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).
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.
Xenophobia is not quite the same as racism, as smallpox is not typhus.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Hmmm, yep that’s true enough. I’ll just shorten my statement then to: “Biggest asshole in American Law Enforcement”. 
“Fun” Arpaio story:
Arpaio and Steven Seagal use a tank to raid a chicken farmer accused of cock fighting. 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Well, that’s a new take on suicide by mod.
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.
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?
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 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.