Wednesday, February 4 at 1:00 p.m. Sheriff Joe Arpaio paraded hundreds of detained immigrants in shackles through the streets of Phoenix, Arizona to a "tent city" where they will be held indefinitely. In true Arpaio form, his office sent a press release to the media inviting them to this event, proving that he's more interested in drawing attention to himself than actually doing his job. In reference to the electric fencing around the tent city, Arpaio said, "This is a population of criminals more adept perhaps at escape. But this is a fence they won't want to scale because they risk receiving quite a shock-literally."Arpaio is a relentlessly self-promoting caricature of a sheriff (ever closer to "I'm not a real sheriff, I just play one on TV" territory), not an actual law enforcement official. The march is yet another stunt to distract people from his incompetent, lawsuit-riddled folly of a department. He claims that placing immigrants in the "tent city" is a form of cost-cutting. However, that seems out of character given that investigations by the East Valley Tribune and the Goldwater Institute found that the sheriff office's budget has nearly doubled since 2001. In the meantime, criminals have the run of Maricopa County. The sheriff has 40,000 outstanding felony warrants in his jurisdiction and 2,700 lawsuits filed against him. Arpaio's newest scandal will by no means improve the safety of his community but no doubt get him more publicity. The images that this march will provoke are shocking: horrific shots of people chained, marching through public streets at lunchtime. Perhaps it's a ploy to increase the ratings of Sheriff Joe's new reality show, which is in its seventh week.
Are you tired of his antics yet?
Here's what you can do:
1. Request that the Department of Justice investigate Arpaio's abuses.
2. Forward this email to all of your family and friends, post it on Facebook, and circulate it as far and wide as you can. Send a clear message to Arpaio and his thugs that we will not stand for these kinds of abuses in our nation.
Arizona Republic: Arpaio to Move Illegal-immigrant Inmates Hundreds to be relocated to segregated area of Tent City; sheriff says plan will cut costs. February 4, 2009 By JJ Hensley and Yvonne Wingett http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/02/04/20090204arpaiojail0204.html
Sheriff Arpaio Chains Together Immigrants and Forces March February 4, 2009 By Dan Weisshttp://imagine2050.newcomm.org/2009/02/04/sheriff-arpaio-chains-together-immigrants-and-forces-march
Stop Arizona. Stop Arpaio. Stop the Circus. February 4, 2009 By Rev. David L. Ostendorf http://capwiz.com/stopthehate/utr/1/NSXWJTDRXM/AQITJTDVCW/2876677636
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