Comments on: Bachmann links Census to 1940s Japanese internment

By: Ray Lewis

Ray Lewis — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 13:33:47 +0000

While learning from history does not mean we will not repeat it, the interpretation and application to current events and contexts does not always follow. Although I live in Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District, Representative Bachmann does not represent me, nor my family.

This is a pretty scary book about American involvement: IBM and the Holocaust: The Strategic Alliance Between Nazi Germany and America’s Most Powerful Corporation Edwin Black

By: Margaret Heft

Margaret Heft — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 22:42:39 +0000

Zero
Unfortunately, you repeat information that you have read and decide it must be true.
It is important to be your own source of information based on your own primary document research. In the meantime, you might check-out Politifact, on the Internet, to see just how many times Michele Bachmann lies and distorts the truth. Politifact is a non-partisan, investigative-reporting Website.

Although it is true that the census helped FDR to locate Japanese-Americans, there were clear and present dangers at the time that warranted this. The largest populations of Japanese were in California. There were Japanese ships off the coast of California and even a submarine that contained a small plane. Japan actually invaded parts of California. It is fortunate that both citizens and American reconnaissance specialists caught this and shored up the defense systems in California. Naturally, the U.S. became suspicious of the activities of American-Japanese citizens on U.S. soil.

The U.S. government stopped invasions in the State of Maine by German submarines who were signaled to land by German-Americans, even entering down Maine’s rivers, and the coast of Maine, This too, created a necessity for additional reconnaissance of coastal Maine. In addition, German-Americans were so sure they would be sought out for being of German ancestry, literally thousands of German Americans changed their last names–mainly to Irish names.

In 1941, when the U.S. government entered the war, 11,000 German-Americans were sent to internment camps, mainly at Ellis Island. So you, see, although it seems cruel now, war and the possibility of German and Japanese invading this country during World War II, was, indeed, a reality, and action needed to be taken.

It is certainly true that those who do not study history are doomed to repeat history.

By: DoctorDawn

DoctorDawn — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:52:49 +0000

By the way, the Bureau of Census is no longer under Commerce. That’s why Judd didn’t take the position–the Bureau was being moved under Rahm Emanuel. Some of you might want to think for awhile about why Obama wanted this change before continuing on in your sheeple fashion.

By: DoctorDawn

DoctorDawn — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:32:52 +0000

Where in the Constitution does the Census Bureau derive the authority to demand private information? The Constitution provides for the counting of people, not the taking of personal info or even names. The 4th amendment prohibits search and seizure of private info without the presentation of a court warrant based on probable cause–don’t current Census Bureau policies violate that prohibition? Especially with a threat of fines or incarceration, that seems to be the case! And why is the gov’t collecting GPS coordinates for every home? The V.A. had information about my business, including SS#, FEIN, etc., despite the fact I have never had a business interaction with them. I didn’t even know they had it until they notified me my information was among information that went missing on a hard drive at one of the offices. How does anyone believe with current reports of loss, hacking, and other compromises that personal info is really secure? Does the Census Bureau have policies to compensate the person whose info has been compromised? This is of even more concern on the American Community Survey long form. Any legislation passed in order to authorize collection of more than the number of people residing in a home, or more than every 10 years, remains unconstitutional without an amendment to the Constitution.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=confirmed-the-us-census-b

By: read up

read up — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:40:54 +0000

The Second War Powers Act of 1942 forced the census data to be turned over for Japanese in Washington, D.C. The actual census laws do not allow it, so Congress can pass something like the Patriot Act again to abuse it but currently it’s not allowed. Of course Bachmann never fought the Patriot Act and it’s abuses so she has little credibility on this matter.

By: truedawn

truedawn — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:04:25 +0000

There will be a massive defence fund for anyone charged with breaking the fascist census directives

By: Minnesota Central

Minnesota Central — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:57:25 +0000

Politifact’s Truth-o-meter dismisses Congresswoman Bachmann’s interpretation of the Constitution awarding her claim as “Pants on Fire” wrong. ”Bachmann is not only wrong here, she is engaging in fearmongering that encourages people to break the law. And in doing so, she's falsely telling people that the Constitution would support them.”

By: Minnesota Central

Minnesota Central — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:34:12 +0000

Off topic, but has anyone followed up on Congresswoman Bachamann’s comment “Bachmann’s reply: “I think it is important that we are not a nation of law breakers.” regarding her failure to file her Personal Financial Disclosure Form that was due on May 15, 2009 ? This form is due annually, however Congresswoman Bachmann did not file her 2007 until it was past due for which a $200 penality may be assessed.

By: Erica

Erica — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:21:42 +0000

Comparing Michele Bachmann with Martin Luther King Jr. is like comparing apples and oranges. Her legacy isn’t even a quarter as good as MLK. All she is good for is making me laugh and that is about it.

By: Miles

Miles — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:24:15 +0000

As noted in the Scientific American article cited above,
“The law is very different today” than it was in 1943, says Christa Jones, chief of the Census Bureau’s Office of Analysis and Executive Support. “Anything that we release to any federal agency or any organization … all of those data are reviewed,” she says, to prevent disclosures of individual information.
Now, let’s deal with some other stuff raised:
“Does not my right to privacy (which doesn’t include embryo destruction) include a right NOT to fill out forms just because some government thugs insist I do so? Or is privacy as a Constituional right confined to the womb?”
Aren’t you saying, if you don’t want to be counted in the Census, that you don’t want proportional government representation? If the “government thugs” should ignore you, then so should the government benefit providers (forget about unemployment compensation, don’t think about using government-sponsored facilities like parks, and you shouldn’t accept Social Security, Medicare, etc.) and any government officials that represent the public. Need a pothole fixed? Do it yourself. Bridge falling down? Start swimming. Streetlights out? Buy a candle.
It’s easy to take the selfish tack, but democracy doesn’t work in a vacuum. We have individual duties that we must discharge in order to for democracy to work, like voting. Do you vote, or do you sit home and complain about how the “government thugs” mis-manage everything?
Let’s not forget, this is the same woman who advocated interrogating members of Congress for anti-American sentiments. She is on the record as stating that evolution is “unproven,” and that carbon dioxide is harmless to the environment. Upper-case typing doesn’t make her assertions THE TRUTH, or mean that everyone else is LYING.