MCSO Posse Member 's Hate Speech Against Immigrants : AZ IMC

Whether you agree or disagree with Sheriff Joe Arpaio's and County Attorney Andrew Thomas's justification behind the arrests of immigrants for conspiracy to have themselves smuggled, you would probably agree that ideally the people arresting them should be unbiased- at least lacking in hate towards those they're arresting.

Turns out we have at least one immigrant-hater on Sheriff Joe's migrant hunting posse, officially called Illegal Immigrant Interdiction detail. A man whose alias is "Tarantulas" on the various internet forums on which he posts, has identified himself as being in Joe's posse, and has shared some information on an anti-immigrant messageboard, urging others to get involved with the posse (or, as he likes to call it, the Illegal Alien Interdiction detail, because "they're not really immigrants").

He's a supporter of the Minutemen, he's attended an anti-immigrant rally, and sure, he's entitled to his political opinion. But is it okay to have someone arresting immigrants who thinks a statement about killing immigrants is funny? In his report on a July 2005 anti-illegal immigration rally he said, "One guy came up and said... 'I disagree with your sign, mate. I think it should say "SHOOT" instead of "DEPORT."' I told him I would never advocate killing someone, and we both had a laugh." While we're left wondering what's to laugh about, it gets worse.

"Frankly, I would have shot them and put their bodies through a f*cking meat grinder," reads some August 22, 2005 commentary on the story about Casey Nethercott of a vigilante group called "Ranch Rescue" losing his ranch to immigrants who sued him for assaulting them with a gun. This commentary appears on a blog started by "Tarantulas."

And there's more: "The founding fathers would be furious if they saw what was happening in one of the original 13 states today what with the roaches…excuse me…illegal immigrants invading and breeding everyone else out of existence so that their benefits go up with the number of anchor babies they pop out." Whether he wrote these statements or not is unclear (they're posted under the name "SSP", rather than "Tarantulas" like most of the other posts), but this hateful violent language was never removed from his blog. We can only assume that a member of Sheriff Joe's posse advocates this hate speech.

From the moment we heard that Sheriff Joe's posse was going to be sent out to arrest undocumented immigrants, immigrants' rights activists such as myself were concerned that this was the crossover of Minuteman-type vigilantes and police officers- of extremism and institutional racism. Certainly, we can guess that a number of police officers are immigrant-haters, and we can imagine (others probably know) that a good deal of racial profiling occurs on the police force

But Sheriff Joe provides an opportunity for folks to get very little training, yet be able to go out with a gun and arrest undocumented immigrants. It's almost like handing a badge to the Minutemen- a border vigilante's wet dream, all for just a few dozen hours of training. This is scary, and must be stopped.

The Arrests Must Stop

(This is the text of the flier that Phoenix Copwatch distributed at the protest, and will continue to distribute.)

Over 200 people have been arrested in the process of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's backwards enforcement of an anti-human smuggling law in the last few months. With the full support of County Attorney Andrew Thomas, Sheriff Joe has locked up suspected undocumented immigrants for the fabricated “crime” of conspiring to smuggle themselves into the country.

They say that they are enforcing Arizona’s new anti-smuggling law, but even the co-sponsors of that law say that Thomas and Arpaio are misinterpreting it and are overstepping their authority. While the law authorizes the arrest of human smugglers, enforcement of immigration laws is supposed to be the responsibility of federal agencies. But politicians who have it out for immigrants seem to have found an exploitable loop-hole that allows them to harass and detain hundreds of people whom they suspect of coming to this country through improper channels. It’s obvious that this is simply a political game for Sheriff Joe and Andrew Thomas, and not a real attempt at entering America’s much-needed dialogue about immigration.

Reasonable law enforcement agencies around the country, including the LAPD and Phoenix PD, understand that local police have no business enforcing immigration laws – by definition, a federal issue. Local enforcement of immigration will only lead to a chilling effect among immigrant communities, making people less likely to report crimes or ask for help from the police. Do we really want to keep a woman from calling the cops on her abusive husband because she’s afraid she will be deported?

Now Sheriff Joe is sending armed civilian volunteers out into the desert and the streets of Phoenix to hunt down suspected migrants. His "posse", in charge of Illegal Immigrant Interdiction detail, has far less training than police officers, and unlike the Border Patrol, almost no training in the complexities of immigration law. Phoenix Copwatch is very concerned that this move will only inflame an already volatile situation and will inevitably lead to racial profiling by over-zealous armed civilians. In fact, one member of Sheriff Joe's posse has an online blog on which violent hate speech against immigrants has remained for 10 months. (For more info: Google search
“Tarantulas & MCSO,” or go to http://arizona.indymedia.org/news/2006/06/44033.php).

We demand:
1. That Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Arpaio stop misinterpreting Arizona’s anti-smuggling law to arrest and prosecute suspected undocumented migrants as smuggling “conspirators”
2. That all persons arrested for “conspiring to smuggle” themselves be immediately released from custody
3. That Sheriff Joe stop using poorly trained armed civilian volunteers to hunt for migrants
For more information about Phoenix Copwatch, visit http://www.phoenixcopwatch.org or email phoenix_copwatch@yahoo.com

It's nice to see someone trying to enforce the laws regarding illegals....

Turns out we have at least one immigrant-hater on Sheriff Joe's migrant hunting posse, officially called Illegal Immigrant Interdiction detail.

You'll have to do better than that if you want to label me an "immigrant-hater." In fact, let me start the Tarantulas Internet Challenge right now. Find anything on the Internet that I, personally, have ever written that can be construed as racist. I've been building websites since about 1996, and have posted on discussion boards everywhere, so you have a lot of places to check. And by the way, saying "illegal aliens should not be in this country" is NOT an example of racism. I'll be waiting for you to get back to me here. You will not find a single questionable statement that I've ever written, I guarantee. But you're welcome to try.

A man whose alias is "Tarantulas" on the various internet forums on which he posts, has identified himself as being in Joe's posse, and has shared some information on an anti-immigrant messageboard, urging others to get involved with the posse (or, as he likes to call it, the Illegal Alien Interdiction detail, because "they're not really immigrants").

Illegal aliens are not "undocumented immigrants," as though they left their driver's licenses in their other trousers. They are here illegally and they are not American citizens, so they are illegal aliens.

Whether he wrote these statements or not is unclear (they're posted under the name "SSP", rather than "Tarantulas" like most of the other posts), but this hateful violent language was never removed from his blog.

I had a guy named "SSP" helping me with the blog for a while. I don't know what could be "unclear" about that fact that some entries were written by Tarantulas and some weren't. The fact that the SSP entries had a totally different style of writing should have been an obvious clue.

I winced at some of SSP's obscenities, because I usually don't write that way. But we do have a First Amendment in the Bill of Rights, so I allowed him to continue. He's no longer contributing to the blog, so he probably won't mind that I edited out some of the more blatant obscenties, the places where he called people "cockroaches," and a few others. After thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that it was not something I should have allowed to remain. I hope this sanitized version will satisfy those who are combing through it, looking for anything that's even the slightest bit offensive. But I will shut down this blog rather than allowing anyonee to use it as a bludgeon against the Sheriff's Office.

We can only assume that a member of Sheriff Joe's posse advocates this hate speech.

You know what happens when you "assume," don't you? Ask someone who has served in the military. It may have been an error in judgment to leave it in there but that doesn't mean I "advocate" it. Can we also "assume" that copwatch and indymedia advocate the end of the First Amendment and free speech, because one user posts a message saying that certain types of speech shouldn't be allowed?

The Sheriff's Office is arresting human smugglers and their customers who conspire with them. They are not "undocumented immigrants." They are illegal aliens and they are committing crimes under Arizona State Law. Unless you know of some horrible abuse that has occurred in this area, your concerns are unfounded...and somewhat muddled. Regardless of what our President might say, MinuteMan Project volunteers are not vigilantes. They are the equivalent of a Neighborhood Watch along the border. A vigilante is a civilian who takes the law into his own hands. The MinuteMen do not conduct law enforcement actions. And what exactly (or approximately) is "the crossover of extremism and institutional racism?" Or was that merely rhetoric?

Certainly, we can guess that a number of police officers are immigrant-haters, and we can imagine (others probably know) that a good deal of racial profiling occurs on the police force.

Certainly, we can guess that a number of people who post messages at Indymedia are drug users, and we can imagine (others probably know) that a good deal of child molesting occurs within that group.

We can guess or imagine anything we want, but guessing and imagining doesn't make it true.

But Sheriff Joe provides an opportunity for folks to get very little training, yet be able to go out with a gun and arrest undocumented immigrants.

Join the Posse and go through the training. THEN you can talk authoritatively about how little training we get.

It's almost like handing a badge to the Minutemen- a border vigilante's wet dream, all for just a few dozen hours of training.

Again, MinuteMan Project volunteers are not vigilantes, and they won't be vigilantes, no matter how many times you repeat the accusation.

This must be stopped because you, personally, are frightened by it? What is it that frightens you so much about enforcing the law?

It's too bad I have to post the following, but I think it's necessary. I'm a volunteer for the Sheriff's Office, but when I post messages on Internet discussion groups I'm not speaking for the Office. I'm speaking as a private citizen, and as a private citizen I have the right to hold a personal opinion and to post that opinion on an Internet forum. If I happen to believe that it's a good idea to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (and I do), that doesn't mean the Sheriff's Office has anything to do with it, made me say it, or believes it too. It's that pesky First Amendment freedom of speech. I take it seriously, and so should you.

I am frankly sick and tired of these whiney, totally dissociated from reality LIEberals trying to "interpret" the law to which would fit in their 7 convoluted little minds!

The law is the law, period. There is no "maybe" in this right or wrong issue. Sherrif Arpaio, the County Attorney, and the Courts confirmed the law, and we in the state of Arizona have every right to make and enforce them, according to our State Constitution.

Leave it to the professionals enforce it, please. And just deal with it. If you don't like it, go soil your shorts somewhere else, stick your thumb back in your mouth, and go crawl under that rock you came from.

Or go to the legislature and try to change the law. But I guarantee you, the citizens of Arizona have just about had enough of you LIEberals trying to ruin our state. Be prepared to have another dose of a "reality and attitude check" if you do.

/ end rant.

And good work T.

any decent person would never allow "Frankly, I would have shot them and put their bodies through a f*cking meat grinder" to be posted and left on their blog.

PERIOD

so we know where you stand.

i do not for one instant trust you to treat any immigrants with any sort of dignity. why should anyone?

you didn't address the fact that you think it's funny for someone to suggest that "illegals" be shot. not something you feel comfortable excusing on a public forum?

by the way, this has been said many times, but just because something is a law, does NOT mean it's right. so whether or not anyone official thinks this smuggling law is being used completely legally, it is still ethically wrong. immigrants are being targetted out of political and racist motivations, not for the sake of justice or security or whatever you want to claim. there are tons of laws being broken out there. the sheriff claims he's just doing his job, well he doesn't have to go out of his way to target immigrants. he could be targetting the employers who don't pay their workers fairly, for example. but that wouldn't get him anywhere politically, would it?

Anyone who would write that meat-grinder statement is a sick fuck. And anyone who would let it be on their blog is also a sick fuck.
There's no way to explain this away.

If you're calling me a racist with that statement, you're as wrong as you are when you call illegal aliens "undocumented immigrants."

i do not for one instant trust you to treat any immigrants with any sort of dignity. why should anyone?

you didn't address the fact that you think it's funny for someone to suggest that "illegals" be shot. not something you feel comfortable excusing on a public forum?

Not necessary, since I documented my statement to the guy that I would never endorse killing anyone. But you conveniently skipped over that part, didn't you?

by the way, this has been said many times, but just because something is a law, does NOT mean it's right.

As Judge Dredd says, "The law is the law." And there's nothing wrong with it. Here's the law:

so whether or not anyone official thinks this smuggling law is being used completely legally, it is still ethically wrong.

immigrants are being targetted out of political and racist motivations, not for the sake of justice or security or whatever you want to claim.

What's political or racist about arresting lawbreakers and the people who conspire with them?

there are tons of laws being broken out there. the sheriff claims he's just doing his job, well he doesn't have to go out of his way to target immigrants.

He's not targetting immigrants. He's targetting illegal aliens. This is a huge and growing problem in our state. It's about time someone did something about it rather than pointing to the federal government and saying "It's THEIR job."

he could be targetting the employers who don't pay their workers fairly, for example. but that wouldn't get him anywhere politically, would it?

Having the courage to do what's right is not always popular, but it's usually very satisfying. You should try it some time.

If you're calling me a racist with that statement, you're as wrong as you are when you call illegal aliens "undocumented immigrants."

i do not for one instant trust you to treat any immigrants with any sort of dignity. why should anyone?

you didn't address the fact that you think it's funny for someone to suggest that "illegals" be shot. not something you feel comfortable excusing on a public forum?

Not necessary, since I documented my statement to the guy that I would never endorse killing anyone. But you conveniently skipped over that part, didn't you?

by the way, this has been said many times, but just because something is a law, does NOT mean it's right.

As Judge Dredd says, "The law is the law." And there's nothing wrong with it. Here's the law:

A. A person commits conspiracy if, with the intent to promote or aid the commission of an offense, such person agrees with one or more persons that at least one of them or another person will engage in conduct constituting the offense and one of the parties commits an overt act in furtherance of the offense, except that an overt act shall not be required if the object of the conspiracy was to commit any felony upon the person of another, or to commit an offense under section 13-1508 or 13-1704.

Coyote: I will smuggle you into the state of Arizona if you pay me money. We both know this is against the law.

Illegal alien: I am aware that this is a crime, and here is my money. I will cooperate with you in the commission of this crime.

so whether or not anyone official thinks this smuggling law is being used completely legally, it is still ethically wrong.

immigrants are being targetted out of political and racist motivations, not for the sake of justice or security or whatever you want to claim.

What's political or racist about arresting lawbreakers and the people who conspire with them?

there are tons of laws being broken out there. the sheriff claims he's just doing his job, well he doesn't have to go out of his way to target immigrants.

he could be targetting the employers who don't pay their workers fairly, for example. but that wouldn't get him anywhere politically, would it?

Having the courage to do what's right is not always popular, but it's usually very satisfying. You should try it some time.

It's called white guilt. Feeling guilty for being born white and american so they want to shoehorn as many foreigners into this country as they possibly can. Africa, Mexico, Middle east....they want to pack them all in here to assuage their guilt......

You're the one who sounds guilty to me.

"hate speech"
by what is "hate speech" anyway? Monday, Jun. 26, 2006 at 9:34 PM

What is "hate speech"? Isn't that some incredible idiocy the Unbathed has invented in order to try and circumvent the First Amendment?

Why is it that wherever freedoms erode a leftist is always at the center?

tarantulas says the minutemen aren't vigilantes, huh? what about the ones who call themselves vigilantes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8buTOWjAD4&search=colbert

They need to send all ILLEGAL immigrants back to where ever they came from before they destroy our country with their racist propaganda of La Raza, Aztlan, and La Reconquista.
All American politicians who are members or affiliated with Mecha should be run out of office and tried for treason!!

How dare you "mr" your people are immigrants too and Mexicans were here way before your people! You killed the indians, stole their land , and then stole our land! Thats right Im a Mexican and I oppose your beliefs with all my soul! Your "minutemen" so called have no authority to treat us like animals and deport us!

You have no right to be here in this country. If you can operate illegally, then why can't I drive 90 miles per hour in a 60 mile per hour zone?

Your people are losers and that's why you're flocking up here. If the white man had never come here 200-plus years ago, the natives would still be running around acting like animals and wouldn't have a written langauge.
You can thank WHITES for all the modern conveniences that you enjoy in your life, including the automobile, the airplane, electricity, television, immunizations about fatal diseases, etc., etc. etc.

Now put that in your greasy burrito and munch on it!

i notice that the hate-speech has since been removed. i wonder what happened to tarantulas defending the hate-speech? interesting.

The US has EVERY reason to deport you. LAst time I checked, that section of the US belonged to anasazi, ute, apache, blackfoot and comanche indians, not mexicant's standing on street corners....

Do us all a favor and start going south to Brazil to look for work, instead of coming here illegally and breeding like rats in the hopes that a kid will allow you to stay in the states.

Were it up to me, you would be deported, as well as any of your relatives harboring you.....