Hanged census worker had "FED" scrawled on chest
September 24th 2009 01:51
A teacher, Boy Scout local director, and part-time census worker Bill Sparkman was found hanged to death in Clay County, Kentucky on September 12. The news broke nationwide today, September 23rd. What makes it even more harrowing is that he had the word "FED" scrawled upon his chest.
A man who served his community and his country was killed for doing just that. The FBI is investigating, since it is a federal crime to attack someone while they are performing federal work. If the case plays out as it seems initially, Bill Sparkman, 51, had his life ended by someone unhappy with the government.
The census bureau has suspended door-to-door operations in rural Clay County until the investigation is complete. What Sparkman was working on wasn't even the main census that is still to come. The Bureau does conduct smaller studies from time to time. In all likelihood the project he was working on would provide numbers that could help the people of Clay County.
What we have to wonder, is why, and will there be more to come? The far right has made hay attacking the upcoming census. The likes of Michele Bachmann and Glenn Beck have been telling people they don't have to fill out the census and that it's an attempt by the "government" to learn information that can be used against citizens.Will Bachmann and Beck and company come out strongly against this? I suppose we will see.
This is just the kind of thing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was talking about when she asked for those on the right to join her in attempting to tone down the rhetoric. She realizes that for every loud-mouthed pundit inciting violence, either directly or indirectly, there are myriad idiots out there thinking about ways to act it out.
Personally, I have to credit anyone who would do census work in rural Kentucky. To me the thought brings to mind scenes from "Deliverance." Anybody hear banjo music? Is it going to take providing census workers police escorts to go count just how many Dukes there are out in Hazzard?
It's more than past time that responsible leaders on the right openly decry violence. Not just lip service to saying how tragic the killing of Bill Sparkman was, but real efforts to tone down the rhetoric. It's not likely to come, seeing how they are trying to get political points from hyping up fears about the census and health care and where President Obama was born. But it would be nice.
A man who served his community and his country was killed for doing just that. The FBI is investigating, since it is a federal crime to attack someone while they are performing federal work. If the case plays out as it seems initially, Bill Sparkman, 51, had his life ended by someone unhappy with the government.
The census bureau has suspended door-to-door operations in rural Clay County until the investigation is complete. What Sparkman was working on wasn't even the main census that is still to come. The Bureau does conduct smaller studies from time to time. In all likelihood the project he was working on would provide numbers that could help the people of Clay County.
What we have to wonder, is why, and will there be more to come? The far right has made hay attacking the upcoming census. The likes of Michele Bachmann and Glenn Beck have been telling people they don't have to fill out the census and that it's an attempt by the "government" to learn information that can be used against citizens.Will Bachmann and Beck and company come out strongly against this? I suppose we will see.
This is just the kind of thing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was talking about when she asked for those on the right to join her in attempting to tone down the rhetoric. She realizes that for every loud-mouthed pundit inciting violence, either directly or indirectly, there are myriad idiots out there thinking about ways to act it out.
Personally, I have to credit anyone who would do census work in rural Kentucky. To me the thought brings to mind scenes from "Deliverance." Anybody hear banjo music? Is it going to take providing census workers police escorts to go count just how many Dukes there are out in Hazzard?
It's more than past time that responsible leaders on the right openly decry violence. Not just lip service to saying how tragic the killing of Bill Sparkman was, but real efforts to tone down the rhetoric. It's not likely to come, seeing how they are trying to get political points from hyping up fears about the census and health care and where President Obama was born. But it would be nice.
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