Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
And what makes you "think" that, given the Patriot Act, and 500 FEMA camps already operational? I think any time you hear about something as patently absurd as New York city officials considering legislation to ban the use of salt in restaurants ... to the Federal government mandating healthcare insurance under threats of fines and imprisonment ... what you have is government totally out of control, with nothing off the table.
What about the NAFTA Superhighway and the Amero? Why don't I hear any paranoid screeching about those anymore? Could it be that all those who tried to warn us have been silenced???
"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, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct."
The Constitution mandates that a census be conducted every 10 years, and directs Congress to establish by law the manner in which each census is conducted.
The first Census was in 1790. Even with the very first Census, it was more than a mere head count. Here's what they asked:
Name of head of household.
Address.
Free white males of 16 years and up, including head of family.
Free white males under 16
Free white females, including head of family.
All other free persons.
Slaves
And as early as 1820, the Census was expanded to obtain information about what people did for a living:
Name of head of household.
Address.
Free white males:
under 10
10 and under 16
16 - 18
16 and under 26
26 and under 45
45 and over
Free white females, including head of family:
under 10
10 and under 16
16 - 18
16 and under 26
26 and under 45
45 and over
What you have demonstrated is that there is a constitutional mandate to conduct as census. But there is no constitutional mandate to reply. The mandates in the Constitution are directed at the government itself which is why every member of government must swear an oath to uphold the Constitution. Ordinary citizens have not taken such an oath and are therefore not bound to its mandates.
What you have demonstrated is that there is a constitutional mandate to conduct as census. But there is no constitutional mandate to reply. The mandates in the Constitution are directed at the government itself which is why every member of government must swear an oath to uphold the Constitution. Ordinary citizens have not taken such an oath and are therefore not bound to its mandates.
Here is the text of the Oath of Allegiance sworn by all as they become naturalzed US citizens...
I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.
The fact that you may have acquired your US citizenship by birth does not relieve you from any of the obligations or responsibilities contained therein.
What you have demonstrated is that there is a constitutional mandate to conduct as census. But there is no constitutional mandate to reply. The mandates in the Constitution are directed at the government itself which is why every member of government must swear an oath to uphold the Constitution. Ordinary citizens have not taken such an oath and are therefore not bound to its mandates.
The constitutional mandate includes the requirement that Congress enact laws concerning the census. Your attitude indicates the need to modify those laws to include incarceration for failure to comply and to vastly increase the fines. No matter what your personal opinion is, citizens are bound to obey the laws passed by Congress or suffer the consequences.
Here is the text of the Oath of Allegiance sworn by all as they become naturalzed US citizens...
I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.
The fact that you may have acquired your US citizenship by birth does not relieve you from any of the obligations or responsibilities contained therein.
First of all, anyone with even a cursory knowledge of American history will know that the Constitution is a document created and intended for the government, not the citizens. The Constitution is the document which prohibits the government from trampling the rights of the citizens and at the same time enumerating the powers which the government can justifiably exercise. All of the powers and restrictions in the Constitution are directed at the government.
Secondly, people born in the Unites States who have never served in the military or in a government office have in fact never taken an oath to uphold the Constitution. Their consent to be governed is implied, not expressed. Would an implied consent be acceptable in any other contractual arrangement? Why then is it considered acceptable in the most far reaching relationship one can be involved in, namely ones relationship to a government?
Finally, even for the oath you took shown above, you swore, and I quote, "I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic" You swore to support and defend, not to obey the Constitution and that promise to support and defend was specifically to do so against enemies of the state, both foreign and domestic.
The fact is that most of us have never sworn an oath binding ourselves in any way to the Constitution and that is as it should be since the document was designed to dictate boundaries and limits to government power and to ensure that the peoples natural rights are protected. The Constitution is binding on government, not the people.
First of all, anyone with even a cursory knowledge of American history will know that the Constitution is a document created and intended for the government, not the citizens. The Constitution is the document which prohibits the government from trampling the rights of the citizens and at the same time enumerating the powers which the government can justifiably exercise. All of the powers and restrictions in the Constitution are directed at the government.
Secondly, people born in the Unites States who have never served in the military or in a government office have in fact never taken an oath to uphold the Constitution. Their consent to be governed is implied, not expressed. Would an implied consent be acceptable in any other contractual arrangement? Why then is it considered acceptable in the most far reaching relationship one can be involved in, namely ones relationship to a government?
Finally, even for the oath you took shown above, you swore, and I quote, "I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic" You swore to support and defend, not to obey the Constitution and that promise to support and defend was specifically to do so against enemies of the state, both foreign and domestic.
The fact is that most of us have never sworn an oath binding ourselves in any way to the Constitution and that is as it should be since the document was designed to dictate boundaries and limits to government power and to ensure that the peoples natural rights are protected. The Constitution is binding on government, not the people.
The Constitution doesn't require you to do anything, but no matter what oath you gave or contract you signed, you have a legal obligation to obey the law.
The Constitution, which you right-wingers claim to love so much, authorizes (indeed, requires) the Congress to enact laws prescribing the method of conducting the Census. The Congress has enacted laws requiring you to answer every question the Census asks you.
If you fail or refuse to do that, you are violating the law.
And don't bother going on about how small the penalty is, or how unlikely you are to be prosecuted. If you fail or refuse to answer the questions you are violating the law.
The Constitution doesn't require you to do anything, but no matter what oath you gave or contract you signed, you have a legal obligation to obey the law.
The Constitution, which you right-wingers claim to love so much, authorizes (indeed, requires) the Congress to enact laws prescribing the method of conducting the Census. The Congress has enacted laws requiring you to answer every question the Census asks you.
If you fail or refuse to do that, you are violating the law.
And don't bother going on about how small the penalty is, or how unlikely you are to be prosecuted. If you fail or refuse to answer the questions you are violating the law.
Unless the law violates your rights under The Constitution. If the government isn't given the specific authority/right in The Constitution than that right is retained by the people or the states.
The Constitution calls for an ENUMERATION = COUNTING. The Constitution allows for laws to prescribe the METHOD of the COUNTING. As in...do we do it by mail or do we go door to door (as was the case for the first census) or do we require everyone to report to a public counting office, etc. The purpose of the census is to determine representation for each state, not to distribute tax dollars or any other such purpose.
I don't see how my race makes a difference or why they would need my phone number or why it matters how old I am.
Unless the law violates your rights under The Constitution. If the government isn't given the specific authority/right in The Constitution than that right is retained by the people or the states.
The Constitution calls for an ENUMERATION = COUNTING. The Constitution allows for laws to prescribe the METHOD of the COUNTING. As in...do we do it by mail or do we go door to door (as was the case for the first census) or do we require everyone to report to a public counting office, etc. The purpose of the census is to determine representation for each state, not to distribute tax dollars or any other such purpose.
I don't see how my race makes a difference or why they would need my phone number or why it matters how old I am.
It doesn't matter what you THINK the constitution means. What DOES matter is the lack of action by the Supreme Court concerning the laws enacted by the Congress concerning the census over the past 220 years. Until the Supreme Court overturns the census law, your rights have not been violated. Since these same questions have been used in the census many times, it is probably unlikely that the law will be overturned. If you don't like the questions they ask, a responsible citizen could ask his representatives in Congress to change the census law, and could also participate in the hearings at least 2 years before the next census when the Census Bureau is required to submit the proposed questions to Congress for approval.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
