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While an Arizona Sheriff named Joe Arpaio declared war on undocumented workers in his county (Maricopa, which includes Phoenix), he failed to investigate more than 400 sex crimes, including some that involved young children. This isn’t the first time Sheriff Arpaio has brought shame to his office — something John Dougherty knows all too well. John was a journalist at the Phoenix New Times for 13 years, where he investigated Arpaio’s department extensively. John reported on abuses of power, civil rights violations, and millions of dollars in wasted money under Arpaio. Yet when John heard about the Sheriff’s failure to investigate even sex crimes involving children, he knew he had to do more. John wants Sheriff Joe Arpaio to resign, but he knows that Arpaio won’t go quietly. John needs other Arizona officials to say Joe should go to turn up the pressure on Arpaio to resign. Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s directive to prioritize traffic stops and military-style raids to find undocumented workers has had chilling results. While people who committed no crimes are arrested, real felons put Phoenix-area residents in danger. According to the New York Times, one woman repeatedly asked Sheriff Arpaio’s department to “investigate the molestation of her three daughters.” Arpaio’s office wouldn’t budge, and an alleged child molester walks free in Maricopa County as a result. The US Department of Justice agrees that Arpaio’s office is out of control. In an explosive report issued this week, the government said Sheriff Joe Arpaio has repeatedly broken the law and violated thousands of people’s civil rights. And just this weekend, Arpaio’s office allegedly left a Gulf War veteran brain dead after repeatedly shooting him with a Taser while in custody. John Dougherty, the reporter who started a petition on Change.org, thinks that momentum is building to force out Sheriff Arpaio. It’s key that pressure comes from the local level, and the best bet to make that happen is with the Maricopa Board of Supervisors. While they can’t fire Arpaio, it would be much-needed fuel on the fire burning under the sheriff if they come out and say Arpaio should resign. And your signature could make the difference. Thanks for being a change-maker, – Jackie and the Change.org team |
Tag Archives: Arizona
Made in America … Obama
It’s no surprise that professional conspiracy theorists are still on the birth-certificate warpath — but now elected officials are getting their backs.
Yesterday, four Republicans in the New Hampshire State House allowed a hearing requested by a group of birthers who want President Obama officially removed from the state’s primary ballot.
It’s not clear whether all this is a smokescreen or whether these dead-enders actually believe this stuff. But they aren’t letting the facts get in their way — one group in Arizona has even demanded that the President “release the microfiche” of his birth certificate.
Sadly, I don’t have any microfiches on hand, but we have the next best thing: In honor of birthers everywhere, we’re re-releasing the campaign’s limited-edition “Made in the USA” mugs.
Donate $20 or more today and we’ll send you one — complete with a reprint of the President’s birth certificate on the side for everyone to see. BarackObama.com
Here’s what one of the state representatives backing the effort had to say about yesterday’s hearing: “I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even I could take [the long-form birth certificate] apart and see that it was fraudulent.”
Well, I won’t argue with one part of that statement.
There’s clearly nothing we can do to satisfy this crowd — or anyone else who insists on wasting time and energy on nonsense like this.
But when it starts to make your head hurt, I’ve found the best remedy is to have some tea in my “Made in the USA” mug.
Works like a charm. I recommend Earl Grey:
Thanks,
Julianna
Julianna Smoot
Deputy Campaign Manager
Obama for America
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50,000 stand with Alabama families! Marissa Graciosa, Reform Immigration FOR America
Your messages against HB 56 delivered to the Capitol |
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Over one hundred community members joined at the steps of the state Capitol this weekend to deliver nearly 50,000 signatures, collected by national immigrant rights and faith groups, and to show our solidarity across the nation with Alabama’s immigrant families.
50,000 stand with Alabama families! Your messages were delivered, but this is just the beginning: today, our allies are launching One Family, One Alabama, a state-wide campaign to repeal HB 56. Together, we will move forward to fight back for all of our communities. Click here to watch your signatures delivered at the Capitol. Thanks for all you do, Marissa Graciosa |
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a message from Senator Al Franken
Tuesday night, we saw progressives stand up and fight.
In Ohio, voters resoundingly defeated a terrible law that stole collective bargaining rights away from nurses, teachers, cops, and firefighters. In Mississippi, they voted down an extreme anti-choice amendment. In Maine, they reversed a decision to end same-day voter registration. In Arizona, they recalled a state senator well-known for being a radical right-wing demagogue on immigration. In Kentucky, Iowa, and New Jersey, Democrats triumphed.
And right here in Minnesota, I was proud to see Duluth add three terrific women to its City Council (meaning four of the nine Councilors will be women), and excited that a vast majority of school levy questions were approved.
We didn’t win every battle, but those who fought to stop far-right laws and elect progressive candidates deserve our gratitude. And, of course, those who won Tuesday night deserve our congratulations.
There’s going to be a lot of talk about what those results meant. But let’s not get big heads just yet. We have a lot of work to do. There are still a lot of workers whose basic rights are under attack, a lot of states where reproductive rights are in jeopardy, a lot of voters who may be disenfranchised by new Republican-backed laws, and a lot of work to do before 2012.
I hope that, if you were part of one of these fights, you took yesterday to celebrate and rest up. But today, it’s back to work. We have big fights ahead. And I’m proud to have you on my side.
Thanks,
Al
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Victory in Arizona: What’s next? Marissa Graciosa, Reform Immigration FOR America
A major win
for our communities in Arizona
In April 2010, Reform Immigration FOR America and our partners supported our communities when Arizona passed the most extreme anti-immigrant bill in the United States. We held vigils. We rallied in the streets. We boycotted. Today, we stand behind Arizonans again, but for a very different purpose.
Voters in Arizona’s District 18 ousted Russell Pearce, the architect of the hate-filled bill SB 1070, Tuesday night. He’s being replaced by Jerry Lewis, a pro-immigrant candidate committed to reforming our immigration policies in a humane, just way.
This victory is a big one and we’re going to shout it from the rooftops. http://act.reformimmigrationforamerica.org/go/1129?akid=776.164689.ecXJBU&t=5
Pearce’s bill set the devastating tone for the rest of the nation’s immigration policies over the last 18 months. Anti-immigrant copycat bills were introduced in several states and a few were even passed. In Alabama, state legislators used SB1070 as the model to create the most extreme anti-immigrant bill in the country.
Join us on Facebook to talk about what this victory means for our communities.
By ousting Pearce, we’ve shown we’re resilient, we’re powerful, and we’re going to keep fighting for our rights. In 2012, anti-immigrant legislators will now have to think twice before pursuing anti-immigrant policies in our states.
Congratulations on this victory,
Marissa Graciosa
Reform Immigration FOR America
Be a Seed for Change 
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