Hey Sharpton - "Suck it."
Posted on 06/20/2009 11:14:11 AM PDT by SandRat
PHOENIX — The Rev. Al Sharpton on Friday called for opponents of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has aggressively cracked down on illegal immigration, to videotape alleged racial profiling by the sheriff’s office.
The civil rights leader said the videos will help the U.S. Department of Justice in an investigation of alleged civil rights abuses by Arpaio’s office.
“We’re gonna start some freedom rides around this county, to show how people of a certain skin color are treated different than other people,” Sharpton told a crowd of several hundred people at the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Phoenix.
Sharpton spoke with Arpaio later Friday in a meeting that the sheriff called cordial.
Arpaio said Sharpton did not mention his freedom rides plan, but asked about racial profiling. “I tried to educate him that we don’t do it,” Arpaio said.
Sharpton had planned a press conference after the meeting but was whisked away as dozens of Arpaio supporters rushed toward him. About 50 protesters for both sides were outside the sheriff’s office in downtown Phoenix, separated by a police line. The meeting joined two figures known for outsized egos and media antics, but Sharpton had said it would have a serious message. In April, Sharpton called for Arpaio to resign or be removed from office.
“I will not fly all the way across country to engage in the personality of Sheriff Joe,” Sharpton said. “But I will fly anywhere to protect the rights of Citizen Jose and Citizen Jamal.”
Critics have said sheriff’s deputies conducted racial profiling last spring during immigration and crime sweeps in some Latino areas in metropolitan Phoenix. The sweeps had led Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon to ask for a federal investigation of Arpaio for possible civil rights violations.
“You cannot have law enforcement that is based on skin color rather than proper deeds,” Sharpton said. “If I break the law, arrest me. But don’t make me a suspect because of the color of my skin, or because of my language.”
Arpaio has said people pulled over in the sweeps were approached because deputies had probable cause to believe they had committed crimes.
The sheriff has taken a hard line against illegal immigration and strongly enforces Arizona’s employer-sanctions law, which punishes businesses that knowingly hire illegal workers. He worked with Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas to use the state’s human-smuggling law to charge illegal immigrants for conspiring to smuggle themselves into the state.
Arpaio has clashed with other local law enforcement officials who said the sheriff was damaging a delicate relationship between the police and the Hispanic community. Arpaio said he told Sharpton that he would continue his immigration enforcement despite criticism and the civil rights investigation, adding that Sharpton “may have learned that maybe with this sheriff my people aren’t as bad as he may read in the newspapers or as some politicians tell him.”
Brandy Baron, a 53-year-old Arpaio supporter, said she’s glad Arpaio agreed to meet with a harsh critic and called Sharpton “a loser who needs to mind his own business.”
Arpaio protester Sheila Ryan, 68, said she hopes Sharpton’s visit will put a bigger national spotlight on Arpaio’s immigration sweeps. “It takes a big name like that to bring attention to the issue in a significant way,” she said.
Freedom Rides - more ACORN field trips?
I believe he is Bermuda today entertaining the Uighers. This will be a fund raising play to get more Libtard money into his coffers. Those bad apples are Terrorists, no doubt in my mind.
O.J Simpson was found not guilty but God and everyone else knows the truth!
Thanks...Sorry to hear it and hope it doesn’t change Arpaio’s enforcement because I believe what he’s doing is legal.
Why is this ex-con not headed back to prison for income tax evasion to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars? Are only white Republicans required to pay taxes in Obama’s world?
Isn’t he supposed to be in prison for tax evasion or something?
I’m sorry; I posted before reading all the responses. I basically echoed what you said about tax evasion.
And another thing - why does Fox News keep putting this idiot on TV? He’s a clown! And no insult meant toward clowns.
What a shocker, a high ranking demon-crap choosing to side with law breakers rather than law abiders.
Hey Sharpton - "Suck it."
Right, Al. The sheriff needs to be more like the feds at airports, strip searching 80 year old grandmas while Muhammed and Moustafa walk through the metal detectors with hand grenades. Maybe the sheriff can start detaining blond haired, blue eyed types. Should be any number of illegal Mexicans in that crowd.
On December 8, 1995, Roland J. Smith Jr., one of the protesters, entered Harari's store with a gun and flammable liquid, shot several customers and set the store on fire. The gunman fatally shot himself, and seven store employees died of smoke inhalation..."
That blood is all over Sharpton's hands, thanks for the history lesson AB.
Right, Al. Let’s get some balance in those illegal aliens arrests by rounding up hoards of blond, blue-eyed vermin crossing the border. It’s absolutely criminal that the U.S. ignore thems and only rounds up the brown people crossing the border.
Maricopa County Jail Boxer Drawers endorsed by Al Sharpton.
Great sales campaign for Sheriff Joe. LOL
Hasn’t broke any Arizona or Maricopa County Laws — YET.
Bound to result in more inmates in the Tent Jail.
This is going to backfire big-time on Sharpton. What he’s trying to do is drum up support from Holder. If the feds get involved, people are going to loudly support Arpaio and the administration is going to look stupid.
It’s always so interesting that the MSM and even local newspapers call this putz “Reverend” Sharpton. When was the last (or only), time we’ve ever heard “the Reverend” speak about the Gospel or the saving grace of Christ.
waiting...waiting...waiting...ah, sound of crickets —exactly...he never has and never will! Sharpton is a gas bag who’s only claim to fame is agitating as a professional “victim.”
I hope someone advised “Mr. Sharpton” that it’s going to be about 108-degrees every day this week here in Phoenix so he may want to stay in the shade while protesting —or he’s going to get a horrific sunburn.
My $0.02
Who is paying him? Sharpton does not do anything out of the goodness of his heart.
You can bet on it.
The media will make sure that it does.
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