The AP reports that the body of a census worker was found hanging from a tree in a Kentucky national forest with the word "FED" written on the chest. AP source: Census worker hanged with 'fed' on body

Quote: WASHINGTON — A U.S. Census worker found hanged from a tree near a Kentucky cemetery had the word "fed" scrawled on his chest, a law enforcement official said Wednesday, and the FBI is investigating whether he was a victim of anti-government sentiment. The law enforcement official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and requested anonymity, did not say what type of instrument was used to write the word on the chest of Bill Sparkman, a 51-year-old part-time Census field worker and teacher. He was found Sept. 12 in a remote patch of the Daniel Boone National Forest in rural southeast Kentucky. The Census has suspended door-to-door interviews in rural Clay County, where the body was found, pending the outcome of the investigation. An autopsy report is pending. ...

Initial speculation is that this killing was the result of the rise in anti-government political rhetoric, including rhetoric denouncing the 2010 census (Minn. lawmaker vows not to complete Census Outspoken Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann says she's so worried that information from next year's national census will be abused that she will refuse to fill out anything more than the number of people in her household.). Others are saying to hold off on that conclusion. There are other possible explanations (Pandagon The Daniel Boone National Forest is a hotbed for pot growers and meth labs and archaeological looters and there’s a distrust of anyone considered connected to the federal government, including Forest Rangers and local cops.). This post has several links to more information about the victim: Bill Sparkman: Tragic Details About Census Worker Found Hanged. Substitute teacher, cancer survivor, boy scout, father. So what do you think? Was the killing politically motivated or criminally motivated? Criminally motivated and disguised as politically motivated? Something else?

I think that's for the police to decide, personally.

Not enough information really. I mean unless the people who did it step forward. One things for sure you have to be pretty insane to do that kind of thing.

I wish people would loosen up about the census. It's just some statistical information. There's like nothing on it really for the 2010 version.

Quote: Original post by LessBread
census

They still do that? It's something that I associate with the ancient Roman empire, not with a Western country in today's information age.

Quote: Original post by Codeka
I think that's for the police to decide, personally.

Seconded.

There are too many variables -- if I were a smart meth lab operator who wanted to kill someone, I'd do whatever I could to throw the cops off the track.

Quote: Original post by Wan

Quote: Original post by LessBread
census

They still do that? It's something that I associate with the ancient Roman empire, not with a Western country in today's information age.

It's done all over the world.

Where did you think population statistics come from, the stork?

Quote: Original post by Zahlman
Where did you think population statistics come from, the stork?

Well, surely he keeps some kind of record?

Quote: Original post by Zahlman

Quote: Original post by Wan

Quote: Original post by LessBread
census

They still do that? It's something that I associate with the ancient Roman empire, not with a Western country in today's information age.

It's done all over the world.

Where did you think population statistics come from, the stork?

Municipal records, not by going door to door.

Anyway, I see that the last census in the Netherlands was performed in 1971, well before I was born. Hence my surprise.

Quote: Original post by Wan

Quote: Original post by Zahlman

Quote: Original post by Wan

Quote: Original post by LessBread
census

They still do that? It's something that I associate with the ancient Roman empire, not with a Western country in today's information age.

It's done all over the world.

Where did you think population statistics come from, the stork?

Municipal records, not by going door to door.

Anyway, I see that the last census in the Netherlands was performed in 1971, well before I was born. Hence my surprise.

The constitution dictates that a census be taken every 10 years. Changing this would require a lot of hassle.

Regardless of who did it, it's still pretty disturbing.