From the Desk of Terry Lynch
DATE: Aug. 26, 1998 FROM: Terry Lynch POB 241035 Montgomery, AL 36124-1035 E-mail: TerryLynch@aol.com Internet site: The Pyrotechnic Pen Additional Information: Lynch Links
Letter to the Editor - For Immediate Release
SUBJECT: Use Sample Counts in Year 2000 Census Ref. "No Sampling for Census, Judge Rule" Montgomery Advertiser p. 4A Aug. 25, 1998 Republicans need to learn how to count, not upon their fingers but with scientific sampling methods and statistical analysis. This is because it is impossible to make an accurate count of a large changing population of anything, especially people, using a direct head count. For example, try to count all the grains of salt in a salt shaker or all the grains of sand upon a beach. Try to count all the drops of water in a bucket or all the stars in the heavens. It soon becomes obvious to the one doing the counting that it is maddening to count individual items. The only way to approach getting an accurate count is to use some type of measuring and estimating process based upon smaller, more accurate counts of a known sample. In the case of salt grains it may be determined that a gram sample of salt contains approximately a million grains. The approximation is made because each time one takes a sample and makes a count or measurement there is a different result. Hence a plus or minus amount above or below the average or mean value is used. Scientist call this standard deviation. In the case of salt, a gram sample of salt may contain one million grains plus or minus 100 grains. In the case of people a city may contain one million people plus or minus 100 people. But why use a mean value or estimate in the case of people? The reason is because populations are always changing. People are being born, people are dying, people are moving around constantly. In fact constant change occurs in all populations and is why scientific methods of sampling must be used to have any chance of getting an accurate count. Newt Gingrich and other republicans who are still counting on their fingers need to go back to school and learn how to count their grains of salt. Otherwise the year 2000 census will be inaccurate, resulting in inappropriate representation and unfair funding for represented districts. Because our representative form of government requires an accurate count of people, scientific methods of sampling should be used. If republicans can't understand how scientists count using samples, then at least let census takers use an abacus to do the counting of our nations people in the year 2000. I simply don't trust republicans counting on their fingers. Inevitably they will miss a few million blacks here and a few million Hispanics there and a few million homeless people everywhere else. And the rich will get richer and the poor will stay poor well into the 21st century. Sincerely, Terry Lynch Montgomery, AL Copyright Notice