“Arpaio vs. Immigrants: Those Most Affected Left Out of Debate”
Published 1 Jun 2009, 9:46 am -
5 Comments -
Filed under Feature Stories
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Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a subject of perennial controversy, put his prisons on lockdown last month after being faced with a hunger strike by inmates. The man who likens himself “America’s Toughest Sheriff,” called an end to the lockdown a day after the Goldwater Institute accused Arpaio of improperly clearing criminal investigations and reporting faulty statistics to the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a result. The criticism follows an earlier claim by the institute last December that Arpaio’s prioritization of high publicity immigration sweeps were undermining traditional law enforcement. Despite the fact that Arpaio has faced numerous lawsuits and even a federal investigation for racial profiling, the Maricopa County Sheriff has appeared prominently in the corporate media as a spokesperson on immigration. According to a new report in Extra! – the magazine of the media watch group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting – has appeared on cable news television twenty-one times over the past year. CNN has accounted for seventeen of those invitations. Conversely, the report also notes that as Sheriff Arpaio has been a frequent guest on cable news television, the voices of those who are directly affected by his policies have been woefully missing.
GUEST:Aura Bogado, freelance journalist, former anchor of FSRN, who wrote an article in FAIR’s magazine Extra.
Read Aura Bogado’s article at www.fair.org/index.php?page=3790
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John L. Peters on 1 Jun 2009 at 11:51 am: 1
I’ve never imagined that this country which is constantly criticizing others for human rights violations allows such disrespect of human life. Hispanics have protested this human right abuses peacefully, for that they have my utmost respect. Perhaps at this point violence and rioting might be more effective. The government don’t seem to care. Arpaio is an animal who belongs in jail, the human suffering he is responsible for should be seen for what it is “the acts of a racist demented megalomaniac who some day will burn in hell right next to Adolf Hitler”.
Stacy P. on 1 Jun 2009 at 11:52 am: 2
Arpaio has one of the largest Public Information departments in the country. His PIO staff sends literally dozens of press releases a week to media outlets all across the world and local outlets too, he has them follow up on stories and then he chastises news agencies for not covering his stories. The media in Maricopa County has a love-hate relationship with him.
He is known by the locals as a “Media Hog” and he knows it. He seeks any big news items and tries to put his face in the news as a related story. Its campaigning for his re-election as any political challengers would never have that advantage.
One time when Paris Hilton was in the news regarding her jail time served, he was surrounded by the media to say that he’s house her in Maricopa County. Another time he was in the news to say that he will let the inmates watch the superbowl game. Any large news item and he tries to ride those coat tails.
Another thing, he uses tax-paid sheriff staff to promote his book he wrote. The proceeds of that book go to line his pockets, yet he gets tax-payer publicity service.
He’s corrupt and that should be what he’s in the news for, not his grandstanding.
I’m looking forward to seeing him in the news when he’s wearing handcuffs and has an indictment. Either by FBI or DOJ.
Richard on 1 Jun 2009 at 12:20 pm: 3
Arpaio sent out a press release recently to let the people know that June 14th is his birthday and he’s going to serve some foul-smelling meal at the jails.
Scroll over my name to see the link to his release.
He’s gone mad and is no longer mentally able to be sheriff.
Dennis Gilman on 1 Jun 2009 at 4:08 pm: 4
Here is some publicity Arpaio would rather keep silenced.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmh3PfckhoQ
Adolfo Maldonado on 2 Jun 2009 at 5:23 pm: 5
Where does one even begin telling this sad story of a sheriff gone rogue only to become a demagogue in Maricopa County? His first lie to the people was saying he would not run for the Sherriff’s post again after his first victory. He has and one five times. 16 years later, he is serving his next four years and has managed to be responsible for the unjust deaths of inmates he is suppose to be protecting, polarized the community, has instilled fear in the hearts of immigrants young and old, has violated citizen’s constitutional rights, hidden records that might reveal his corrupt means for staying in power, the list goes on…
It was both scary and surreal when Arpaio arrested the owners of a local media here in phoenix (Read about the arrest & article before arrest). The Phoenix New Times violated a court order subpoena in protest of the Sherriff asking for online profiles of anyone that visited the site and read certain articles. Basically stated, he wanted the information of possibly hundreds of thousands of internet users from possibly across the world. Far reaching??
Arpaio demonstrates the dangers of exploiting the fear of his constituents for the purpose of personal fame. He is a wizard of oz behind a certain (in this case a huge Public’s Relation team) seeking to intimidate those that oppose him. He has demonstrated this over again against political rivals, media, and now, against his inmates as they protest his inhumanity.
Only in Maricopa County is it ok to use inmates as political pawns to hush his critics. Where does the madness end? Please tell someone. Only as he masses begin to realize the injustices here in this county will we rid this county and country from people spew hate and fear like in the times of Joe McCarthy. If Joe can live in Phoenix, he can live anywhere. No one is safe.