Immigration

Sheriff Joe’s “crime sweep” commences amid the alleged murder of an American teenager by Border Patrol

Written by Jill Garvey

Sheriff Joe Apaio’s reign of terror continues in Phoenix. And this time his antics are more dangerous than ever. Arpaio is launching another round of what he’s coined “crime suppression sweeps,” an aggressive show of force by deputies and armed civilians known as Arpaio’s “posse” that can last for several weeks. These efforts have historically focused on immigrant and Latino neighborhoods. This time, Arpaio’s troops are taking to the sky, monitoring the activities of residents from small planes.

Arpaio calls his posse “volunteers.” But others have another name for them: vigilantes. Human rights activist Salvador Reza told the Arizona Republic that the operation “will spend taxpayer dollars to put 30 pilots in the… Read more

Politics

FAIR testifies with controversial anti-immigrant group Americans for Immigration Control

Written by Stephen Piggott

Last week, the anti-immigrant group Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) announced that its director of special projects, Jack Martin, testified on behalf of FAIR at a Maryland House hearing. Martin wrote about his experience on FAIR’s website. FAIR providing testimony in favor of anti-immigrant bills is not uncommon. What is peculiar is that Martin wrote that he testified along with a group openly tied to racist organizations. In the case of the Maryland hearing, Martin testified with Americans for Immigration Control (AIC).

AIC’s two major spokespersons are vice president John Vinson and president Robert Goldsborough. Goldsborough is who testified along with FAIR in Maryland last week. Both men write for the nativist publication… Read more

Politics

Arizona’s Immigration Debate and the Myth of Invasion

Written by Chris Griffin

There is a sea of ignorance surrounding the immigration debate. In Arizona, the State Senate is steered by Senate President Russell Pearce, a voice of hatred. Arizona seemed on the brink of sinking further into the depths of bigotry with extreme bills on the table that attacked education, housing and healthcare for migrant families and youth.

Surprisingly, the State Senate sent a message to Pearce that they’d had enough of his immigrant bashing on March 17, even though many of these Senators supported SB1070 – racist legislation introduced by Senator Pearce and signed into law last year.  This time around the vote was 18-11 with all five major anti-immigrant bills being defeated.

Culture

A Look Inside SB1070

Written by Cloee Cooper

It was August 2010. Senate Bill 1070 just passed in Arizona. Equipped with a video camera and curiosity, a delegation of University students visited the border regions of Arizona to learn more about the enactment of the controversial anti-immigrant law.

According to President L. Davis, one of three students filming during the trip, “Getting behind the camera to capture this story of the immigrant Hispanic population of Arizona and the American reaction will remain one of the greatest experiences of my life. One that I believe will help inspire another generation of freedom fighters determined to see freedom and justice prevail.”

Politics

Apple’s App Problem is Far from Over

Written by Aaron Patrick Flanagan

Under pressure from activists nationwide, Apple has recently banned two homophobic “apps” issued separately by ManhattanDeclaration.org and Exodus International. Both represent moral attacks on all non-heterosexuals, suggesting respectively that their existence is an assault on the “unborn, the disabled, and the elderly” and that they can be “cured.”

Clearly, after initially fouling-up and approving such apps (as it often does), Apple has responded appropriately, but only after 146,000 individuals signed Truth Wins Out’s petition against the app. TWO’s Wayne Besen says: “The fact is, Apple rejects apps every day for inappropriate content and it is incomprehensible how this dishonest and deceptive product slipped through the cracks. What’s next? Anti-Semitic or openly racist apps… Read more

Immigration

Save North America / Salve Norteamérica

Written by Guest Blogger

A poem by Fortino

Kirksville, MO / December 2010

Amidst the silence and the darkness of my days and nights, my life takes place in the underground. Here, I do not have a social life.

In their eyes I pass undetected, but they know I exist. Hardened by their senseless, fundamentalist laws. So much that it makes me depart from their public places and become completely invisible.

I come not from another galaxy or a planet unevolved. I wanted to leave my country full of marginalization, wanted to escape its corruption and I was suddenly forgotten. I am here living and dying in this same place, as well as each of you.

Reality TV Turns Surreal as Celebrity Cop Steven Seagal Joins Joe Arpaio in Cockfighting Raid

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

Originally posted on AlterNet / By Joshua Holland.

The world of celebrity ‘tough-guy’ law enforcement took a bizarre turn this week when chubby middle-aged action hero Steven Seagal, a SWAT team and two tanks accompanied controversial Maricopa County, AZ Sheriff Joe Arpaio on a daring raid that resulted in the arrest of a single unarmed man charged with raising chickens for cockfights.

The raid accomplished its primary objective – getting the media to pay Arpaio some attention – but it wasn’t the end of the story. After the action, Seagal told reporters that he had been operating “on loan” from the Jefferson Parrish sheriff’s department outside New Orleans, which had been hosting his

… Read more

Politics

Over 50 thousand petitioners call for resignation of state senator who suggested immigrants be shot like swine

Written by Guest Blogger

By Kathleen McCann

A Kansas state representative’s apology Thursday may not be enough to save his job. Although the request is rare, top House Democrats called for Representative Virgil Peck’s resignation Thursday over a comment he made Monday during a House committee meeting suggesting immigrants be shot by hunters from helicopters.

Today, local and national civil and human rights advocates held a press conference and brought 50 thousand petitions calling for State Rep. Virgil Peck to resign for his hateful remarks.

“Rep. Peck’s words were dangerous,” explained Lalo Muñoz from the Latino Informational Network of Kansas. “There is no place in our Kansas State Legislature for someone who uses offensive words to endanger… Read more