Once again Sheriff Joe Arpaio is bucking the mainstream and focusing on the crime trends that concern the citizens of his county. Sheriff Arpaio has been all over CNN and other media outlets recently giving his opinions about the furor caused by his enforcement of immigration related laws in Maricopa County, Arizona. Sheriff Arpaio and I share the position that a Sheriff serves his or her community, not the politicians, not the media, not the local police chiefs, the community. According to this most recent poll posted on the MCSO web site, his community wants enforcement of immigration laws.
The poll done by the Arizona State University shows that, "72 % of those Arizonans with an opinion on the subject think Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is right on target with his lone stance on local enforcement officials enforcing the federal and state anti human smuggling laws. The 72% figure represents people from all political parties." (emphasis added).
A motley gathering of people from politics, law enforcement, and others have all claimed that a county sheriff has no business enforcing immigration laws regardless of whether they are in the Code of Federal Regulations or State Statutes. I say Bullcrap! The county sheriff is THE senior law enforcement officer of their county AND It is the sheriff's JOB to protect the citizens of his/her county from those who commit criminal acts. The sheriff does this by applying the rule of law to those who would harm the peace, safety, and security of the county. That means a sheriff is well within his/her rights to apply any current law he/she has the lawful authority to use for the protection of the county's citizens. Particularly if the citizens of that county demand it.
Immigration enforcement is not about racism, nor is it about protectionism. Rather, it is about protecting our community from ALL persons who would prey upon the citizens, regardless of race, color, religion, or even national origin. I don't care if the illegal immigrant is from Mexico or Malaysia, Uruguay or Uzbekistan, illegal entry into the United States is just that, ILLEGAL. Add to that the number of crimes being committed by some of these illegal immigrants and you cannot defend their right to freedom in this community. For example, according to the information provided by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, "Further study of the illegal immigrants incarcerated in Arpaio’s jail today show that 2100 illegal aliens who are in jail today have committed a total of approximately 11,000 crimes against our community including 8500 felonies (96 counts of murder, 473 counts of kidnapping, 122 count of sex crimes, 1465 counts of armed robbery, 187 counts of child abuse and child sex abuse, 737 counts of assault, among others) and 1678 misdemeanors."
For the full text of the press release please click the link below or click on the "Sheriff Joe" header in my favorites on the left of the page.
http://www.mcso.org/include/pr_pdf/s%20Immigration%20Stance.pdf
What do you think?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
My Bosses Live In Their Own Spin Zone!
When you are paying a guy a Sergeant's salary you'd probably want him doing Sergeant's work. Sounds reasonable enough, don't you think? Well, not here!
I have officially been a Sergeant for one month and two days. Of that, I have done exactly four days as a uniformed patrol supervisor. Why? The well oiled machine that is my agency has been remarkably unable to complete the transfer of a current patrol supervisor to a specialized unit supervisor. They posted the position but failed to include that the Motor Unit (Traffic Motorcycles) supervisor should have a motorcycle endorsement on their license, DUH! So that meant they had to RE-post the vacancy - which they did. But then, half of the applicants withdrew their names which apparently made the command staff unable to complete the process in a timely manner. Now the posting has been closed for TEN days and they have yet to complete the oral review board and make a final selection!
Professionally I am embarrassed by the inept and lackluster way in which this whole process has been handled, or more aptly, mishandled. If we cannot efficiently, effectively and professionally fill a simple lateral transfer position how can the citizens expect competent, effective law enforcement from us.
Personally, I am pissed! I have been strung along week after week by Lieutenants, Majors and Commanders who can provide nothing more that jokes about how I should enjoy doing Agent work with a Sergeant's pay. OH PLEASE! If I wanted to stay an Agent I would have never taken the Sergeant's exam! It is also like pulling teeth from a angry gorilla trying to get any answers from my supervisors about when and/or if this process will ever be completed.
I'm so disappointed in this agency right now. They make a great show to the media about how well they are doing and how lucky the citizens are to have this command staff running the Sheriff's Office. Gimme me a freakin' break! They can't do a simple promotion and I'm supposed to have faith in their ability to protect me and my neighbors! Yea, Right!
Thanks, I just had to vent!
I have officially been a Sergeant for one month and two days. Of that, I have done exactly four days as a uniformed patrol supervisor. Why? The well oiled machine that is my agency has been remarkably unable to complete the transfer of a current patrol supervisor to a specialized unit supervisor. They posted the position but failed to include that the Motor Unit (Traffic Motorcycles) supervisor should have a motorcycle endorsement on their license, DUH! So that meant they had to RE-post the vacancy - which they did. But then, half of the applicants withdrew their names which apparently made the command staff unable to complete the process in a timely manner. Now the posting has been closed for TEN days and they have yet to complete the oral review board and make a final selection!
Professionally I am embarrassed by the inept and lackluster way in which this whole process has been handled, or more aptly, mishandled. If we cannot efficiently, effectively and professionally fill a simple lateral transfer position how can the citizens expect competent, effective law enforcement from us.
Personally, I am pissed! I have been strung along week after week by Lieutenants, Majors and Commanders who can provide nothing more that jokes about how I should enjoy doing Agent work with a Sergeant's pay. OH PLEASE! If I wanted to stay an Agent I would have never taken the Sergeant's exam! It is also like pulling teeth from a angry gorilla trying to get any answers from my supervisors about when and/or if this process will ever be completed.
I'm so disappointed in this agency right now. They make a great show to the media about how well they are doing and how lucky the citizens are to have this command staff running the Sheriff's Office. Gimme me a freakin' break! They can't do a simple promotion and I'm supposed to have faith in their ability to protect me and my neighbors! Yea, Right!
Thanks, I just had to vent!
Monday, October 15, 2007
God Did It !
Yep. You heard me, God did it! Let me explain. Each day as I drive to work I get radio boredom and frequently hit the SCAN button and drift between stations 'till something catches my ear. This can be entertaining because I'm never quite sure where I will land next.
Well, this morning I landed on one of the many central Florida conservative talk radio stations (Republican state - big surprise, right?) and was instantly transfixed to the screed of absolute crap this particular person was shoveling. The short and polite version is that Republicans are the saviours of us all and without them and a free business atmosphere America would cease to exist.
For the record I am a "No Party Affiliation" kind of guy (formerly known as "independent" voter) and I will vote, get this, for the person whom I believe can do the elected job best!
Anyway...This radio guy took only five minutes to pigeon-hole just about every Non-Republican group into this camp or that camp. This loser, That idiot, Those freaks. Liberals, Nazi's, Socialists, Anti-Americans, and anything else he could use to classify those who dared to think differently than him.
I thought about just how divisive this guy was being and had a moment of clarity. The Republicans didn't make America great. Nor was it the Democrats, or the Federalists, or the Whigs. It wasn't the Green Party, or the Libertarians, or the National Socialists. It was God!
The founding fathers, regardless of personal motivation or professional interest, all knew one thing. This new nation could not, would not survive unless we "the people" knew it was built on more than the avaricious desires of wealthy white men who would place themselves as Kings over us all. No, they knew that to prevent the tyranny and oppression of the past this new nation MUST be built with the bricks of Freedom, the mortar of Civil Liberties and the stability of Faith.
That is why they came together and for our sake stood before the King of England and declared to the world:
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
" We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
They cite eighteen very specific reasons for their declaration and invoke the power of God, saying:
"We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."
So you see We The People are just that, THE PEOPLE. Not this group or that group, THE PEOPLE. And THE PEOPLE built this nation not as individuals but as Free and Equal members of our United States. United States built on "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God". Laws of God that declare, "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights" and it is that foundation that allowed them to create and perpetuate, "One Nation, Under God, With Liberty And Justice For All".
Well, this morning I landed on one of the many central Florida conservative talk radio stations (Republican state - big surprise, right?) and was instantly transfixed to the screed of absolute crap this particular person was shoveling. The short and polite version is that Republicans are the saviours of us all and without them and a free business atmosphere America would cease to exist.
For the record I am a "No Party Affiliation" kind of guy (formerly known as "independent" voter) and I will vote, get this, for the person whom I believe can do the elected job best!
Anyway...This radio guy took only five minutes to pigeon-hole just about every Non-Republican group into this camp or that camp. This loser, That idiot, Those freaks. Liberals, Nazi's, Socialists, Anti-Americans, and anything else he could use to classify those who dared to think differently than him.
I thought about just how divisive this guy was being and had a moment of clarity. The Republicans didn't make America great. Nor was it the Democrats, or the Federalists, or the Whigs. It wasn't the Green Party, or the Libertarians, or the National Socialists. It was God!
The founding fathers, regardless of personal motivation or professional interest, all knew one thing. This new nation could not, would not survive unless we "the people" knew it was built on more than the avaricious desires of wealthy white men who would place themselves as Kings over us all. No, they knew that to prevent the tyranny and oppression of the past this new nation MUST be built with the bricks of Freedom, the mortar of Civil Liberties and the stability of Faith.
That is why they came together and for our sake stood before the King of England and declared to the world:
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
" We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
They cite eighteen very specific reasons for their declaration and invoke the power of God, saying:
"We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."
So you see We The People are just that, THE PEOPLE. Not this group or that group, THE PEOPLE. And THE PEOPLE built this nation not as individuals but as Free and Equal members of our United States. United States built on "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God". Laws of God that declare, "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights" and it is that foundation that allowed them to create and perpetuate, "One Nation, Under God, With Liberty And Justice For All".
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