American Citizens: The Lost Generations

AMERICAN CITIZENS: THE LOST GENERATIONS
By
DR. JIMMIE R. APPLEGATE

It was1630 when the Puritan pastor John Winthrop, aboard the flagship Arbella on the way to the New World, challenged his flock to “build a city upon a hill”. Little did he realize his challenge would result in a robust national spirit unknown in the Old World. This new spirit was characterized by individualism, self-sufficiency, responsibility, pride in accomplishment, love of liberty and freedom, local control and small government. This budding spirit of American exceptionalism was an object of wonder as described in 1835 by the French politician/historian Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy in America.
Now 381 years later not only have the American geographical and physical environments undergone massive change but, sadly, so have the principles and practices of American exceptionalism that made America great. We no longer see ourselves as the singular American. Instead mainstream media in their unbridled efforts to be politically correct identify us as hyphened Americans; for example, Asian-Americans, Black-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Muslin-Americans, Native-Americans, etc. We “dial 1 for English”. Official American documents are printed in multiple languages. Interpreters are demanded and required in schools and other public facilities. Children in public schools are taught in two or more languages. Free and/or reduced price lunches are provided in schools—in some locations year round through age 18. Medical care and food stamps in essence are provided at no cost. Such entitlements are the norm and have become in bred and expected.
Government has become larger and more centralized to the tipping point where American citizens once born free and nurtured with liberty and freedom are subjected to ever increasing governmental control and demands for information that will lead to more growth, demands and control over citizens by the federal government.
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a case in point. Most Americans probably are unaware of the stealth-like Department of Commerce survey that some citizens are required to complete each year. Or if they have heard of the ACS, they most likely do not know how intrusive the questions are, and that Americans are threatened with a $5,000 fine for refusing to participate in the survey. US Census Bureau representatives argue the ACS replaces the “long form” formerly required during each ten year census even though no constitutional provision permits such questions at any time, let alone each year.
The ACS has many intrusive personal questions having nothing to do with the 10 year census as described in Article1 and in Amendment XIV of the Constitution. For example, were you in school or college in the last three months, and what specific major was your bachelor’s degree? You also are asked what your ancestry or ethnic origin is and if you speak English and how well. You must respond to questions about your health such as, what health insurance do you have, are you deaf or have hearing difficulty, are you blind or have difficulty seeing, do you have difficulty breathing, climbing stairs, walking, concentrating or making decisions?
Have you had enough? The Census Bureau has not because they want to know where you worked (address, city, county, state)—even if just for one hour for pay last week, how did you get to work last week, what time did you leave home for work, and how long did it take you to get to work? Not only that but you are asked specifically how much annual income you received from wages, salaries, self-employment, interest, dividends, rental income, social security, railroad retirement and Veteran’s payments last year. You also are asked how many separate rooms are in your house, apartment or mobile home, how many are bedrooms, do you have hot and cold running water, a flush toilet, a sink with a faucet, how is your house heated, etc.
The purpose and time of the Census is described in Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution thus: “Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this Union, according to their respective numbers……”“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”. Amendment XIV, Section 2 is clear that “Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according their respective numbers….”. There is no mention of where you work, what you earn, how you get to work or when you leave for work each day.And just to emphasize a point, there is not a single word here about flush toilets, sinks with faucets or running water!
If you think the American Community Survey is something for Ripley’s “Believe it or Not” and that you must be paranoid to believe such questions are being asked of American citizens, and that American citizens are being forced to accept such government intrusion under threat of a $5,000 fine, you can obtain your personal copy of the official ACS at: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/questionnaires/2011/Quest11.pdf
It is axiomatic that as the intrusiveness of the federal government into the private lives of American citizens increases so does the expectation of, and the dependence upon, federal largesse in the form of entitlements to redistribute wealth. At the same time there is a corresponding decrease in self-sufficiency, independence and pride in accomplishment. The result is that American’s love of liberty and freedom are sacrificed on the altar of comfort, ease and security.
The American Community Survey is just one example of the many waysAmerican exceptionalism is under attack, and why exceptionalism is an attitude that is becoming a relic of the past among the lost generations of American citizens.