On September 12, the body of Bill Sparkman was found hanging from a tree in the Daniel Boone National Forest in rural southeast Kentucky. He was found hanging with the word "fed" written on his chest. Sparkman, 51, was a cancer survivor and part-time government census worker.
For the past week and a half, investigators have been trying to determine whether his death was a suicide or a murder related either to his government job or some anti-government sentiment.
Yet, a further question must be asked: was Sparkman's death politically motivated? Could it have resulted from a demented hostility to the U.S. government whipped up by the likes of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and others on the far right? Or was it something else?
Clearly, the use of irresponsible language can lead to violence. It was such eventuality that Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned against recently. She was roundly criticized by the far right for having done so.
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and RNC Chairman Michael Steele both issued dire warnings against the 2010 Census, even though it is required by the U.S. Constitution. Rep. Bachmann said that she intended to break the law and would refuse to answer any census questions beyond noting the number of people in her household.
Rachel Maddow interviews an AP reporter:
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