Dollars and census The problem with ‘fair share’ rhetoric -
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 "Don't ask unless you are willing to
hear [can deal with] the answer." That advice comes to mind
after considering the government's advertising for Census 2010.
That advertising makes one wonder whether Americans now comprise
a nation of takers and no longer are creators, innovators or
rugged individualists. "Without a complete, accurate census,
your community may not receive its fair share," reads the letter
the government sent to my house. Americans should fill in the
form and thereby "help each community get its fair share." No
mention about duty or responsibility or even the idea that being
a good American requires one to fill out the census. This is not
to argue for any of the aforementioned justifications or even
the constitutionality of the modern-day census. The point is
this: The Census Bureau, in encouraging people to fill out the
forms, is using language that ostensibly resonates with the
public. Continually, it cho