Stand up and be counted

On St. Patrick's Day my census form came in the mail, and I was very excited. I think the census is cool. The way we learn how many people there are, in each community, in the country as a whole. It's cool to be part of such a big, important undertaking. It's like voting. And as someone who has been very involved in genealogical research, I know how invaluable census information can be. The best place for finding ancestors, finding out who all their children were, where everybody was born.

But wait! To my considerable disappointment, there were no questions like where were you born, where were your parents born, what is your occupation. It just, quite literally, counted me, and ascertained my race. Have they stopped asking the questions that could be so helpful to my descendents (whoops, no kids -- no descendents. But other people will have descendents. Who will surely be disappointed to have only address and names of children provided.)

One of my staff at the library mentioned that for the last census she and her husband had a very lengthy, detailed form to fill out. Was a decision made not to send out detailed forms anymore? Seems unlikely. Do they just send them out to some people? That wouldn't seem very fair...

I can't remember what the last census form I filled out was like; in fact, as the result of a completely disintegrating mind, I can't remember ever filling out a census form in my life, though presumably I've filled out four. Good grief.

The Census Bureau sent the library a bunch of posters to put up encouraging people to return their forms, assuring them of confi-dentiality, etc. I thought this was strange -- why wouldn't people return their forms? -- but was informed by another of my staff that many people do not, indeed, do so. Some people, apparently, feel that it is just another case of the government sticking its nose in where it's not wanted. Ach! This is a completely impersonal counting, with very important ramifications in terms of legislative representation.

And besides, it's cool...