From: "Tanj" 

If you are a witness, true, since there is a clause in the constitution
which guarantees that the accused shall have access to the testimony of
witnesses, and that makes sense.

But that has no bearing on the government's right to compel you to answer
questions unrelated to testimony in court cases.

It seems pretty clear the government has no right to command answers to
random questions, and the right is reserved from them since not explicitly
given.

I got the long form, btw, and I do expect I will answer it as on balance a
useful civic exercise (though I do not consider all the questions to be
warranted).  But I consider it offensive and wrong that I do so not
voluntarily but would be coerced or fined if I do not.

Regards,
Tanj

"Richard Hong"  wrote in message
news:38ce9203{at}w3.nls.net...
> >> Is that constitutional?  Even the police can't do that to you when
> investigating a crime.
>
> Tanj,
>
> Actually, the police CAN do that to you as long as you aren't the suspect
in
> the crime.  If you aren't a suspect, refusing to answer can get you
charged
> with obstructing a police investigation or some such offense.
>
> And that's one of the keys here: the census questions can't be used
against
> you, so that removes one of the major impediments to allowing the govt to
be
> asking.
>
> Rich
>
>
>

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