Sheriff Arpaio Watch: Activist's Letter of Disgust to Eric Holder's DOJ Investigators

By GottaLaff

Additional footage from KPHO's fine job on this is available: http://www.kpho.com/news/21470567/det...

If you are a victim of Sheriff Arpaio's harassment or abuse or any of his deputies call the FBI at 602 279-5511.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona has been bringing prosecutions against political enemies, and now a judge. Why? Because he didn't like the way he ruled. No, I'm not kidding.

Sheriff Joe is bananas. And dangerous.

And now one activist is wondering why our own Justice Department has been so negligent:

Like a lot of anti-Arpaio activists in town, videographer Dennis Gilman has been helping the U.S. Department of Justice gather evidence of abuse of power and racial profiling by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. [...] But like many who've been patiently waiting for the feds to act, he's fed up with their dithering.

And so he wrote a letter. Here it is, in part. Please go read the whole thing, because I left out a lot:

Dear Department of Justice,

I cannot express how disappointed people I speak with are and how disillusioned I have become.

What once was hope that human rights would be a concern in this County has turned into a forgotten memory. [...]

How many more broken arms, women torn from their children, deaths in Arpaio's Jails will it take? Should we care? They are just poor people. They have no money or power. Many are used to the abuse. They will never cost you your careers. [...]

Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias states there is more than enough evidence. But what could he possibly know? [Laffy Note: See video]

What is it really going to take? How many more Judges need to be harassed? How many will dare question the Almighty Sheriff or any actions of his deputies for fear they will not be allowed to conduct normal court business? (Look it up. If you think I'm exaggerating I'll prove you wrong in a heartbeat). [...]

How many politicians do you think will speak up against the abuse when to do so surely means they will be investigated, indicted, harassed and have their lives turned into a living hell and their careers ruined at a minimum? How many more of us have to wind up in jail while you desert us here?

Who is in charge? The FBI, DOJ, Obama or Arpaio? [...]

I can tell you in no uncertain terms that many activists are abandoning any hope of conventional justice and turning to the Anarchist movement in alarming numbers in this area.I can no longer try to convince them they should work with you or the FBI.[...]

Arpaio's faithful followers have become more violent toward Day Laborers and those that speak out against Arpaio at the protests and on the streets. It's only a matter of time before blood will start spilling. [...]

Dennis Gilman

Truly unbelievable.

David Iglesias: "I can't believe this is happening in the United States."

H/t: Tiggrr1

Low turnout in Iraq's election reflects a disillusioned nation

By GottaLaff

Let's check in on how that Bush-democracy-spreading, er, -imposing, thing is going:

BAGHDAD — Voter turnout in Iraq's provincial elections Saturday was the lowest in the nation's short history as a new democracy despite a relative calm across the nation. Only about 7.5 million of more than 14 million registered voters went to the polls.

Interviews suggest that the low voter turnout also is an indication of Iraqi disenchantment with a democracy that, so far, has brought them very little. [...]

Many blame the U.S. presence in Iraq for sowing the seeds of sectarianism by bringing back exiles to rule them.

Beyond the disillusionment, thousands of potential voters were unable to cast ballots Saturday because official voter lists did not contain their names. Street protests resulted.

"I didn't participate in this election because I don't trust any list," Yasir Baqir, 28, said on Saturday in Fallujah. "Like any election, we read and see many promises but nothing real (happens) and there is still a crisis, a security crisis, an economic and a services crisis." [...]

"There was a mood of apathy before the elections," said Ali al Adeeb a Shiite legislator from Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's party. "Many asked themselves what is the good? Why should we vote and for what? The enthusiasm came as the elections got closer."

The commission was happy with the turn out, but...

Despite that assessment, it seems that tens of thousands of mostly displaced people didn't get to vote. The commission said this was a mistake on the voter's part. Many didn't check where they were supposed to vote before Election Day.

Most of the confusion seemed to be concentrated in Sunni Arab and Kurdish areas.

Anyone heard about this "disenchantment" from the corporate media? So far, all I've seen reported is how violence was down, and how much progress there's been. Not one word about disillusionment or disenfranchised voters.