the single father's guide: being counted
Cross posted over at http://singlefathersguide.wordpress.com/
A couple weeks ago I received a letter from the US Census Bureau informing me that in just a few days time I would be receiving my copy of the census and that I should fill it out and send it back. I’m certain all of my American readers (which are likely all six of you) have the same letter and likely though the exact same thing I did when I got mine. “Well this was a complete and total waste of paper.”
What function does this letter serve? All of us are getting the census (I got mine the other day). None of us are going to open it up and say, “Am I supposed to eat this?” No, in fact we’re likely to do one of two things. We’re either going to fill it out and send it back like good little citizens OR we’re going to let it fall to the bottom of our too do list, buried under a stack of uncut coupons and Verizon Wireless ads (“America’s Most Reliable Network”).
But the letter is borderline insulting, we know what we’re supposed to do with this, and no friendly letter reminding us to fill it out before we even get it is going to change what we were ultimately going to do anyway. I know that the reason it was sent out was to help boost the number of people who fill it out but it’s just bad timing. It’s the equivalent of me, as a waiter, approaching a table before they get their meal and saying, ”Folks I just wanted to let you know that your dinner will be arriving soon. When I set it down on your table please be certain to eat it.” Money would be better spent hiring Peter Portamus to go around to everyone’s home inquiring if we each got that thing he’d sent us. It’d be substantially more effective and wouldn’t end with me becoming a Marxist. (Not Karl, Groucho. “Why a four-year-old child could understand this pre-census letter. Run out and find me a four-year-old child. I can’t make head or tail out of it.”)
I’m in the early group. Filling out the census is on my Bucket List and I figure the opportunity has presented itself so I’m going to scratch it off and be done with it. That being said, if I’m going to do this I’m going to make it count. I want to be certain that the fine people over at the U.S. Census Bureau know exactly what to do with my census when they receive it. So, even though it’s finished today I’m going to wait a few days before sending it on. Today, however, I will be sending them the following letter.
Dear U.S. Census Bureau,
In a few days you will be receiving a filled out copy of the U.S. Census you sent to my home earlier this week. Please make sure that you accurately count me and my son. Accurate demographics are essential to running an effective government so it is important that each and every one of us is counted properly.
Thank you in advance,
Dallas Daddy
To all of you who have yet to send in the census I suggest you do the same. It’s vitally important that we are counted and I’d hate to see any of you miss out simply because the fine people of at the U.S. Census Bureau did not know what to do with the census once they received it. They might decide to make paper airplanes, origami swans or those nifty fortune telling things we had so much fun with in middle school. (“Pick a color… Okay now pick a number… and another number. It says here that you are Caucasian.”)
On a completely unrelated note, I’ll be doing 5k walk for the National MS Society next weekend and would love some support. I’ve collected next to nothing so far, so anything you faithful readers can spare for this cause would be wonderful. Just follow the following link and give what you can.
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=7818800&fr_id=12740&pg=personal
Thanks!
A couple weeks ago I received a letter from the US Census Bureau informing me that in just a few days time I would be receiving my copy of the census and that I should fill it out and send it back. I’m certain all of my American readers (which are likely all six of you) have the same letter and likely though the exact same thing I did when I got mine. “Well this was a complete and total waste of paper.”
What function does this letter serve? All of us are getting the census (I got mine the other day). None of us are going to open it up and say, “Am I supposed to eat this?” No, in fact we’re likely to do one of two things. We’re either going to fill it out and send it back like good little citizens OR we’re going to let it fall to the bottom of our too do list, buried under a stack of uncut coupons and Verizon Wireless ads (“America’s Most Reliable Network”).
But the letter is borderline insulting, we know what we’re supposed to do with this, and no friendly letter reminding us to fill it out before we even get it is going to change what we were ultimately going to do anyway. I know that the reason it was sent out was to help boost the number of people who fill it out but it’s just bad timing. It’s the equivalent of me, as a waiter, approaching a table before they get their meal and saying, ”Folks I just wanted to let you know that your dinner will be arriving soon. When I set it down on your table please be certain to eat it.” Money would be better spent hiring Peter Portamus to go around to everyone’s home inquiring if we each got that thing he’d sent us. It’d be substantially more effective and wouldn’t end with me becoming a Marxist. (Not Karl, Groucho. “Why a four-year-old child could understand this pre-census letter. Run out and find me a four-year-old child. I can’t make head or tail out of it.”)
I’m in the early group. Filling out the census is on my Bucket List and I figure the opportunity has presented itself so I’m going to scratch it off and be done with it. That being said, if I’m going to do this I’m going to make it count. I want to be certain that the fine people over at the U.S. Census Bureau know exactly what to do with my census when they receive it. So, even though it’s finished today I’m going to wait a few days before sending it on. Today, however, I will be sending them the following letter.
Dear U.S. Census Bureau,
In a few days you will be receiving a filled out copy of the U.S. Census you sent to my home earlier this week. Please make sure that you accurately count me and my son. Accurate demographics are essential to running an effective government so it is important that each and every one of us is counted properly.
Thank you in advance,
Dallas Daddy
To all of you who have yet to send in the census I suggest you do the same. It’s vitally important that we are counted and I’d hate to see any of you miss out simply because the fine people of at the U.S. Census Bureau did not know what to do with the census once they received it. They might decide to make paper airplanes, origami swans or those nifty fortune telling things we had so much fun with in middle school. (“Pick a color… Okay now pick a number… and another number. It says here that you are Caucasian.”)
On a completely unrelated note, I’ll be doing 5k walk for the National MS Society next weekend and would love some support. I’ve collected next to nothing so far, so anything you faithful readers can spare for this cause would be wonderful. Just follow the following link and give what you can.
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=7818800&fr_id=12740&pg=personal
Thanks!