Rev. Peter Morales: Reflections on My Arrest at the SB 1070 Protests in Phoenix

[Bill McBlueState]

Rev. Peter Morales, the President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, writes about his experience protesting SB 1070.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/handcuffs-hangman-and-jes_b_673432.html

On July 29, I engaged in civil disobedience in Phoenix as part of the Day of Non-Compliance protest against SB 1070, Arizona's harsh anti-immigrant law. I was called to bear witness to my faith's ideals of compassion and the inherent worth and dignity of all people.

Let me share with you pieces of my brief experience as an inmate in Arizona's infamous Maricopa County Jail. My 14 hours in custody constituted a profoundly disturbing experience -- but not in the ways I had anticipated. I wish I could share visual images of my time in Sheriff Joe Arpaio's jail, but, of course, they took my camera first thing. Here, then, are some verbal snapshots, followed by some disturbing reflections.

...

I was a journalist before entering seminary to become a Unitarian Universalist minister. I like to think of myself as less naïve than many of my colleagues. I have lived in Peru and in Spain under Fascism. Yet I found the situation in Arizona appalling and deeply disturbing in ways I did not anticipate.

I am honestly surprised that such systematic denial of basic civil rights (the beating, the arrest for no cause, the denial of use of toilet facilities, the targeting of Latinos) can go on openly in a major American city. This is not a nutty sheriff and a handful of deputies in a small town. This is a law enforcement body in a major urban area.

...

[ensho]

1. kick

nt

[red red red]

2. K & R n/t

[blondeatlast]

3. Excellent article. That jail is a disgrace and Maricopa County does have outstanding

law enforcement officers wanting to be sheriff, but Arpaio wins every time--and for that I apologize to decent humans everywhere.

[Bill McBlueState]

4. that's something I hadn't thought about

Maybe sheriff shouldn't be an elected position, so Pandering to Authoritarian Nutjobs isn't the primary qualification for the job. :think:

[blondeatlast]

5. The worst part is that other AZ sheriffs are copying his schtick.

The sheriff in Pinal County is ratcheting up the media whoredom--and that's a pretty poor county (I spent my prime growing up years there). Plus, it probably has the one of the best mixes of ethnic populations in Arizona--who, when I was there, got along fairly peacefully.

If he takes to spending money like Gunner Joe has, Pinal County is in big, big, trouble. And I'm betting he will.

[EFerrari]

6. Or maybe Maricopa County needs to clean up its voting systems.

If you look for election reform and voting news, there are always stories about that county. :shrug:

[blondeatlast]

8. True that. Especially considering what they've done to suppress the Hispanic vote.

We don't need to worry about the machines (although oddly, the SoS is pushing hard for them with an ad campaign targeted at the physically disabled).

The voter ID law, "poll watchers" (basically big white frat boys) at largely Hispanic districts, long, long waiting times...

Still, he was getting elected long before the ReBPublicans engineered this stuff with Jan Brewer and co (when she was SoS). I'm really at the breaking point--I want to move, yet I love Arizona except for the politics. :cry:

[Maat]

7. Kicked and rec'd by a proud Unitarian-Unviersalist.

Rev. Peter, you make me so proud.

Todos somos Arizona!