On Apr 16, 5:10=A0pm, American Patriot <kcajye...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Apr 16, 3:03=A0pm, redpoet <redp...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD IT WITH SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO
> > Oread Daily =A0http://oreaddaily.blogspot.com/
>
> > They're coming for the Sheriff...at last. Well, maybe.
>
> > I'm talking about the infamous Maricopa County, Arizona sheriff Joe
> > Arpaio.
>
> > Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon asked U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey
> > this month in a letter to task the Justice Department's civil rights
> > division with finding out whether Maricopa County deputies have
> > engaged in unlawful conduct in what he termed discriminatory
> > harassment and improper stops, searches and arrests by deputies.
>
> > "Over the past few weeks, Sheriff Arpaio's actions have infringed on
> > the civil rights of our residents," Gordon wrote. "They have put our
> > residents' well-being, and the well-being of law enforcement officers,
> > at risk."
>
> > Gordon told one local radio station, ``He's (Arpaio) targeting
> > individuals based on ethnicity and color."
>
> > Sheriff's deputies and trained volunteers have taken to the streets in
> > recent weeks stopping motorists for routine traffic violations and in
> > some cases asked them about their immigration status, Gordon noted in
> > his letter.
>
> > The mayor also cited Arpaio's crime "saturation patrols" in certain
> > neighborhoods launched at the request of a few business owners who
> > complained of rising crime.
>
> > Gordon noted the most recent sweep in Guadalupe. He said the town
> > usually ranks near or at the bottom of violent crime (see statement
> > from Guadalupe below).
>
> > "His expansion of these roundups, with no end in sight, has compelled
> > me to write this letter today," Gordon said.
>
> > Recently, several other groups have lambasted the Sheriff Department's
> > sweeps. They include the Arizona chapter of the Anti-Defamation
> > League, the Arizona E***enical Council and American Jewish Committee.
> > They denounced the sweeps which they said =93evoked a =91police
state=92=
> > atmosphere.=94
>
> > Last Friday, a group of eight church leaders from a variety of faiths
> > released a letter urging Arpaio to reconsider the morality of his
> > "crime-suppression operations."
>
> > Also not pleased with the Sheriff is Mesa Police Chief George Gasc=F3n
> > who cited a =93growing concern that people are being stopped because
of
> > the way they look,=94 and said he is fearful that this type of police
> > behavior could continue into the future.
>
> > =93I=92m extremely concerned if we create generations of police
officers=
> > who don=92t understand the 14th Amendment.=94
>
> > Gasc=F3n said he has seen incidents, including one in his city, where
> > people were held for hours by the sheriff's department because they
> > were believed to be in the country illegally, when in fact, they were
> > not. He also cited studies which made clear that so-called illegal
> > immigrants are less likely than others to commit crimes.
>
> > Neighborhood leaders in north Phoenix's Palomino neighborhood are also
> > upset with the Sheriff. They fear much of that work they've done to
> > turn around their neighborhood could come undone as a result of
> > Sheriff Arpaio's recent immigration sweep of their neighborhood.
>
> > They say the sweep resulted in thousands of dollars in lost business,
> > hundreds of schoolchildren staying home and an overall disruption of
> > the neighborhood.
>
> > "His efforts have taken away from all of the positives that we have
> > created," said Vice Mayor Peggy Neely, who represents the Palomino
> > area. "I'm afraid that if he keeps this up, someone is going to get
> > hurt."
>
> > By the way it isn't just these "sweeps" that make this Sherrif a bad
> > guy. He has a long history of outrageous behavior and conduct.
>
> > A recent panel discussion organized by the National Lawyers Guild at
> > Arizona State (ASU) law school's Armstrong Hall heard from several
> > attorney who represented clients who have sued the Sheriff. One of the
> > lawyers, Michael Manning, a commercial attorney happened into
> > litigation against Arpaio after a friend's son died in one of the
> > county jails.
>
> > Before the suit, he knew little about the sheriff re****ts the Web
> > Devil, the ASU student newspaper.
>
> > "I thought he was a pretty silly caricature of the Wild, Wild West,"
> > he said. "He gave a good sound bite."
>
> > A judge ruled in favor of Manning's client, affirming the man had been
> > killed after jail guards stunned him 13 times with a Taser and kicked
> > him in his larynx.
>
> > The man's family won $8.25 million, Manning said, the highest
wrongful-
> > death settlement in Arizona's history.
>
> > Manning said that a month after Arpaio took office, the lawman told
> > employees in a newsletter that the jails are meant to be places of
> > punishment.
>
> > "Our jails aren't for punishment," Manning said speaking of the county
> > jail. "Our jails are for detention."
>
> > About 75 percent of the inmates in county jail haven't been convicted
> > of a crime, but simply can't make bail, Manning said.
>
> > "A culture of cruelty has been established in this county in respect
> > to our jails," another of the attorney JoeRobbins added.
>
> > Robbins noted a case in which a man wearing a pair of pink boxers, an
> > "I love Arizona" ****rt, military boots and a hat was arrested by a
> > county officer for impersonating a Department of Public Safety
> > officer.
>
> > "When one person can be arrested for wearing that on Halloween, you
> > can arrest anyone," he said.
>
> > The Arizona Republic wrote yesterday demanding action to curb Arpaio:
>
> > "If the Justice Department accepts Gordon's request to investigate
> > Arpaio's illegal-immigration interdiction unit, as it should, the feds
> > already are late for the train."
>
> > At least one federal lawsuit has been filed against Arpaio's sweeps.
> > Last fall in Cave Creek, Maricopa County deputies stopped a vehicle
> > driven by a White man and, in the process, detained a Mexican citizen
> > who happened to be in the car."
>
> > Even though Manuel de Jesus Ortega Melendres had do***entation,
> > including a stamped visa, proving he was in the country legally, the
> > Mexican tourist was forced to endure nine hours of custody before
> > being released in downtown Phoenix."
>
> > This is the sort of appalling treatment of citizens and visitors alike
> > that is guaranteed to multiply unless the feds take action now. Even
> > one of Mayor Gordon's own staff - a Hispanic, needless to say - has
> > been scrutinized by sheriff's deputies in one of the "sweeps."'
>
> > The following is from Latina Lista.
>
> > AZ Mayor Sees No Justice in One Sheriff's Hunt for Undo***ented
> > Immigrants
>
> > The state of Arizona has enacted some of the most punitive legislation
> > targeting undo***ented immigrants. One man, Joe Arpaio, the Sheriff of
> > Maricopa County, has made it his mission to root out the undo***ented
> > in the Phoenix area.
>
> > The Sheriff conducts "crime suppression sweeps" which means that he
> > gathers a "posse" of law enforcement officials and they choose a
> > likely spot where they might apprehend an undo***ented immigrant.
>
> > One town that Sheriff Arpaio has taken his brand of justice is the
> > Town of Guadalupe. Yet, while most political officials where Sheriff
> > Arpaio has conducted these operations have refrained from challenging
> > the Sheriff, one has not.
>
> > Her name is Rebecca Jimenez and she is the Mayor of the Town of
> > Guadalupe.
>
> > Jimenez made headlines when she had a showdown with the Sheriff when
> > he came to Guadalupe to conduct one of his infamous sweeps.
>
> > In the following post, Jimenez outlines the reasons why she nor the
> > Town of Guadalupe want or need the Sheriff's help.
>
> > My name is Rebecca Jimenez and I am the current Mayor of Guadalupe,
> > AZ. Guadalupe is a Yaqui and Latino community of about 6,000 residents
> > between Phoenix and Tempe at the base of South Mountain. The town
> > proudly maintains a strong cultural and ethnic identity. It is named
> > after the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico. Guadalupe
> > was founded by Yaqui Indians around the turn of the century. The Town
> > of Guadalupe is approximately one square mile in area. Although
> > Guadalupe did not incor****ate until 1975, our history dates back to
> > 1907.
>
> > Guadalupe is a dual-culture community, those cultures being of Yaqui
> > and/or Mexican descent. The Yaqui Indians have endured many turbulent
> > times beginning with wars fought among the Spanish and Mexicans. When
> > ****firio Diaz=92 regime persecuted them, the Yaquis fled North into
the
> > United States for safety.
>
> > Many of the Yaquis came up to the Salt River Valley to work on the
> > construction of canals in the area. A community sprung up here =96
where=
> > we became Guadalupe. Over the years many Latino families have settled
> > in Guadalupe and added their cultural heritage to the community as
> > well.
>
> > Guadalupe does not have its own police department. Over the last two
> > decades, the town has had a $1.2 million contract with the Maricopa
> > County Sheriff=92s Office (MCSO).
>
> > It has been a tumultuous relation****p from the start.
>
> > The Town of Guadalupe has many issues that it struggles with daily and
> > the MCSO is one of them. Because the town is composed mostly of
> > residents who are Yaqui Indian or of Mexican descent, the Sheriff
> > deputies view us through a colored lens and treat us accordingly.
>
> > When our townspeople call Sheriff Arpaio=92s deputies for help, even
for=
> > Priority One calls, it has taken up to 45 minutes for them to arrive,
> > even as recently as two weeks ago.
>
> > Once the deputies do arrive, they treat the victims as if they are the
> > criminals. This has been a challenge to our town and council because
> > it is such a close-knit community that word quickly spreads about the
> > insensitive and even abusive behavior of the deputies when they
> > interact with our people.
>
> > Even before I became Mayor in December 2007, I had several encounters
> > with deputies that illustrate the ignorance and prejudice of the
> > Sheriff=92s deputies.
>
> > I would often call their superior, Lieutenant Shephard, and ask why
> > their deputies always came into town with =93their guns drawn,=94 and
> > treating our people as sub-human.
>
> > Once, he answered that one of his deputies=92 cars had been
vandalized,
> > so they felt threatened in the community. Another time, one of the
> > deputies called me a =93fat pig,=94 when I called to re****t this to
Lt.
> > Shephard, he said, =93You must have deserved it.=94 I wonder if he
> > remembers me now.
>
> > Although the council has tried repeatedly to get out of this contract
> > with Sheriff Arpaio, we have been unable to garner interest from other
> > police departments in the Metro Phoenix area. No one was interested in
> > serving Guadalupe in this capacity.
>
> > Until now.
>
> > Last week, April 3rd, 2008, changed all that and Guadalupe is on the
> > verge of something fabulous.
>
> > Because of the increased media attention, the City of Phoenix has
> > communicated to us that they are now willing to consider entering into
> > a law enforcement contract between their police department and the
> > Town of Guadalupe.
>
> > So, out of something negative came a positive.
>
> > Sheriff Joe Arpaio is using these sweeps as a way to campaign and
> > garner sup****t from like-minded voters. He is using taxpayer money for
> > these purposes and is able to do so by pandering to a chosen few and
> > disguising his =93Gestapo=94-like tactics as valid law-enforcement
again=
st
> > the =93illegal=94 immigration problem.
>
> > From my own perspective, I see Sheriff Arpaio as a danger to the
> > future growth and prosperity of the Phoenix Metro area, especially in
> > Guadalupe.
>
> > His tactics not only drive a wedge between mainstream America and
> > Latinos, they also cause a rift between Americans of Latino descent
> > and the undo***ented, as some may feel they have to create a
> > separation between =93us=94 and =93them.=94
>
> > It=92s also dangerous because he does not care about the overt
> > discrimination present in his tactics. One of the undercover patrol
> > cars had a Sinaloa, Mexico license plate, which just reinforces who he
> > is targeting and who he views as the enemy.
>
> > The problem with this is that all Latinos are viewed through the same
> > distorted lens and we have to constantly justify our existence in this
> > country.
> > Maybe Sheriff Arpaio needs to be reminded that he is a Sheriff in the
> > year 2008 not 1888.
>
> > Everyone can do something to combat him, and people like him.
>
> > Other than voting him out of office, one way is to stand up to him.
> > Our town, and neighboring community members, came out in force to
> > protest his particular brand of covert racism.
>
> > For the first time, Sheriff Joe had to retreat and move his command
> > post out of the community he was targeting. I hope that this event can
> > serve to motivate other leaders and =93ordinary=94 citizens to do the
> > right thing and stand up to this type of modern-day, racialized scare
> > tactics.
>
> > Hon. Rebecca Jimenez
> > Mayor, Town of Guadalupe
>
> These people who sup****t the Sheriff are dangerous(I recently the
> target
> of his sup****ters).
> It's time for someone, Acting as one, The Govenor, Mayor Gordon, the
> Feds, need to take the badge away, and tell him to
> resign for the good of the community. =A0He's a liability to the
> USofA.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
I think we owe Sheriff Arpaio a vote fo thanks. He recidivism rate is
much lower than those jails that treat their prisoners better and that
is the real measure of a jail success, IMO.
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