# Right-wing media fearmongering taken to its logical end **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 24, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310 "2009-09-24T00:09:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/1 "2009-09-24T00:09:33Z")
[Census worker in KY hanged with the word “Fed” scrawled on his chest.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wires/2009/09/23/ap-source-census-worker-h_ws_297073.html) So you rouse the rabble by insinuating nefarious things about the census (ZOMG ACORN) and the next thing you know, some jackass decides to literally lynch a census worker. And yeah, yeah, I know, you’re going to say that we have no idea who did this and why…but I guarantee you that this person wasn’t watching MSNBC and listening to Air America. The last sentence of the article is typical, but laughable. How many times must people shoot churches or Holocaust museums or hang census workers before we start pointing the blame at the fearmongers in the right-wing media? ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/2 "2009-09-24T00:11:30Z")
To be fair the investigation is still ongoing. Yes, it looks like a lynching, but we shouldn’t jump to conclusions just yet. If it turns out to be a murder then the Glenn Becks of the world will have blood on their hands. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/3 "2009-09-24T00:17:41Z")
Maybe the sign was just so everybody knew that, before he was hanged, the man was fed. Geneva convention and all. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/4 "2009-09-24T00:21:02Z")
Well, fed… strung up… maybe it’s a suicide because he was fed up! ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/5 "2009-09-24T00:30:08Z")
Actually you’re all wrong. The killer was a mad hatter who meant to scrawl “fedoras!” across the man’s chest as an advertisement for his business, but due to his ADD only got the first 3 letters down before wandering off. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/6 "2009-09-24T00:35:54Z")
No, you’re all wrong. It’s a clever promotion for FedEx: the sign says **Fed** and it’s scrawled on an **Ex** -living person. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/7 "2009-09-24T00:52:38Z")
That’s… weird. Of all the things to rebel against in the modern federal government, the census is actually one of the things that’s legal and constitutional. If you were going to make a statement, you could’ve picked a better one. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/8 "2009-09-24T00:53:21Z")
Goddamn. I’m going to hope it was either suicide or some sort of killing directed at him and not his position with the Census. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/9 "2009-09-24T00:54:40Z")
**MsRobyn** , please be careful out there. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/10 "2009-09-24T00:56:02Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > That’s… weird. Of all the things to rebel against in the modern federal government, the census is actually one of the things that’s legal and constitutional. If you were going to make a statement, you could’ve picked a better one. That what would make it terrifying, if it’s really directed at the Census and not a dude who just happened to work for the Census. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/11 "2009-09-24T00:59:28Z")
[Now why would someone be afraid of the census](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/25/bachmann-compares-census_n_221081.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/12 "2009-09-24T01:00:17Z")
Michelle Bachmann has been telling her imbeciles that the census is evil (mainly because she’s in danger of losing her district). I fear we’re going to see more of this kind of thing. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see an ACORN office get firebombed. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/13 "2009-09-24T01:02:25Z")
On another site, someone suggested that that area is a large pot- and meth-producing region. I haven’t the faintest idea if that is accurate or not. (Plus, that site was Free Republic\*, so I’m more than a tad skeptical). Anybody know if that’s true? If so, I could see that – remote area, drug producers, guy asking questions … all adding up to the drug guys issuing a warning to the others. My money is still on “right wing nut”, but not too much money yet. \*I was there looking at the crazies. They were there, but there were some reasonable comments tossed in as well. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/14 "2009-09-24T01:05:36Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > \*I was there looking at the crazies. They were there, but there were some reasonable comments tossed in as well. Me, too. Someone found this article. Looks like this is the victim: [http://sentinel-echo.com/local/local\_story\_094220413.html](http://sentinel-echo.com/local/local_story_094220413.html) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/15 "2009-09-24T01:09:36Z")
Huh. Beat regular cancer, but was killed by Michelle Bachmann, the more unpleasant cancer. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/16 "2009-09-24T01:12:10Z")
While I think Bachmann is a toad, let’s not lay this poor guy’s body on her doorstep unless it’s verified. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/17 "2009-09-24T01:21:46Z")
“It’s before my time but I’ve been told He never came back from Copperhead Road” ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/18 "2009-09-24T01:31:39Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > “It’s before my time but I’ve been told > He never came back from Copperhead Road” This is from a Steve Earle song about a “revenue man” who gets murdered by a moonshiner. The song is sympathetic to the moonshiner. What is your intent in quoting from the song? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/19 "2009-09-24T01:35:38Z")
Earle is a hardcore leftist, so I doubt that he’s sympathetic to _this_ killer. I seriously doubt that **PG** is, too, regardless of her politics. Presumably she just quoted it because the guy was killed in or near Johnson County. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/20 "2009-09-24T01:39:23Z")
To say that it may well have been done by drug growers. That area is known as a huge marijuana growing area. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310.md?page=2)