20A003 The Government Count by Jim Davies, 1/21/2020   

On April 1st this year, the FedGov will try to count us.

Back in 1788 its (state government) founders wrote permission for it to do that every ten years, so that Representatives could be apportioned for the population with reasonable approximation. That comes in Article 1 Section 2, from which it's very clear that the purpose of the enumeration was just that, and nothing else. "Free" persons were to count as one each, but "others" at 3/5ths only.

"Others" was an euphemism for slaves, who couldn't vote anyway, so there's an anomaly in any case; but since then they've said that slavery has been abolished so the 3/5ths clause is moot. However the ZGBlog Styles of Enslavement challenges that dictum, so perhaps we should all be counted as 3/5ths. It would make the population a whole lot smaller, and so seem greatly to increase GDP per capita.

I don't want my life to be governed by any Representatives in any degree. Mine is currently Ann Kuster, and she's a dead loss. I'm quite willing to guarantee that I will cast no vote in the next ten years, if in return the FedGov will agree not to count me. How about you?

The Census form will, however, have a slew of questions about all who live in the household, in addition to their mere number. Government's appetite for data is insatiable, and this survey will be a grand opportunity for a feast. Let's give it a bad case of food poisoning.

Since the count itself is the only part of it authorized by the Constitution (not that such authority is at all valid in reality) we might draw a line in the sand after that single question: "how many live here?" Any others, regarding gender, age, name, home ownership, race, etc, are not authorized even by "law", so the census taker will break the law by posing them. Let's decline to answer.

There's one in particular that I'm told may appear this time, concerning immigrant status; it's currently going through the courts. Apparently our Lords and Masters wish to know whether or not we are citizens, or particularly "illegal immigrants." I wonder, are those "free" persons, or "others"? Not sure what the wording will be, but essentially it asks "Are you an illegal immigrant?"

That one would violate a responder's rights not only under Article 1 Section 2 as above, not only under Amendment 4 (there being no reason, warrant or probable cause) but also under Amendment 5, which "guarantees" that government will in no way compel anyone to be a witness against himself. Since to be an "illegal" immigrant means that some law has been broken, to answer such a census question under color of law would mean a confession is being forced.

Come to think of it, the same reasons would apply to pretty well any of the other list of questions that may appear on the form, other than a simple count. If a race is declared (Jewish, say) and some law should later appear regarding that race (always to wear a Star of David, say) material harm could arise from the answer given. Much better to exercise a right to remain silent, as also guaranteed by Amendment 1.

The planned questions are shown here, and by the look of it the first two are legal. Perhaps you'll join me in not choosing to refuse to answer those.

All the rest, however (Questions 3 - 12) have not a shred of such authority and I intend to say so. Done on a sufficiently large scale, this could toss a handy monkeywrench int0 the machinery of government. For each, a form of words could be entered, such as:

Please identify the clause in the US Constitution that authorizes Congress to write a law that obliges me to answer this question. Upon verification, I'll gladly do so.

Answers can be sent online, so it should be easy to use Ctl-C and Ctl-V to copy that ten times. Against the entry for Questions 1 and 2, an addition might stir the pot and say:

Article 1 Section 2 allows you to ennumerate those living here, and to count "1" each for free persons or "3/5" for "others" - ie, slaves and bondsmen. About half of the fruits of my labor have been taken by government, so I'm half enslaved. Do I count as 1 person, or 3/5 of one? Explain your answer, please.

To make fools of the Feds on April 1st will not on its own come close to causing their extinction; for that, see here. But this may help a little.