Reply #32: As a Census Worker - I can tell you about the pattern [View All]

[ThoughtCriminal]

Our field people have encountered hostility and threats. They have had shots fired in their direction, dogs released to chase them and other acts of intimidation.

It comes from anti-government wing-nuts in what we call "black-helicopter country", and from remote meth-lab estates. It is also a mistake to assume that we are talking about two separate groups of people.

I'm often thankful that I work in the office rather than the field, but I'm real careful about wearing my badge outside and we drill for attacks on our building. The death of Bill Sparkman did not some as a surprise to anybody who has been working for the Census Bureau. We know that it is a dangerous job. Most of us are doing this because we need to work, but are also proud of what we doing - the Census is an essential function in a representative democracy.