Gloria Swanson primitive allegedly denigrates dead census worker

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6618470

Oh my.

NYC_SKP  (1000+ posts)        Thu Sep-24-09 01:30 AM
Original message
 
The "Census Worker" Has a Name. 51 year old Bill Sparkman was also a Substitute Teacher.

Can we please refer to him as Mr. Sparkman?

Mr. Sparkman was 51 years old and worked with kids in an after school program.

after which a photograph of, and a news story about, the guy

The California piggy primitive, who doesn't care to name murdered infants by name:

CaliforniaPeggy  (1000+ posts)        Thu Sep-24-09 01:38 AM
Response to Original message
 
1. I weep at his death... 

He was an innocent man, caught up in this terrible situation.

I hope he died quickly and not in too much pain.

And I fiercely long for the quick apprehension of those guilty of his untimely death.

Quantess  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 01:48 AM
Response to Original message
 
6. He looks so benign. 

Why on earth would anyone want to kill that poor harmless looking man, and mark the word "FED" on his corpse, unless they had it burned into their twisted mind that he represented what they hate....Census taker = ACORN = Obama's government

It's chilling.

katanalori  (529 posts)     Thu Sep-24-09 01:57 AM
Response to Reply #6
 
7. I happen to agree with you - but seems an unpopular opinion tonight. If we are correct, then Bachmann and Beck have blood on their hands IMO.

What the fu....dge?

Quantess  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 02:02 AM
Response to Reply #7
 
9. Yes, I know working Census has always been dangerous.

But, it's well known that ACORN is vehemently hated by many right wingers, and it's also well known that ACORN did some census work. Put 2 and 2 together.

NYC_SKP  (1000+ posts)        Thu Sep-24-09 02:00 AM
Response to Reply #6
 
8. Evil people prey on the good, the vulnerable...

And this makes them great cowards, as well.

The FBI will investigate this tragedy.

The Gloria Swanson primitive:

Tangerine LaBamba  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 03:04 AM
Response to Reply #6

11. Looks - 

When I was a little kid, I thought Josef Stalin was the nicest, sweetest man because he looked like my grandfather.

Looks mean nothing, I learned, when I found out who Josef Stalin was.

Quantess  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 03:12 AM
Response to Reply #11
 
13. Do you know something about Bill Sparkman that I don't?

Tangerine LaBamba  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 03:13 AM
Response to Reply #13
 
14. I know as much about Mr. Sparkman as you do, I'd bet good money on that.

Quantess  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 03:15 AM
Response to Reply #14
 
15. Why the comparison to Josef Stalin?

Tangerine LaBamba  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 03:27 AM
Response to Reply #15
 
16. Why the WHAT?

You read my post as comparing the late Mr. Sparkman to Josef Stalin?

You didn't. You did not.

You're joking, right?

Quantess  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 03:34 AM
Response to Reply #16
 
17. You made a comparison to Josef Stalin, and I asked whether you had more information about the victim than I did. It's pretty clear.

Tangerine LaBamba  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 03:39 AM
Response to Reply #17
 
19. I made absolutely no comparison

I told a story - I cannot believe I have to explain this, but I shall, because I want to go along with this, see where it goes - about believing, when I was a little girl, that Josef Stalin must have been a nice man because he looked like my grandfather - who was a nice man.

Later, when I grew older and found out who and what Josef Stalin had been, I learned that looks tell you nothing about a person's character.

Your comment was that the late Mr. Sparkman, and I paraphrase, "looked like a nice person."

It brings to mind the old canard, "You can't tell a book by its cover."

OK?

Your turn.

Quantess  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 03:52 AM
Response to Reply #19
 
21. It was a poorly chosen occasion for you to bring that up. 

I can understand that you had a tremendous life experience, and it's excellent for you to talk about it, but, it really did look like you were trying to suggest that the apparent murder victim might be like Josef Stalin. I accept your explanation, even though I can't imagine someone posting that, in response to this story.

Have you ever seen the show Curb Your Enthusiasm? I feel like I'm talking to Larry David right now.

Tangerine LaBamba  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 04:07 AM
Response to Reply #21
 
22. You're joking, right?

You read those few lines as my comparing Stalin to the dead man?

You posted about how the man looked, and I wrote about how looks don't ever tell you anything about a person's character.

You read that as my comparing Mr. Sparkman to Josef Stalin?

OK, that's funny.

My realizing that Stalin wasn't a nice person was hardly a "tremendous life experience," and I am entertained, and puzzled, that you would interpret it that way. Josef Stalin was a benign-looking man with a bushy mustache just like my grandfather's, and so, I, a small child, thought he was a nice person, like my grandfather.

You found Mr. Sparkman's visage to be kindly.

But, we don't know anything about Mr. Sparkman, so my post was in response to that.

No, I've never seen "Curb Your Enthusiasm," but I am sure you're joking about not understanding my post. No one could possibly misconstrue such a simple statement in such an utterly off-the-wall fashion.

I'm going to go with the "You're joking, and pulling my leg" theory, because the alternative is just too depressing to contemplate.

Quantess  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 04:15 AM
Response to Reply #22
 
23. You'd love "Curb Your Enthusiasm". 

I think you'll find yourself identifying with the main character, Larry David, who also wrote "Seinfeld".

Tangerine LaBamba  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 03:03 AM
Response to Original message
 
10. I wonder how long he was out there - it must have been a while, given the state of the decomposition of the body, according to that report.

And, since he only worked a couple of days a month, it's entirely possible he was in that area for a different reason.

An Eagle Scout. Was he camping out there? Or doing something relating to nature, the woods, any of that?

There are so many possibilities. Seems like a nice man who was liked by the people he worked with. Odd, too, that his disappearance was reported by a colleague after he didn't show for a couple of days. Since he's been described as a single father, wouldn't his child or children have reported him missing when he didn't come home the first day?

There's so much to this story that's not known.

Uh-huh.

last_texas_dem (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 03:37 AM
Response to Reply #10
 
18. FWIW, his Census handheld device was found in his truck near the area

This doesn't prove 100% that he was working for the Census when his death took place, but it makes it likely. The Bureau lays out pretty strict rules for workers to follow regarding carrying Census forms, bags, handhelds, etc., when not working so it seems unlikely that Sparkman would have been carrying the gear around while not on the job.

>>>>Census employees were told Sparkman's truck was found nearby, and a computer he was using for work was found inside it, she said. He worked part-time for the Census, usually conducting interviews once or twice a month.>>>>>

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jbzG_...

Tangerine LaBamba  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 03:46 AM
Response to Reply #18
 
20. No, it doesn't prove anything, although it's possible.

Anything is possible. That's all we know for sure.

Uh-huh.

Solomon  (1000+ posts)        Thu Sep-24-09 08:23 AM
Response to Reply #20
 
32. Especially suicide, right?

stuball111  (894 posts)        Thu Sep-24-09 05:52 AM
Response to Original message
 
24. Seems poor old Mr. Sparkman is the brunt of many "theories here tonite.

Many of which are speculation. All I have seen so far is what is in the news. Until more comes out, I believe that:

A. He is Dead
B Somebody Killed him (according to authorities)
C. It wasn't funny
D. People have stated him as nice decent, good person(unless some "dark secret" comes out, I will assume he was)
E. He wasn't Stalin (heh heh)
F. Anything else is pure speculation and bullshit
G. Bachman so far hasn't been named on an arrest warrant (at least not for murder, and I am NOT sticking up for her)
F. Can we PLEASE go back to Palin bashing until more facts come out and leave the poor guy in Peace?

Quantess  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 06:11 AM
Response to Reply #24
 
25. Thank you. The blaming of the victim needs to stop.

My use of humor in this thread was more of "I'm laughing AT you not laughing with you".

I sincerely hope that the DUer who posted the comparison to Stalin was just making an offhand, anecdotal comment. However, I am unconvinced.

stuball111  (894 posts)        Thu Sep-24-09 06:23 AM
Response to Reply #25
 
26. Yeah... I read that...

The person wasn't comparing him to Stalin, just using it as an example that looks can be deceiving, and that there might be some negative tidbit to slobber over about the guy. I don't know, being human, he could very well be not perfect, and may have had flaws. But that in itself was speculation too. Nowhere is there anything that says that he was anything but a nice kind, decent giving man. And until anything else surfaces that says the contrary, it's somebodies opinion, and not fact,and certainly not worthy of discussion to me.

I was referring to another thread about the humor thing. There was some pretty nasty crap posted tonight, and not befitting of DU, but belonged over in freeperland as far as I am concerned.

Quantess  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 06:30 AM
Response to Reply #26
 
27. Thanks for clarifying. I haven't read too many other threads today. 

I just think it's wrong and incredibly disrespectful to make assumptions about an apparent murder victim. It's just disgusting.

What if you knew him?

stuball111  (894 posts)        Thu Sep-24-09 07:30 AM
Response to Reply #27
 
29. Exactly my sentiments.

There are some here though that I find less than compassionate...and some like to argue, I guess it's the lack of conservatives here to bully, and sometimes it appears to be a regular chat room.

era veteran  (51 posts)        Thu Sep-24-09 06:58 AM
Response to Original message
 
28. Seems like a very good man 

As a Kentuckian, I know the area he was found in is treated like a third world country. DEA, KSP anti drug copters with men in combat uniforms dropping out of the sky. No economy but coal and not enough jobs from that. Lots of distrust of the government. Not an excuse, this was reprehensible, but to shed some light on an area that has had it's mineral wealth stolen for decades. It could be that when dirty coal is banished from use there won't be any jobs. Perhaps it's time to bring back the Happy Pappies federal program.

melm00se (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 08:01 AM
Response to Original message
 
30. As horrible as this is please remember that census workers have died in the past:

2000, Nashville, IN: A pack of more than 20 dogs attacked and killed a 71-year-old Census Bureau worker who apparently walked past warning signs in an attempt to count the occupants of an isolated rural home.

Historic NY  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 08:19 AM
Response to Original message
 
31. I worked as a Census taker back in 1980 was attacked by a dog..

I had the unpleasant task of doing the apartment complexes. I found it was easy enough to just go to the management office to find out the minimum occupant info need. Having the name sometimes made it easier to interview the people later. Rural areas can be tough neighbors don't know neighbors and are suspicious of people coming to their door.

[crockspot]

Quantess  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-24-09 02:02 AM
Response to Reply #7
 
9. Yes, I know working Census has always been dangerous.

But, it's well known that ACORN is vehemently hated by many right wingers, and it's also well known that ACORN did some census work. Put 2 and 2 together.

Connect the dots, maaaaaan.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Damn, those idiots will get into a slap-fight about anything.

 

[MrsSmith]

NYC_SKP must be a mole!!!!      Did you see the news link??  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,554760,00.html

 




 

[Ree]

I'd bet he ran across someones "cash crop" down there...

[USA4ME]

The primitives are as stupid as they get.  Those who live back in the middle of nowhere in Eastern Kentucky don't know who Bachmann and Beck are or what ACORN is.  If there was foul play, none of that had anything to do with it.

.

[BEG]

The primitives are as stupid as they get.  Those who live back in the middle of nowhere in Eastern Kentucky don't know who Bachmann and Beck are or what ACORN is.  If there was foul play, none of that had anything to do with it.

.

I agree USA. 

[miskie]

I have a feeling they aren't going to be happy with what the investigation finds - That he happened across a neighborhood containing people who thought he was a federal agent, possibly connected with the DEA or immigration, and they killed him because 'he knew too much'.

[BlueStateSaint]

I saw a "Census Worker" in Arbor Hill of Albany NY today.

Four of them, in fact.  In a group.  Together--maybe three feet seperated the ones furthest from the center of the group.  Three young women and a young man.  Smart to travel in a pack there.