In one of the Iowa censuses, Someone was enumerated, including their menial labor job and then off in the margin it said 'idiot'. Another one it was in the comment section. The census takers were supposed to note anyone with a disability because they were looking to understand how many were most likely going to need gov. assistance. I've also seen 'blind', 'deaf', and 'dumb'; as well as 'crippled', 'halt' and 'bent'. When I worked on the 2000 census there were ethnic groups who did not want gov. interferance or help and didn't want to be perceived as needy so they didn't want co-operate. We learned to find the 'head' man or woman and explain how they were hurting themselves. If we got through to them, all of a sudden everyone was home and everyone answered the questions. Then there were the red-blooded Americans who don't think anyone should get assistance so they didn't want to be counted because that was co-operating with giving assistance. Unfortunately what that did is make the percentage of people needing assistance higher, not lower which would enable or qualify a district for more of certain types of assistance. I was a supervisor so I say a lot more of the anomalies than an individual enumerator whould have seen. Pamela Elmo wrote: > > In the old censuses here in Chautauqua Co, Western NY State, I have seen the > term "defective" > Also in another place, a young woman hired girl was called "Harlot". She > nursed the wife thru terminal illness and then she and the widower raised a > large family together, just never bothered to travel to get married. They > were happy the way things were so more power to them.....E T ..... > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, August 19, 2002 2:33 PM > Subject: Re: [BS-L] "idiot" children? > > > In a message dated 8/19/2002 11:07:33 AM Pacific Daylight Time, > > [email protected] writes: > > > > > > > "idiot" children??? Never heard of it referred to that way, do you mean > > > Mentally Retarded? > > > Robin > > > > > > > Idiot is an old term for Mentally disabled persons, also used was > "simple". > > > > Autiistic children which have abnormal abilitoies are called "Idiot > Savant", > > My son is one. Idiot refers to the inability to cope with teh normal > social > > aspects of life, Savant means what it looks like "Saved". (Save can also > > mean "except".) > > > > Idiot Savant literally means " an idiot except" and usually teh thing > that > > the person is exceptional at is shown. Normally functioning people who > > have exceptional (note the context of EXCEPT) (savant) abilities are > called > > PRODIGIES. > > > > > > > > > > Jeffery G. Scism, IBSSG, (<A > HREF="http://blacksheep.rootsweb.com">http://blacksheep.rootsweb.com</A>) > > ~~ > > If the AOL experience is so wonderful, how come their LOGO is a picture > of a > > hurricane in the Bermuda Triangle? > > > > ______________________________ > > ==== BLACKSHEEP-CHAT Mailing List ==== > Unsubscribe from the list: > Mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsubscribe > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237