The Politics of Humanity: Who Let This Vato Go On The Air
Put forth on July 26, 2008 by XicanoPwr
Posted in Immigration, Nativism, Prejudices, Xenophobia
The news around the blogosphere has to do with the bile that is filling the Arizona airwaves from radio talk show host, Jon Justice (104.1 The Truth) that is aimed at former Pima County Legal Defender, Isabel Garcia.
Here is the background from blogamigo, Manny:
Isabel is one of the major driving forces behind the Coalición de Derechos Humanos, headquartered in Tucson, and that’s just when she’s wearing her organizer hat. She also serves as one of Pima County’s leading Legal Defenders, which has Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s pink underwear in a snit since apparently the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America does not apply to those who serve in government.
You see, Sheriff Joe came to town recently to sign copies of his new book that blames all the ills of society on “illegals”. Well, that type of thing isn’t received the same way in Tucson as it is north of the Gila, so a protest was organized in conjunction with Sheriff Joe’s appearance. A piñata created in Arpaio’s likeness, wearing his trademark pink boxers, was…well, it was a piñata, so you can imagine.
In response to the whole thing, Arpaio and his friends in the racist right’s media empire took to the airwaves in the ironically named radio station 104.1 The Truth in an effort to get Isabel fired from Pima County. The station’s radio personalities spend a majority of their time and advertising money on equating undocumented workers with terrorists, drug dealers, disease carriers, and invaders of the Homeland™ – pretty standard fare for a radio channel that also features Bill “Falafel” O’Reilly, Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage, etc etc etc.
Normally I would be mad, but something inside me can no longer tolerate the pain that I get every time I report on the cruelty that has engulf this nation with xenophobia and nativism.
Following the June 25, immigration raid at Action Rags here in Houston, TX, my life is much different. The following week, I was in a meeting with the families of the raid. It was so heart breaking, to this day, I just cannot complete my post without shedding at tear.
Hearing the personal accounts is much different than hearing or reading about it. Sure, a blog post or a news article can tug at your heart strings, Lord knows I have done my best to it, but nothing beats the emotional impact when one personally hears their stories. I understand the frustration Marisa Treviño, of Latina Lista, expressed in a recent article in Rio Grande Guardian. While the current immigration is not so “uplifting,” there are people who do have the “luxury” to “drop thinking about immigration.” I can’t.
In a recent New York Times article, Father Ouderkirk quotes Sister Mary as saying: “Once you’ve cried for two straight weeks, you don’t have any more tears. But it doesn’t mean you stopped feeling.”
This is where I am at, I am still grieving for these families who have been divided, individuals uprooted from their homes, and communities that are destroyed. I can’t even look at the notes that I took that day without crying. While it is easy for Justice to feel excited at the deportation, the question is how can anybody cheer at the cruelty that these people faced at the hands of ICE throughout the US. How can anyone not shed a single tear when they hear these traumatic stories:
- they were not allowed to close the door whenever someone needed to use the restroom
- sexual harassment. women being touched in private areas in from of the men
- been told if they did not go through the voluntary deportation, the proceeding could take over a year, which would mean they are not allowed to work.
- no water was granted to them. One said when they asked for water, ICE dumped the water on the floor, saying “There is no water for you.”
- one woman fainted because she was thirsty and still no water was given to them
- before they were interviewed, they remained in a hot van with no running a/c for over an hour forced to share among 10-13 detainees one bottle water.
- when given something to drink, it was one of those frozen concentrated drink that was still unthawed.
While I share my rage and frustration with those who are justifiably so at Jon Justice, but at this point and its at this time, I don’t have the emotional energy to do it all over again.
No matter how carefully orchestrated, deportation dehumanizes people who come to this country to work hard to produce the many luxuries to which many like Jon Justice and Sheriff Joe Arpaio have grown accustomed – clean offices and classrooms, the food that is prepared for them at the restaurants they frequent, the food that is ready to buy at their local grocery stores, the homes they live in, and keeping this nation safe by serving the military.
This who blogged about this travesty:
Latino Politico
Citizen Orange
The Unapologetic Mexican
American Humanity
Zuky
Feathered Bastard (Phoenix New Times)
Alternet (call to action sent to their email list)
VivirLatino
Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion
WOC PhD
The Mahatma X Files
La Chola
Off Our Pedestals
Questioning Transphobia
Chicks Dig Me
The Strangest Alchemy
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Tags: Arizona, isabel garcia, legal defender, Nativism, radio personalities, sheriff joe arpaio, Xenophobia | 
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This is the blog of Edmundo "XicanoPwr" Rocha, a social worker, an activist, freelance writer and founder and editor of The Sanctuary. My interests include: immigration reform, critical race theory and it's interaction with equality/inequality and freedom/oppression as they relate to the experiences of people of color in the Americas.
Para Justicia y Libertad is a Latino-centered political blog focusing on the humanistic perspective of politics, history, and society as they relate to the Latina/o community throughout Texas and the United States.
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i know what you mean bro. it’s one thing to chase pendejos out here who aid the problem, but it’s another to speak to those who have been hurt by the problem. i felt like that after an interview i held with one woman who was part of the raids…jeez now i can’t remember which raids they were. they all end up blending together. it was a phone interview but my point is i know where you’re coming from. its why i turn away from the issue sometimes. its not because i have the “luxury,” but for me its because i short circuit and cant even think about whats happening to people every day without getting furious or feeling i’m about to implode.
hang in there ‘mano. it’s a long fight.
I was asked by a member of my group to post the response from Derechos Hermanos, but declined. This “Jon Justice” is pimping this incident for ratings, nothing more. He’ll be a “super-patriot” until he’s sacked, then he’ll move on to another persona.
Instead, I posted Isabel Garcia’s response.
And I hope Pima County stands up to Gestapo Joe and his flying monkies.
Your right about that, I probably would do the same thing if I was a shock jock too. While we see has harm, they see bad publicity as good publicity. I would hope the folks in Pima County do stand up to Gestapo Joe, just as the folks here in Harris County would do the same thing with our racist county sheriff.
i see the struggle continues in all parts of this country….we here in tulare county, in the “so-called” great central valley, in califaztlan we too must deal with a racist sheriff who not too long ago had a non-profit charity cancel a performance by a rapper known as e-40 because in his opinion this is a “red-neck community”. this was right before an election and he still won….let’s gather fuerzas because racism is alive and kicking.
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