Coffee and Conversation: Easy Civics or A Waste of Time?

Easy duty-bound civic engagement: fill out a form; mail it; be a part of the nation’s decision making on how cash and other resources are dished out.  The Constitution (Article 1, Section 2) lays it out – every to years the government has to count those of us kickin’ it in the United States (citizen and non-citizens).  America made a big outlay of dough and work to ensure that every one of the millions dwelling in this country get counted – a tricked out Web site; street teams promoting America’s party; even hip hop videos:

(Nice to see that America’s gotten hipper with its media efforts than it was twenty years ago:

).

Is this the best way to figure out who represents us in government; the best way to determine how federal cash is distributed; the best way to get a handle on who is here? Is a paper national census, in 2010, necessary? What about issues like privacy in a post-9/11 world, and, neighborhoods and areas that we just can’t get to? Are we ready to handle the information we glean? What’s a census say about us?

Seems simple, but lot’s to talk about – let’s go deep.  I’ll meet you in the Howard Thurman Center, this afternoon, from 3-5 p.m.  We’ll talk about the Census.  I’ll bring the coffee and cookies; you bring a cup and you thinking cap.

Peace.