Friday, March 12, 2010

Red Flags Going Up All Over

Not a warning or a bad feeling of impending doom (unless you're a conspiracy theorist), but definitely one little red flag for each household in America. On their mail boxes. Soon. Very soon.

I just received, filled out, and mailed my 2010 Census form. I was excited about this event for the past several weeks because it's the first time I've been the one to fill it out; I lived with my parents for the first three censuses (censii??) done during my life. Woohoo! I'm head of my household!

Now for the real reason for this post...

Why does the Census Bureau (or doctors or anyone else with a registration form) need to know what skin color I have? Sure, they call it "race," but I didn't see "Human" as one of the options. I considered writing that in the blank labeled "Some Other Race" but I decided against having a phone call or personal visit from a nondescript entity in a black suit and tiny, solid black tie. I played along. But why do I have to?

For generations, America and Americans have been trying to make things equal for all, regardless of race, gender, creed, religion, or disability. No one can be denied a job by most employers because they are such and such type of person. The Civil Rights Movement in America peaked in the 1960s, yet the form I just filled out is evidence that the government thinks there is still a need, even only a statistical need, to define a person by the shade of melanin between his or her hair follicles.

We were all born; we will all die. We are all equally guilty under God's Law and equally worth dying for according to His Son. We are all human. That's our race. According to the band DC Talk, we are all "colored people." My skin is pinkish tan; however, just like everyone else on this spinning rock, I bleed red.

Enough is enough; let's end racism once and for all!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well said!
Gram

Anonymous said...

You're right - the government preaches tolerance to the masses, but THEY are the ones who have to know which gender, race, tax bracket you are in so they can carefully segregate you into their classifications.

The ONLY question we have to answer on the census is how many people live in our homes. Period. Anything is unnecessary and used purely for political reasons.

Linda Smith said...

WOW! I'm going to writ 'human' on my census. I love it!