Bureaucratic Absurdity

The Census Bureau sent a card which said I was obliged BY LAW,
To answers endless repetitious, rude, intrusive, stupid questions.
I, of course, went through them all, but many asked for numbers
Which I would have had to get up from my chair and look at files
To find. I didn't want to take the effort, so the answers that I
Gave were made up, almost surely wrong, which means that what
The Bureau sought, precise descriptions of my life, and those
Of others living here, it didn't get. It should have known that,
When one asks too many questions, little ends up learned.





Poetry by Lawrence Beck The PoetBay support member heart!
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Written on 2024-08-13 at 15:40

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MIRZA AHMER BEG The PoetBay support member heart!
Man is born free ,but everywhere he is in chains
2024-08-16


IB M The PoetBay support member heart!
Funnily, I just received the same from our Census bureau yesterday and I feel exactly the same about it. About it being required by law, the justifications for this are not convincing at all. Plus, whether the government can identify which group of the population I 'belong' to with all of that information they're gathering about me, it doesn't make a blind bit of difference as far as what it will do for me (that is nothing). So, I share the same view that this is completely intrusive and pointless.
Anyway, the by law part, I wonder, have people been hauled to court and fined for this? If so, the government couldn't make a more perfect example of how they're wasting time and money on nothing...
2024-08-14


alarian The PoetBay support member heart!
but why do you emphasize BY LAW?
2024-08-14


Griffonner The PoetBay support member heart!
Absolutely so.
Blessings, Allen
2024-08-13


Alan J Ripley The PoetBay support member heart!
So true
2024-08-13


Sona
Yes
2024-08-13