal crime. And the Census is not taking social security numbers or credit card accounts. It’s asking for number of people, their ages, sex, and race. That’s it.  Beyond just determining representation for the House of Representatives, the information taken is critical to trying to figure out how to fix the huge looming problem with Social Security. Social Security is based entirely on young people paying in, old people taking out. And the old people/young people ratio is totally different then it was 50 years ago. So Social Security can’t work like it did 50 years ago. 

      34. RufusT, with all due respect, since when does the Federal Government abstain from engaging in Federal Crime? There are at least a dozen high-profile cases in the past 10 years – unwarranted wiretapping of civilians and the ousting of that CIA agent about 5 years ago,  just to name a few). I understand what you are saying but you have to realize that people’s fears are not without warrant based on recent history.

        In addition, the Social Security scam is just that, a scam. Did you know that the Feds collect all the Social Security that someone has drawn upon his/her death? Look it up. That means two things:

        1. Social security is nothing but a loan by the government since we or more aptly our estate must PAY BACK the loan upon our deaths, meaning all we’ve done our entire lives is prepay the interest on that loan in the form of credits. Most of us have been brainwashed into thinking that we pay into this system and receive benefits, nothing could be further from the truth.

        2. Anyone who says that SS is going bankrupt is a liar, because the solvency of the entire system doesn’t depend on the number of people drawing vs. the number of people paying into it. It only depends on the percentage of those loans that end up in default (ie. person died with nothing to his/her name so therefore Feds can’t collect).

        I’ll bet you didn’t know that about SS – I didn’t either until recently. Nothing is as it seems.

      35. RufusT: We are the lunatic fringe. Glad you found us! I appreciate your perspective, but once the data that you collect is reported, it is added to the data the government already has, and that data is added to the data that the government purchases from Mega Data Banks that are collecting every digital bit that can get their dirty little bots on!

        If that isn’t enough info for them, the government will invade your personal privacy by downloading your C: Drive to capture anything the other processes may have missed, under the guise of “national security”. With me they were recently disappointed because all my personal, private data in on flash drives and not available via the net. But at least now they do have the latest “patches” from Microsoft.

        Go figure.

      36. Now keep in mind that of the data the Census is collecting, almost all of it (except for maybe age) could be taken or inferred from a phone book. It’s just being taken in person to insure accuracy.  Unless you want to live your life in a “witness protection program” type of state, the Census is doing you no harm, and accomplishing alot of good.

      37. Chris C!!! E-Mail me. I would like to talk. I need more details. I have a clue about reclaiming my sovereignty but need help. Thanks!

        [email protected]

      38. Actually I’ve found that being honest is the best policy. Most of them actually agree with us. They’re just doing their job, which is unfortunately to attempt to collect information about us. You can choose to refuse information and they will simply write “refuse” on the forms. Don’t take it out on them what the government officials are doing. I actually just talked with one who had to go to another census official’s house because they did not turn theirs in for the exact same reasons we’re talking about right now.

      39. My husband told me that a census person came at our door and he did not even answer the door. Census person  just knocked and knocked. Haven’t seen them since.

      40. I answered the first question of a 5 page form that was mailed to me. I had a census worker show up at my home and practically DEMAND that I answer the other questions and I said that there are 4 people living here and we are Americans and that is all she needed to know. 3 days later, there was a note on my door with a phone number requesting that I call and schedule and appointment and if I don’t, she will be paying me a visit in a couple of days. The note is taped back onto the door along with one of my own. These people are NUTS!

      41. Ron Paul is an idiot.  Read the Constitution(Article 1, Section 2), read Title 13 U.S. Code,   read United States vs Moriarity, read Morales vs Daley.  If you don’t like it, leave the U.S.  We WILL get the information from someone, but if you don’t want repeat visits just fill out the damn questionnaire.  Why don’t you all read up on the questions the census asks and why they are asked?  Read up on how many census operations there actually are?  No wonder Ron Paul failed.

      42. If YOU read the Constitution, you would know that it says the congress must get an “actual enumeration” of the persons residing in my home. That’s it! I, too sent the census workers away and when I quoted the Constitution to them, they did NOT come back! If you had bothered to pay attention to the census, you would have noticed that the first question asking how many reside in the home was “boxed off” from the other questions because that is the only one required.

      43. Read the other things I mentioned.  Just because the census didn’t come back to you doesn’t mean they didn’t get all the information they needed elsewhere.  Silly boy.  You are required by law to answer the questions asked. 

      44. I finally got the stomach to watch that moron Jerry Day.  Is he really that stupid and misinformed?  Is this an act?  Go back behind your camera you anti-American troll.

      45. I had a census worker come to my house yesterday (since I didn’t answer all the questions in the questionnaire that I’d mailed back to them). 
        First, I was upset that she asked some of the questions that I did answer in the form I mailed. Did they read it? I hate duplication of effort. 
        Basically, I told her two people lived here and our ages. When she started asking questions about any relatives, renters, if I’d lived anywhere else, and a bunch of associated questions, I held up two fingers and said, “TWOOOOO, I told you two people live here. That’s it, no more, no less.” 
        Then she wanted to know if I rented, had a mortgage, or owned. I told her that was the most offensive question in the form. Interesting that she said she agreed with me. I told her I wouldn’t answer. 
        She start asking about race, etc. I told her I refused to declare. So she asked me for my phone number. I again refused. Up to now she was nice, but at that point seemed to be a little perturbed. She said that since I wouldn’t give a number that someone would keep coming back again and again. I said, pleasantly, “OK, but I’ve given all the answers I’m going to give.”
         

      46. There is a long form as stated that asks very invasive questions. Much more invasive than last times. I was very upset when reading this cencsus. Very personal information was asked, and my refusal to answer has got them bugging the hell out of me. I have been constantly harrassed for two straight months. My phone constantly ringing and at 7am too, I might ad. she sat in my driveway for 45 minutes this morning ringing my phone constantly, as the dogs refused her to get out of her vehicle. I hope they bite her ass. She wants to trespass legally, my dogs are protecting my private property legally. I like some of the responses here. Perhaps I shoud start target practice next time she pulls up, or puts some nails under her tires knowing that it is my property and I can put nails anywhere i want too, and my dogs won’t let her retrieve them before she backs away… or perhaps something extremely uncomfortable, like start masturbating in front of her with a lot of moaning. Eventually she’ll probably go away.

      47. Fantastic post. Great.

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