# It's time (again) to officially Pit Joe Arpaio and the Maricopa County prison program. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 15, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329 "2011-12-15T19:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/21 "2011-12-17T05:27:22Z")
Nitpick: Joe Arpaio isn’t in charge of prisons, just jails. The jails house people awaiting trial and inmates convicted of a crime but serving one year or less (so relatively minor crimes). ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/22 "2011-12-17T05:52:58Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > For the record, I don’t live in Maracopa County, so I have no option to vote or against Arpaio. Please don’t think that all people who live in Arizona voted for him. Just a majority of his jurisdiction. Pit every conservative idiot who still insists that anti-immigration rhetoric is not about racism, they are the ones responsible for this. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/23 "2011-12-17T05:56:49Z")
Xenophobia is not quite the same as racism, as smallpox is not typhus. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/24 "2011-12-17T05:57:51Z")
> [@campp](#): > > _puts fingertips together_ > > EXXXXXCELLEEEENT… > > Yes, a hearty Fuck You to **the biggest asshole in American law enforcement history.** There’s other news lately about his failure to investigate sex crimes (Too busy hassling brown people). [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/10/us/sheriff-joe-arpaio-criticized-over-handling-of-sex-crimes-cases.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/10/us/sheriff-joe-arpaio-criticized-over-handling-of-sex-crimes-cases.html) Exxxxxcelleeeent sentiment, **campp** , but I can’t help but think that J. Edgar still tops the list. That said, Mr. Arpasshole is high on the list indeed. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/25 "2011-12-17T07:16:53Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Xenophobia is not quite the same as racism, as smallpox is not typhus. This is true. However, I doubt these _noble_ citizens would be quite so perturbed if our neighbors to the south looked as much like “Americans”\* as our neighbors to the north. The difference in language only compounds the problem. A bit like having both smallpox and typhus and just as horrifying. - Please note the ironic use of quotation marks, indicating that I’m fully aware of the spectrum of melanin distribution across the American population, but believe those who vote for the likes of Arpaio find it hard to believe that anyone with more pigment than they could possibly be an American. ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/26 "2011-12-17T17:22:05Z")
Though in this case, the entire issue is the systematic and planned harassment of Latinos by the sheriff’s department, so obviously we are talking about racism. The tragedy is that the next time we discuss this issue in the abstract we’re going to have to pretend that the anti-immigrant people have some sort of worthy-of-consideration and morally sound position when it’s obvious that shit like this is exactly what they want. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/27 "2011-12-17T18:19:10Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > Pit every conservative idiot who still insists that anti-immigration rhetoric is not about racism, they are the ones responsible for this. > [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > Though in this case, the entire issue is the systematic and planned harassment of Latinos by the sheriff’s department, so obviously we are talking about racism. Anti-immigration rhetoric is not about racism. Systematic and planned harassment of Latinos is racism. Did you know that deportations are up under Obama? If all anti-immigrant activity is due to racism, does that mean that Democrats are more paleo-conservative than Republicans? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/28 "2011-12-17T18:19:50Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > Though in this case, the entire issue is the systematic and planned harassment of Latinos by the sheriff’s department, so obviously we are talking about racism. The tragedy is that the next time we discuss this issue in the abstract we’re going to have to pretend that the anti-immigrant people have some sort of worthy-of-consideration and morally sound position when it’s obvious that shit like this is exactly what they want. Oh, don’t remind me… Ok, you did, I still remember that I pointed out in previous discussions that passing a law is one thing, enforcing it another. I linked to the racist connections that the makers of the law had, and then I pointed out that one \*\*should \*\*take into account the current ugly enforcer of the law. Those were big reasons why any putative reasons for passing the new laws were not good enough, considering who the law makers and the enforcers that we have are. Many of the supporters of the new anti-immigrant laws just ignored, and continue to ignore, the big elephants in the room. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/29 "2011-12-18T13:12:59Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Exxxxxcelleeeent sentiment, **campp** , but I can’t help but think that J. Edgar still tops the list. That said, Mr. Arpasshole is high on the list indeed. Hmmm, yep that’s true enough. I’ll just **shorten** my statement then to: “Biggest asshole in American Law Enforcement”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/30 "2011-12-18T18:01:04Z")
“Fun” Arpaio story: [Arpaio and Steven Seagal use a tank to raid a chicken farmer accused of cock fighting.](http://phoenixcriminallawnews.com/2011/09/sheriff-joe-arpaio-steven-seagal-sued-over-cockfighting-raid.html) 100 chickens killed and the farmer’s puppy, with the farmer now suing. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/31 "2011-12-18T18:49:54Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > “Fun” Arpaio story: > > [Arpaio and Steven Seagal use a tank to raid a chicken farmer accused of cock fighting.](http://phoenixcriminallawnews.com/2011/09/sheriff-joe-arpaio-steven-seagal-sued-over-cockfighting-raid.html) 100 chickens killed and the farmer’s puppy, with the farmer now suing. Those chickens are killers! I’d want a tank on my side going up against them. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/32 "2011-12-18T19:20:23Z")
Nonsense, the Holy Hand Grenade would have been sufficient. A random survey of various news outlet message boards\* shows about a 65-35 split in favor of Joe being all that’s standing between civilization and a brown-skinned Armageddon. After all, if the current DOJ (“the most corrupt in history”) won’t do the necessary, who will? \*Which appear to be populated mainly by individuals who, like the legendary [insert ethnic group here] string quartet, need to stop frequently to empty the saliva out of their instruments and/or keyboards. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/33 "2011-12-19T03:02:48Z")
I live in Maricopa county. Last election, for the first time in my life I not only voted for but also contributed money to a Democrat, Arpaio’s opponent. I’ll never forgive him for that – never. About a week before the Feds investigation news hit, the sheriff’s office was lambasted for botching over 400 [sex assault](http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-12-05/news/30480315_1_sheriff-arpaio-child-molestations-america-s-toughest-sheriff) cases, including dozens of child molestation complaints. Actually “botched” is giving MCSO too much credit; there was no investigation at all. His deputies were too busy digging up dirt on his opponents and directing 200-officer immigration round-ups where a half-dozen arrests were made. And that’s not even mentioning the fifty-million (and counting) he’s cost the taxpayers in lost wrongful death lawsuits for prisoners who’ve died in his jails, or the 100-million taxpayers voted to pay for new jail buildings that was spent instead on pet projects like trips to Honduras and a tank that doesn’t run. Unfortunately, so long as he keeps after those pesky Mexicans, there’s a large part of the voters in this county that will continue to keep voting for him. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/34 "2011-12-20T12:23:54Z")
Does that part of the U.S. get a lot of say, French, or Australian or maybe Swedish illegal immigrants ? Just asking. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/35 "2011-12-20T12:53:21Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Does that part of the U.S. get a lot of say, French, or Australian or maybe Swedish illegal immigrants ? > > Just asking. You’re either a bigot or a troll. Racial profiling is a violation of civil and human rights. Law abiding folks have a right to live without being harressed by some tin star tyrant because they’re the wrong color. If you weren’t raised by a neglegent whore you’d know this. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/36 "2011-12-20T23:11:01Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > You’re either a bigot or a troll. Racial profiling is a violation of civil and human rights. Law abiding folks have a right to live without being harressed by some tin star tyrant because they’re the wrong color. If you weren’t raised by a neglegent whore you’d know this. Ah Diddums, touch a raw nerve did I ? A little bit too close to the truth for your liking ? Since when has racial profiling been a violation of human and civil rights ? When I.R.A. terrorists were on their murder spree in the U.K. and Europe, guess what ? The security services and Leos didn’t spend a lot of time looking into Afro Caribbeans, or people from the Indian sub continent, or people from the M.E., or people from the far east, just white people, and usually, but not always, people with Irish connections. Wow how racist is that, bastards . Profiling white people for murders that probably were commited by white people. Even the Irish, and for that matter, even the Irish TERRORISTS, didn’t whine about it. But all too often on these boards we get people playing the liberal, “we care about human rights”, cards, when really its all about "I’m an illegal immigrant myself/my family/my friends etc. are ", and I’m trying to take the heat off. So is your mother still sucking dogs cocks in front of audiences for free drinks ? Is she still sucking your cock ? And are you still sucking your fathers cock? And no, but thanks for the offer, I don’t want you to suck my cock. You pathetic, whiney little coward. Lowlife little bladders of wet wind like yourself always get brave and mouthy hiding behind the protection of the anonymity of the internet. In fact creepy, greasy little kiddy fiddlers like yourself actually get off on talking tough to people in cyberspace, did you practice a little bit of self abuse on yourself after you’d posted ? You’re a cunt. Bye bye. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/37 "2011-12-20T23:57:02Z")
Well, that’s a new take on suicide by mod. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/38 "2011-12-21T00:09:56Z")
Oh sorry, I didn’t realise that asking just a question about a topical subject and getting insults about my mother in return, and replying to them was a recipe for suicide. If it is then fuck him. He insulted my mother. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/39 "2011-12-21T01:10:51Z")
Here’s a tip, then: if someone stoops to that level, don’t respond in twice the kind, while throwing in mod warning-worthy jabs to boot. Makes you look like the worse guy, see, and also gets you in trouble. Looks like he’s not the only one who had a nerve tripped, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329/40 "2011-12-21T01:22:38Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > asking just a question No such thing. It’s a bullshit rhetorical technique. By the same token, “when did you stop molesting children?” Not accusing you of jack. Just Asking Questions ™. And in the US, former President Bush and former AG John Ashcroft (not exactly well known for being caretakers of human or civil rights) have [gone on record](http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2003/June/racial_profiling_fact_sheet.pdf) stating racial profiling is morally wrong. Further, they strengthened federal policies against racial profiling. That’s about as close to an outright declaration that it’s a civil rights violation as it gets. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-again-to-officially-pit-joe-arpaio-and-the-maricopa-county-prison-program/606329.md?page=3)