LatinaLista — Last week, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the man who enforces the rule of immigration law in his own irresponsible way in Maricopa County, Arizona, made headlines yet again when he shackled 200 undocumented immigrant inmates and marched them in front of the media from a low-security jail to the electric fence-fortified Tent City jail.
Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio directs the 200 undocumented immigrant detainees as he oversees their march to Tent City.
(Source: AP)
It was an obvious attempt by Arpaio to humiliate the immigrants while grandstanding and flaunting his legal authority. Why he would move these immigrants from a low-security facility, since the majority of them have committed no other crimes other than not having their paperwork in order, to a high-security area where he has stated he will segregate them from the general criminal population in Tent City leaves no doubt that his motives have less to do with justice and more about keeping himself in the center of the media spotlight.
While area city council members have spoken out against Arpaio’s decision to march and segregate these immigrants, some citizens have taken the initiative to speak out against Arpaio in their own way.
Local and national Hip-Hop artists have banded together for an event that will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 10 n Tempe, Arizona called “Stop the Circus! (Fight for Tolerance, Stop Arpaio.)
The concert is part of the national Hip-Hop campaign — Campaign for a United America. Sporting the tag line, “making hip-hop dangerous again,” the campaign, started by the Center for New Community, aims to combat the bigotry perpetuated by Joe Arpaio.
While the majority of us may not be able to attend and the event, according to organizers, won’t be livestreamed, there will be video of it made available and statements of support read on behalf of many “national/international luminaries that are closely monitoring the situation in Maricopa County.”
Pictures and video will be available on the campaign’s MySpace page.
It’s one thing to enforce the rule of law but to use it for one’s own personal gain is not just an abuse of authority but a violation of the public’s trust.
There are better ways to enforce our laws without stripping the dignity of people who only came to this country to find a better life.
Arizona Hip-Hop community bands together to fight Sheriff Joe Arpaio
