Here We Go Again. Its Census Time.

It is time for the "Census" again. Time for the taking of information from American citizens via a procedure that the U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to use. Nonsense, you say. Not so, says I. Article 1, Section 2 provides for an "enumeration" to be taken for the purposes of apportioning the house of representatives. In fact, the word census is not even mentioned in the Constitution except in the 16th Amendment (direct tax amendment), which states that congress may levy taxes directly without regard to any census or enumeration. Another fact to consider is that Section 2 of the 14th Amendment confirms apportionment of the house of representatives by "counting" individuals. Nothing is said about inventorying property or anything else.

What is the difference between an enumeration and a census? An enumeration is a simple "head-count" of individuals. A census is an inventory of persons, property and other effects (e.g. information such as your income). Don't believe me. Look it up. What information is needed to apportion the house of representatives among the states? Only the number of individuals plus their respective addresses, ages and races. If you knew the history of the taking of any census and the disdain the Western Europeans and American colonists had for anything resembling a census then you would understand why the founders provided for an enumeration and stayed very far away from a census. Read about it. The traditional purpose of a census was to determine the wealth of a nation / people for the purposes of taxation.

Notwithstanding the fact that there is no authority to take a census Congress has passed Title 13 U.S.C. Sections 122 and 144 providing for the taking of a comprehensive census of persons property and other effects. The law further makes failure to answer (provide the information) and/or the giving of false information criminal offenses. To answer a census takes a person's time (property) and requires providing information about that person's household (property) and other effects (property). So how does Congress square this taking of property with the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution provision that provides no private property shall be taken without just compensation? It doesn't even bother. The federal government, which is limited to those powers specifically set out in the Constitution or necessarily implied by it, just disregarded the fact that is had only limited power granted to it and passed laws providing for a comprehensive census. It is disturbing that a court ruling on the power of the federal government to take a census would find that census is what the founders really meant, notwithstanding the fact that the founders clearly avoided using the word census. Otherwise, the court would find that there is a substantial and compelling federal interest in taking the census. In other words, the ends justify the means. What is also disturbing is that the citizens of this Country have just accepted that Congress has to power to take a census and they freely provided all of the information requested.

I submit that once one has provided names, addresses, ages and races of the persons in one's household one has complied with the requirements of any enumeration authorized by the Constitution. Making a mountain out of a mole hill, you say. Not hardly, says I. We have grown so complacent about whether the federal government is doing only what we have authorized that we have lost sight of the fundamental relationship between the citizens and the federal government. Americans now assume that the federal government can do anything it wants because it has a very good reason for doing so (doesn't it always). Thus the federal government, knowing this, just does what it wants to. It does not matter that this information gathered by the census is useful, necessary or even beneficial. None of those reasons justify the federal government usurping powers it is not granted in the Constitution. If the information is necessary, useful and/or beneficial let the citizens amend the Constitution to provide for a census. If one does not insist that the federal government exercise only those powers granted or necessarily implied in the Constitution by “we the people” then what good is even having a constitution? Just let the federal government do as it wishes. Oh, you do anyway? Never mind.

Ham Radio Is Changing

About every three months my ham club, the Highland Lakes Amateur Radio Club, holds a Sunday afternoon workshop on some topic that is of interest to enough people to make it worth while. The workshops are not limited to members and anyone who is interested can attend. The Club has held construction workshops where we built antennas for emergency use, technical lectures about antenna principles, practical workshops on the use of the new power connectors, the use of an antenna modeling program and several workshops on how to set up, configure and use the digital keyboard modes. We try to stay abreast of established and changing technology in our hobby. All of the workshops held have had a pretty good turnout and almost everyone attending has commented that the workshops are very helpful.

Not too long ago I attended an informal get-together of hams where there was a discussion of the coming digital revolution in our hobby. During the discussion of digital voice one old timer commented that it was regrettable that the world of ham radio as we know it was changing. After thinking about that for a minute I told him that I thought it was a good thing, which was met with a “Harrump, I beg your pardon.” I told him that ham radio is a constantly changing hobby. It changed when AM came on the scene. It changed again when single sideband arrived. It is changing again as digital emissions become the primary mode of operations. I said that we should be thankful it did and does or we would all still be using spark gap transmitters.

There are many digital keyboard modes: that is, computer via radio to radio and computer. They run the gamut from slow and narrow bandwidths to fast and wide bandwidths The descriptions of each mode along with how each one sounds are are found at: http://www.wb8nut.com/digital.html Have a look and listen at your leisure. Hams have and are working on improving email like messaging from station to station via radio and station to Internet via radio. In emergencies hams can transmit such messages for emergency agencies and for health and welfare inquiries.

Then there is digital voice. One manufacturer has a system called D-Star, which is somewhat popular but uses a privately owned vocoder. Other manufacturers also offer primitive digital voice systems but they likewise use proprietary vocoders. See http://www.hamradio-dv.org/ What is a vocoder? It is the hardware and software that converts analog voice to digital and digital to analog voice. Your cell phone contains one. Ham radio will progress much faster when hams come up with a standard non-proprietary vocoder and I believe that will happen in the not too distant future. See below.

Most human beings naturally resist technological change. The older we get the more we resist changes in our lives. For the most part, however, change has been good for humankind. It has brought us the marvelous age in which we live and promises even more wonders in the future. Some of my older ham friends still use AM (bloated bandwidth mode) below 21 MHz. Some think that all true hams can and still do operate CW. To those friends I say enjoy your modes of operation. There is room for all of us in this hobby. Make sure, however, that you make room for and do not interfere with the new modes for they are the future of Ham Radio.