Badtux the Snarky Penguin

In a time of chimpanzees, I was a penguin.

Religious fundamentalists are motivated by the sneaking suspicion that someone, somewhere, is having fun -- and that this must be stopped.

Friday, April 15, 2005

Sheriff Joke does the right thing (for a change)

Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County Arizona (the Phoenix metropolitan area), the self-proclaimed "America's Toughest Sheriff", scourge of pink-underwear-wearing comics everywhere, has finally done the right thing for a change: He has arrested a man who held seven people at gunpoint because he thought they were illegal aliens.

I've been pretty rough on Sheriff Joke in the past. I mean, we're talking about a guy who is almost the caricature of the Southern sheriff, a man who runs a jail so brutal that his guards regularly kills inmates (most of whom have been convicted of no crime other than not having money for bail), who is so fat that, when his "posse" (a bunch of old farts who look half dead) ride in parades, has to sit in a wagon and wave his hat rather than ride a horse because any horse that Sheriff Joke tried to sit on would collapse of exhaustion within a few footsteps. He's a publicity hound, an incompetent who basically got run out of the DEA as a publicity-seeking useless bag of wind, and otherwise has no business being a lawman.

But in this case, at least, he did the right thing. If "America's Toughest Sheriff" has no liking for the "Minutemen" (apparently how long they can keep their little soldier salutin' while doing their marital duty :-), that sends a clear message that any abuses by these beer-swillin' shotgun-totin' morons is not going to be tolerated -- a message that needed sending, and one for which Sheriff Joe is to be commended.

- Badtux the Law-abidin' Penguin

Posted by: BadTux / 4/15/2005 12:19:00 AM

Comments:

He must realize that this whole Minuteman thing is going to end with a body shot to pieces. Even bad cops realize that the only thing worse than a bad cop is a vigilante.
# posted by salvage : 16/4/05 12:02 PM

The guy who was arrested was not part of the 'Minuteman', he was no where near the border. He is in the military and was traveling thru Arizona on his way home to Indiana. He stopped at a rest area, about 100 miles North of the border, to walk his dog. He was approached by 6 to 8 non-English speaking men. This is what it is like to live in Arizona, and thank God we have a right to carry a gun. Because Arpaio sure as hell is not patroling the border or the desert rest stops. He did not hurt those illegals. I can't say the same for the intentions of the illegals once they reach my Phoenix neighborhood. I live alone and am well aware of the 'home invasions' that are rampant in Phoenix, when you hear the report on the news it's ALWAYS Jose or Juan or Gomez.
# posted by Anonymous : 19/4/05 7:48 PM

For the record, I lived in Arizona for 5 years, so I know darn well what it's like. I lived for three years of that in a Hispanic neighborhood. Nice people. Loved their children, spent much time in the park picnicking and spending time with their children, unlike the Anglos, who are too busy to give a shit about their children except to pay somebody to take the little snots off their hands for 12 hours a day (between school, after-school daycare, and activities).

Sheriff Joe's job is to arrest those who would commit crimes against me and mine. Period. I don't give a shit whether they're Anglo, Hispanic, a citizen of Mexico, or a citizen of Mars for that matter. As long as they aren't committing crimes against me and my neighbors, I don't give a shit, and neither should Sheriff Joe.

Now, one of the things you do NOT do in a democracy is just go up to people and hold them at gunpoint for no reason other than you don't like how they look. Even Sheriff Joe understands this much. Walking around in a rest area is no crime, and this guy is damned lucky that he didn't try to hold criminals at gunpoint, because the coroner would still be trying to pick bullets out of his carcass.

'Nuff said. Holding people at gunpoint when they have committed no crime against you is called "assault with a deadly weapon". This wingnut deserves every book that Sheriff Joe throws at him.

- Badtux the Lawful Penguin
# posted by BadTux : 19/4/05 8:38 PM

Lucky for Mr Haab the County Attorney saw it for what it was, a citizens arrest. Unfortunatly, AGAIN, for us Maricopa County tax payers Mr Habbs has an attorney who smells a great big payday. Because the sheriff's goons jumped the gun. Mexicans only know how to take, cheat,run, drown their children in the backyard pool/cleaning pucket/toilet. If the mexican 'culture' looks good to you, you must be one of them. I'll take my white/European culture any day.
# posted by Anonymous : 22/4/05 12:04 PM

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More to follow, after I finish cursing SOB chickenhawks and get my breath back...

"Keep fighting for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce." -- Molly Ivins, 1944-2007

"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."

-- Plato

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