The Hanged Census Worker: Why Appalachia Hates Feds

On September 12, a federal census-taker, Bill Sparkman, was found nude, dead and tied by his neck to a tree in someone else's family cemetery in the Appalachian foothills of southeastern Kentucky, with his empty truck nearby. Binding him with duct tape and gagging him, a person or persons had taped his federal census ID to his head and shoulder and with a felt tip pen had scrawled FED on his chest. Network reporters, arriving in the area of the Daniel Boone National Forest, have expressed shock that the fresh-faced outdoorsy people in the area so outspokenly hate the federal government. Small wonder. The U.S. government began its life back in 1791 by shafting the Appalachian area. People have not forgotten it, perhaps because it has yet to stop happening.

That is one part of the story needing exploration. Other aspects of this go far beyond Kentucky.

Citizens across the nation are waking up to how constitutionally powerful they are, and there is magic and danger in that. The Kentucky Constitution -- echoing the Declaration of Independence and other state constitutions -- expresses the situation this way, "All power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority and instituted for their peace, safety, happiness and the protection of property. For the advancement of these ends, they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such manner as they may deem proper."

That power can bring enormous social transformation, largely non-violently. The people refers to the majority; inalienable means that the power is there even if it has not been used in centuries, and indefeasible means that it remains intact no matter what legal dodge is used to deny it. A hundred years ago, citizens were confronted by U.S. government which was massively corrupt at every level and corporate monopolies with armies, in a ravaged environment where even deer were nearly extinct. In what they called the "Second American Revolution," they organized by the millions, using freedom of press and assembly to create civic, labor, consumer, stockholder, women's, civil rights, public health, occupational safety, food safety and environmental movements, grabbing guns only when shot at, and sticking with it through five wars and three major depressions. Combined with corporate dynamism, the result by the 1970s was the world's most prosperous nation, with the largest, best educated, most politically active middle class that the planet had ever seen.

Such inherent clout plus building anger at the federal government however could also lead to political violence, especially when demagogues try to gin it up. Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi [D-CA] says that the potential is increasing, and some believe that the Sparkman killing may be the first blow. If so, in Appalachian at least, long overdue moral justice may be as important as criminal justice in defusing it. ....

Kentucky was a Mohawk word for "meadow" referring to a vast central tableland of long grasses with tiny, exquisitely-fragrant, blue buds, fed by mountain streams filtered through limestone, with its long northern edge cut by the sinuous Ohio River Valley. At Pittsburgh to the northeast, two smaller rivers came together to produce the Ohio which flowed 1000 miles southwest to the mammoth Mississippi, where Kentucky tapered to a tip. Pioneers called the area the Bluegrass Plateau, and animals including eastern buffalo thrived on it and the forested plains to the west and south. Few Native nations had ever put homes there, but most loved the hunting, using it as a communal refrigerator. Pittsburgh had held settlers for a century by the time the country began. Pioneers like Daniel Boone though were just coming from the east coast into Kentucky, pushing up over the spine of the heavily forested eastern mountains, building forts and cabins.

They were trailblazers, yet the new U.S. Congress taxed all these small farmers at a 50% higher rate than it levied on plantation owners like George Washington, and in 1791 it also taxed their whiskey, charging small producers much more per gallon than large producers like Washington. Whiskey was a storage device. In the Appalachian mountain and river valley mists, drying a corn crop or distilling it was imperative; otherwise it rotted. Living in a barter system, pioneers had little money, so when the U.S. federal tax collectors demanded cash, many settlers were forced to sell their farms. Since the U.S. Constitution allowed only white men with property to vote, pioneers who were taxed off their farms also lost their rights. When those in Pittsburgh backed by Kentucky pioneers rose up in armed rebellion, President Washington himself led 13,000 men against them--as large an army as the one that he had thrown against the British.

However coincidentally, in Kentucky, some pioneer families banded into villages in inaccessible mountains and did not contact outsiders for another 100 years.

The rest of Kentucky and other nearby pioneer areas meanwhile picked up the ball of the incomplete revolution and ran with it. The U.S. Constitution allowed slavery, but Ohio, Indiana and Illinois constitutionally prohibited slavery in their areas--nearly half a century before the Civil War. The Constitution had not mentioned corporations or political parties. The Indiana Constitution like others not only forbid political contributions by corporations and limited their lifespans but outlawed for-profit banks. The framers of the Constitution had feared direct democracy. In pioneer areas, white men without property won the right to vote, and for the country's first eighty years, citizens ran their towns through self-organizing volunteer groups and took turns representing each other. Convinced that an educated electorate was crucial to democracy, Indiana legislated the first public school system.

Life for those self-isolated in the farthest mountains went on with a kind of timelessness, as the resourceful people built cabins, hunted the towering forests, made quilts, had clog dances and sang the ballads of Shakespeare's time. Near Tennessee, there was a waterfall with one of only two moonbows in the world. Eighty years after the Revolution, though, catastrophe struck. The eastern half of the country exploded in the Civil War, either "to hold the union together" or "to pull away from a dictatorial federal government"--either way, Kentucky stayed neutral as 600,000 people killed each other--and New York City was hit by a tsunami of Irish immigration.

In the upheaval, NYC Democratic Party "Boss" William Tweed began selling all the city's elected and appointed offices and government contracts to the highest bidder, getting a kickback from each deal, while his gangs beat up or burned out those who did not pay; and the starving immigrants whom he fed voted early and often. He made a fortune before he died in jail. Carried by Irish immigrants, the boss system next helped Big Coal and the railroads take over Appalachian governments. The central part of the mountains, extending from Pennsylvania to the edge of the deep south, were irich in high quality coal, the main fuel of the industrial revolution worldwide. Corporations defrauded families of their farms, reducing them to workers in dangerous mines.

Sucking all the profits, while getting whopping subsidies and not paying taxes, Big Coal kept the people in dire poverty. The federal government did nothing to protect them, but when the Prohibition of alcohol was passed, federal agents suddenly appeared with guns in remote parts of the mountains in order to murder folks in front of their families for the new crime of making whiskey.

Democracy and capitalism thrived on public infrastructure, as the federal government dredged the great waterways and made canals and locks to allow boats to travel freely and for free; backed private transcontinental railroads in the late 1800s, created the federal aircraft control system, federally-funded the privately-built interstate highways, and built the then spontaneously-developed Internet. Community and commerce burst into life on them, and Kentucky cities like Louisville, Lexington and Newport thrived. Little of this however reached Appalachian Kentucky except rural electrification, waterworks and welfare.

The government meanwhile repealed Prohibition, only to outlaw marijuana. Kentucky farmers had been producing hemp for twine and rope, a mainstay of the U.S. Navy in WWII, and peacefully smoking its buds since the area was settled. Pushed underground, the skilled farmers still made a billion dollars on an untaxed crop in 1980 alone. Instead of leaving it legal, thus getting much-needed revenue for Kentucky, and letting Kentucky farmers compete the Latin American cartels out of business however, the government made it a felony. The prisons have long since overflowed, backing up into the jails, which are overflowing too.

There is too little work. Coal mine jobs have dried up because huge machines have come in, removing whole mountain ranges, dumping them into streams, in order to reach the coal that America still craves. What jobs there are shatter bodies. In an area with too few doctors, unregulated "pain clinics" thrive, addicting people to prescription drugs like Oxycontin, and some folks slip out into the forest, growing pot and making lethal meth to sell. Quietly religious, in touch with family members long since flung far and wide into other states, the reflexively polite majority welcome strangers. Yet the press makes cartoon characters of them, the Beverly Hillbillies shooting at revenooers. There is nothing funny about it. Reporters who come into the area say it's "lawless." More exactly, people have a learned contempt for laws that criminalize previously legal activities and legalize corruption.

Teacher Bill Sparkman was from here, moonlighting as a federal census taker in order to pay the bills, his heart set on empowering area children. The Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] has been investigating, but the Sparkman death was not announced until almost two weeks after Sparkman's body was found, indicating conflicting trails.

What do you think? Who did it and why?

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Comments

[ManicStreetSteveO]

I loved the read. It was insightful, and opened my eyes to some things that even this history buff did not know. But it also had me intrigued. I grew up in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, raised by two families (mom and dad's), whose genealogy was essentially a steady migration from one southeastern mountain range to the next. From the Blue Ridge in North Carolina, to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. From the Hills of Northern Alabama, to Kentucky. And finally, both settling in the Ozarks. Now, while studying my own family's history, I stumbled upon something fascinating: A lot of the other historical clans of the Ozarks traced the same pathway. Mountain way, to mountain way. Range to range.
The reason this post triggered the memory, was in the description that I hear from so many about this particular part of Kentucky. It practically mirrors my own experience in the Ozarks. Same good points, and same bad points. Moonshine was prolific in the Ozarks in it's day, and is still made there. Meth has virtually taken over the rural countryside in certain counties, and murders are not only not uncommon, but often times the norm. Marijuana from the Ozarks is sought after nation wide. I can remember even as a child being told that if I were in the country, to stick to the trail, because drug dealers and moonshiners would rig primitive and deadly traps amongst the underbrush. And they absolutely despise the Government.

[walleymr]

Thank you for your post. Not sure if I should refer to it as an article, or an essay. Either way it is eye-opening. Hope more people read it.

[Lisa deGruyter]

In fact, Appalachia has a rich and fascinating religious history. While it is often said it was settled by the Scots-Irish, there were an almost equal number of German settlers, whose names became anglicized early on so their descendants are not immediately recognizable. There were German Reformed, Lutheran, Mennonites, Brethren, Seventh Day Baptists (Dunkers) and a variety of smaller Pietist sects. Most eventually became Methodist and, slightly later, Baptists, but there was also a Universalist movement. Because none of the established English or Scots churches sent ministers to the frontier, and the Germans few, the culture became one where the people were accustomed to independent congregations, which were often free-thinking but serious.

53% of West Virginians believe the Bible is the literal word of God, many more than are church members, and many more than nationally, where only 33% are literalists. But 64% believe that there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their religion, and on whether there is one true faith, 70% say that "Many religions can lead to eternal life," both about the national average. Only 46% of Kentuckians believe the Bible literally, 60% say there is more than one way to interpret their religion's teachings, and 69% say many religions are valid. Up to 24% don't, aren't sure, or are only fairly certain they believe in God in West Virginia, and up to 17% in Kentucky.

Numbers from a large survey by the Pew Trust, http://religions.pewforum.org/maps

[Lisa deGruyter]

Thank you for an excellent article and the thoughtful discussion. PlaceboStudman wrongly assumes, and you haven't corrected him, that Appalachians are evangelicals. Not to mention the bigotry implicit in contrasting Appalachia with "the more civilized modernized areas."

Nationally, there were 40 million evangelicals, and only 27 million mainline Protestants in 2000 (see the The Association of Religion Data Archives at http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/selectState.asp) West Virginia, the only state completely within Appalachia, had only 200,000 evangelical Protestants but 325,000 mainline (almost all United Methodist and American Baptists). Kentucky is 3 to 1 evangelical, but, like West Virginia and indeed the country, has a majority of people who do not belong to a church at all. Clay County, specifically, had 7,642 evangelicals, 440 mainlines, and 16,382 unchurched people in 2000. The overwhelming majority of the evangelicals were Southern Baptists, but they also included Brethern, Mennonites, and Seventh Day Adventists, none of whom are noted for violence, arrogance, or devotion to unbridled capitalism, to say the least.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gail-mcgowan-mellor/the-hanged-census-worker_b_300898.html

[Roguer]

Interesting read. Thank you. My family has lived in what is now South East West Virginia since the early 1700's. I know you are writing about Ken. but felt that a few facts had been missed in your otherwise insightful piece.

I was born and raised in MI, lived there the first 40 years of my life, and only moved to WV to carry on my family's farm. I have learned a lot from my brief 5 years here.

The people here may be poor by national standards, but are proud. Most working more than one minimum wage job, plus something on the side. Many do not have running water due to the difficulty of terrain. My grandparents did not have a well until the mid 80's. They lived off what ran off the roof when it rained.

[Roguer]

Cont.

What I found most disturbing upon moving here is the politics. There is reason this region has distrust for government, both local and federal. WV became a state shortly after the civil war. Lincoln decided that the people should never have a chance to rebel again. WV statehood was voted down twice by delegates of this region. On the third attempt they were not told about the convention and not invited. Statehood was passed. The state constitution gives most of the power to the governor and there is no code to allow for referendum. Everyone in the state could sign a petition and it would not make a difference.

The people in this region have seen outsiders come and take their resources and leave nothing. Now the region is seeing an invasion of outside developers looking to cut up the land for second homes for DC dignitaries.

[Roguer]

Cont.

This is supported by a town, built by the C&O railroad to haul off the hardwood lumbers of the area, 4 miles away. Protests, petitions, lawsuits have not stopped it. In court we were told we do not have standing, because we are not directly affected, and the case thrown out. The development is directly over an historic cave system that has over 45 miles of caverns and tunnels. The development plans on pumping its storm water run off, from over 250 units, into the cave system jeopardizing the surrounding area and the hydrology of the cave itself, not to mention those that live downstream.

Another thing I have noticed about this region, Yes it is largely Irish historically, although my family was Swiss/German. They are proud of their Irish history. Bluegrass music can be directly traced to Irish jigs and reels. Much of the dialect comes from Gaelic roots. They are used to economic depression because they constantly have lived in one. They distrust outsiders because outsiders have only taken advantage of them. And they distrust government for the same reasons, especially feds. It is likely this poor unfortunate fellow stumbled upon something he should not have or asked an inappropriate question. As you said, Eastern Kentucky is a producer of weed and folks there are very protective of each other.

Thank you again for your article.

[Roguer]

PS. The sad part, locally, since my wife and I and few others have stood up to the town and developer: we are now targeted by the local police. Have been threatened directly by the mafioso style government of the town, whose city manager was from California. If you go to the city council meetings no one shows up. In the recent mayoral election, less than 2% of the town turned out for the vote. When talking to residents of the town to draw them into our cause. The common answer was: "we support you, here's $20, but I will not sign anything because They (the city) will make our lives a living hell."

[wildedge]

The history you recite is important, ad it's important that we not forget it (as, unfortunately, so many have); but you may be cutting too wide a swath for the purpose. There's blame enough to go around - your own essay effectively villainizes Irish immigrants through the 'boss system' they spread out from New York Cuty - failing to remark that this 'boss system' arose as a defensive response against a corrupt Anglo-Dutch city government that impoverished and ghettoized the immigrants; which brings me to the real problem here:
All governments are corrupt, because they exist as people engaging in administrative functions that give them considerable power, and "power corrupts." That's just the way it is, and so it is necessary to have legals constraints that, although they cannot prevent corruption, limit its harm.
I used to be an anarchist, until I realized that the effort to reduce government into non-existence only leaves a trail of legal constrants removed, thus allowing the spread of corruption unchecked.
There is no systematic means of addressing a 'problem with Appalachia' such as you describe. What really has to happen is a major economic boom in the region attracting immigrants of different culturers, thus forcing Appalachian culture into the global economy - where it would soon wither and die, leaving an artifcial shell of itself in commericial products (remember how the song "Good Ol' Mountain Dew" became the theme for the soda-pop?).
That too would become history - and it may be inevitable.

[mattie wallace]

I left a message earlier, but, I guess it was erased, now I don't know what's going on but, these people are mad at the Government why? they do not want the Government in their life, but, yet they want help from the Government! how can you tell the Government to let you be and yet complain when you cannot get enough assistance from the Government! doe's this seem rational?

Well the President should let these people be, let them alone, let the people take care of their own school's! they don't want Government involved in their live's well that's fine, doe's this mean they no longer want Government assisted HOSPITAL'S! doe's this mean they will supply their own Doctor's and Nurse's? and if so, how will they pay these Professional's, where will this income come from? remember they will no longer be receiving Government assistance!

[RobDoub]

Gail, this is one of the most stunning, impactful and informative pieces I have ever read....an­d I am a news and opinion junkie.

Thanks. Incredible insight, and eye-opening analysis..­.

[Gail McGowan Mellor - Huffpost Blogger]

High, welcome praise indeed. From one naoj to another, thank you.

[Gail McGowan Mellor - Huffpost Blogger]

I have a clue--which may mean nothing because clues are like that. The fact that he was found on 9/12 is getting very little attention because his body was reporting decomposing, that it is he probably was not found the same day that he was murdered, so the timing of the finding seems accidental, unpredictable.

What hits me is that the body was in the cemetery of a large family having a reunion, with people coming in from Chicago. That someone would go to the cemetery was predictable, so the timing of discovery could be engineered.

This murderer was clearly into leaving sign-posts, and 9/12 is the name of a new movement backed by Beck.....

[nellyb stl]

Thanks for more than excellent reporting and teaching us a bit more of history. If indeed this poor man's life was taking because of anti-government sentiment the media will have quite a responsibilty to get it right. We all know most large-scale injustice is done by those in power in the supposed name of a greater good as history has proven. But we need new heroes to shine the light on it wherever and whenever it occurs. Is the American media up to it? Time only will tell!!

[Gail McGowan Mellor - Huffpost Blogger]

The media is changing drastically, is all of us, definitely including you. Once upon a time, editors and publishers could control reporters' access both to the story and then to the public. Can't tell you how many stories just sat around, known to reporters but unable to get into print. That is still somewhat true: if an editor intensely dislikes a reporter, s/he can make life pretty rough. Basically though if we have seen something, thanks to the Net, it will probably get out, and we are all over the place.

As importantly, still underrated in terms of impact, today's readers are sharper than tacks, and are in the aggregate combing through every word of a big story, catching every error and nuance, suggesting ways for reporters to go deeper. The media will be up to it.

[Kurt Francis]

Good points about the shifting roles -- a centers of power -- in the media these days, particularly regarding, yes, lowly hacks and yes, even more lowly individuals not affiliated with any news organization.

Regarding historical injustices to the mountain folks . . .

In the first place, such an argument is just about identical to those addressing the historical injustice of slavery and later discrimination (still a huge problem, and I'm a white saying that) against Blacks. Some, though of course not all, Blacks demand "compensation" for that injustice. They weren't slaves, and we didn't own them, so there's no justification for compensation. (I have a number of Black friends who feel exactly the same way. And no, they most assuredly are *not* "Uncle Toms.") So, if there's an implication here that these people merit special compensation or excuse from responsibility for murder, if they were involved -- sorry. Not the right answer.

Some of the geneology fans in my family have traced various branches back hundreds of years. Some of my ancestors mistreated by the British. So, do I have rights to demand compensation? Nope.

I was a little surprised by something else you wrote: "except for" rural electrification, water, and welfare, the mountaineers haven't got anything from the feds. Pardon me? "Except"? The first two are, it seems to me, of enormous benefit to anyone. And maybe the third, depending on one's view of such programs. Now, if they them, okay. No welfare, either.

[Buster41]

The mere fact that Kentucky is the Home of the so-called Creation Museum tells anyone who pays attention to the activities of religious-right fanatics all they need to know about Kentucky.

[mommadona]

exactly.

[Gail McGowan Mellor - Huffpost Blogger]

It tells you all you need to know about some Kentuckians, about current balances of power within some sects of Kentuckians. My definition of bigotry would be taking a small sample (some black men are 7' tall) and briadly extrapolating to label a huge group (all black men are therefore 7' tall.)

[MerhabaAbi]

The mere fact that your log-on name has the word bust in it and bust is another term for boob tells the world all we need to know. Thanks for illustrating how to extrapolate broad reaching opinions from one fact.

[ManicStreetSteveO]

And Florida is full of people who love cartoon mice.

[azcamp]

Thanks for the historical background on the anti-government sentiments of this region.

As we pray for the family of Mr. Sparkman, we should learn as much as possible about the roots of hostility in our country. Murders do not solve grievances that have been left to fester. They should shed light on what can be done to heal old wounds.

[LMPE]

This man was just doing a regular job and got murdered because of centuries of anti-populist activity.

[CDarwin]

The man got murdered because of ignorance, intolerance, and hatred. Let's not try to blame this on those who did not commit the crime. Otherwise, we have to accept that Timothy McVeigh or Osama bin Ladn had legitimate complaints that justified their murders of thousands.

[Gail McGowan Mellor - Huffpost Blogger]

Very important point. My hope is that we can break this thing down even farther. To use your example:

1) both Timothy McVeigh and Osama Bin Laden had legitimate complaints. It is interesting and important to look at and understand them.

2) Understanding their complaints does not justify their crimes, AND

3) Those who share their complaints but did not take part in terrorist activity should not be blamed for these crimes.

[DarkWraith]

This is an excellent article, well written, informative, and quite objective. Criticisms below from those who wanted some harshly judgmental piece notwithstanding, this is the kind of journalism that provides readers with the foundations for understanding that can, if people so choose, lead to dialogue, and perhaps even policies, that could fundamentally change the way our government interacts with those it governs. That, of course, is probably hoping for far too much, at least if some of the comments preceding this one are any indication. As progressive as I am for being a conservative, some of what was written below yet again convinces me that little separates the incomprehensibly hateful, intransigent, and uni-dimensional on the Right from their brethren on the Left.
Both my mother and father came from "the hills," and I grew up learning how to live in a rapidly changing world seen through the familial lens of people from a culture of independence, self-reliance, and mistrust of anyone or anything with grand designs for the world at large or my life in the small.
Thank you, Ms. Mellor. I shall remember you when I am again paying a visit to the land of the old folks.

[Veeve]

You don't get it. The man's murder is sooo very abhorrent to people with liberal ideologies that any defense of the act is anathema. Until his murderer(s) are brought to justice, you can't expect to have a rational conversation with a liberal about it. That's just the way it is. As a conservative, you have a completely different mode of perception than us liberals.

BTW... It would be nice if you weren't so sanctimonious about it.

[Mason]

I'm a liberal and I agree with DarkWraith. You mistakenly assume all liberals agree with you which isn't true in my case, so please confine your remarks to yourself.

BTW, the federal government hasn't done anything to earn my respect since the Supreme Court awarded the 2000 election to the loser, George Bush. Obama is a disaster. I don't fear terrorists at all, but I do fear the federal government.

Classical conservatives and liberals are discovering that they have more in common than they realized. With the government firmly under the control of the large corporations and their wealthy owners, all of us would be wise to recognize that the federal government and the corporations that control it are our common enemy.

Disrespect and, in some cases hatred for the federal government, in no way justifies Mr. Sparkman's death, but it does serve as a barometer. Mark my words, as the impotent Democrats engage in phony theater while failing to meaningfully reform our broken system, the rich get richer, the middle class disappears, and 45,000 people die every year because they lack health insurance, the necessity and passion for change mounts with the real possibility a of violent revolution.

We don't know who killed Mr. Sparkman or why, but it looks like the motive may have been political. Obama and the rest of the people in government would be wise to seriously consider his murder as a warning of what may happen, if they don't stop playing games.

[Veeve]

Also, Hill people do not have a monopoly on being aggrieved towards their government. Last I checked, Leonard Peltier is still in jail.

[Gail McGowan Mellor - Huffpost Blogger]

I'm not sure, Veeve, if you're aiming that at me or at DarkWraith's complex letter, which says among other things that "little separates the incomprehensibly hateful, intransigent, and uni-dimensional on the Right from their brethren on the Left," but nothing in my article or that letter is a defense of the murder.

Understanding people, seeing how they reached their viewpoint-­-reporting­--and agreeing with them are two different things. To mirror your point, the fact that Peltier is still in jail does not erase the grievances of Appalachian people. To quote Katet, who is part of this conversation just before you, "Perhaps when all peoples who have suffered injustice at the hands of the beneficiaries of this country's 'progress' see that they share many of the same injustices and history, then unification and a real movement for change can take place."

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gail-mcgowan-mellor/the-hanged-census-worker_b_300898.html

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gail-mcgowan-mellor/the-hanged-census-worker_b_300898.html

[katet]

Possibly you could view the issue less from the manufactured view of "left" and "right" but who holds the power and who doesn't. When we look at who and what really makes things happen in this country and look at the outcomes, it seems clear pretty quickly that political swing is only a minor motivator.

I've known very wealthy, privileged people on the left with all the good intentions in the world stop and balk hard when confronted with activists who are working for effective change. Why? Because any change for poor folks, no matter what stripe or color, means that the power holders/brokers must give up some what they've stolen.

Power only cares about power and the accouterments of power are the most addictive drug on this planet.

[Gail McGowan Mellor - Huffpost Blogger]

In a different way, others in this thread are voicing your insight. Mason says, "With the government firmly under the control of the large corporations and their wealthy owners, all of us would be wise to recognize that the federal government and the corporations that control it are our common enemy....M­ark my words, as the impotent Democrats engage in phony theater while failing to meaningfully reform our broken system, the rich get richer, the middle class disappears, and 45,000 people die every year because they lack health insurance, the necessity and passion for change mounts with the real possibility a of violent revolution­."

The extraordinary thing about our system is that if that kind of unity and purpose starts showing, the system will change without the violence. The trick is peeling people down off of angry ideological perches so that everyone can talk.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gail-mcgowan-mellor/the-hanged-census-worker_b_300898.html

[Gail McGowan Mellor - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you for the gracious intelligence. I'd like to ask a favor. Could you talk to PlaceboStudman below? (He says in part, "If we're talking about true Appalacia here, and not the more civilized modernized areas of the midwestern states, large sections of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana are grounded in Evangelical doctrine. Remember, these are the folks who believe they are invincible and still play with deadly poisonous snakes. Kind of hard not to embrace corruption and greed and any controls on behavior when one believes they are invincible­.") Carving away the gratuitous insult, his position is logical. Thing is, your direct experience with the strong libertarianism of the region ("a culture of independence, self-reliance, and mistrust of anyone or anything with grand designs for the world at large or my life in the small") belies it. Worth a try....

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gail-mcgowan-mellor/the-hanged-census-worker_b_300898.htmlbelies it.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gail-mcgowan-mellor/the-hanged-census-worker_b_300898.html

[Gail McGowan Mellor - Huffpost Blogger]

My last post, requesting that a description of Appalachian libertarianism be given to PlaceboStudman, was directed to DarkWraith­....