The word “fed” was written on his chest
Bill Sparkman was the census worker hanged (Photo: Wikipedia.org)
We cannot give fringe elements of society legitimacy. Whoever killed Bill Sparkman – the census worker hanged in rural Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest – needs to be brought to justice and dealt with as a highly disturbed individual. He or she does not represent any sort of Southern uprising movement, and quite honestly, nobody in their right mind should attempt to claim the killer as one of their own. All such proclamations would accomplish is to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the racist anti-Obama fringe isn’t worth a roll of toilet paper. I’d take a payday loan, yes, a payday loan, if it would mean that I could buy something that would eliminate the stench of such ignorance.
Wiping the filth away
What is worth focusing on here is a tragedy. A man has died in another instance of violence against a federal worker. Bill Sparkman, 51, is a part-time census worker who was hanged. It so happens he was white, and the word “fed” was found written on his chest, according to Associated Press reports. The exact cause of death is unclear at the time of this writing, but authorities are treating it as a homicide rather than suicide. If Bill Sparkman was attacked during or because of his job (which seems apparent, considering the message on his chest), the assailant committed a federal crime.
While threats against federal workers and their families are unfortunately not uncommon, such horrific action is rare. Consider the Oklahoma City bombing, for instance.
Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry, who has stood up against attacks and denigration of federal employees before, is resolute that all resources will be made available to help track down the killer. “If this is an attack on a federal employee, I can assure you that no resources will be spared to find the perpetrators,” he said. “We cannot tolerate domestic terrorism.”
Bill Sparkman worked Census for extra money
His mother told the Associated Press that Bill Sparkman was an Eagle Scout. His service was respected enough that he’d moved to southeast Kentucky in order to serve as a local director for the Boy Scouts. His primary means of employment was as a substitute teacher. His part-time Census field work was for extra spending cash. He may have even used a payday loan, and yes, they’re good for a temporary budget boost in an emergency. He leaves behind one son.
Counting folks in Clay County considered “too dangerous”
Thus, the Census Bureau has shut down operations in Clay County, where the census worker was hanged. Understandably, the hundreds of thousands of Census workers who work door-to-door across America are afraid, and there are more workers on the way into the fray as the Census prepares for 2010.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, whose department supervises the Census Bureau, praised Bill Sparkman for the service he provided America. He commented to the AP that “Mr. Sparkman was a shining example of the hard-working men and women employed by the Census Bureau.”
This is a busy time for the Census Bureau
A census worker being hanged certainly doesn’t help matters. Preparations for 2010 are underway, but the Bureau has concerns that unchecked immigration and recession-inspired budget cuts will impair their ability to obtain an accurate head count. Now that they’ve cut ties to ACORN, that’s one more slot they’ll have to fill with legitimate, honest people that can help them perform their difficult duties.
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No way, how terrible is that? I hope the FBI can get more details. That word FED scrawled on his chest is gruesome. What kind of person would do that?