When Roy Moore ran for the Senate with sexual misconduct allegations against him, the United States erupted into controversy. The fire was fanned when reports emerged that many people continued to support Moore despite allegations because of distaste of the Democratic Party’s candidate Doug Jones trumping their distaste of the allegations. I vividly remember the tight days before the election. “Roy Moore” became a household name. My friends and classmates, most of which are much less political than I, were discussing the case in depth. In my government class, my teacher repeatedly reminded us to continue observing the election, stressing that this time of politics really illustrates the power of party lines. People were genuinely willing to look past allegations in order to remain loyal to the Republican Party. At the end of it all, Moore lost the race, and news of him slowly left the news circuit.
Thought you were done hearing news of a Senate race that doesn’t even pertain to your state? Think again. The especially infamous Joe Arpaio has announced he will run for Arizona’s vacant Senate seat.
Earlier this year, Arpaio made headlines when he was officially pardoned by President Trump. Controversy reared its fierce head, as many began to question how Trump could pardon such a man. Why is this man so despicable?
To begin, his discriminatory policies were forbidden by the U.S Department of Justice in 2011 after authorities discovered that Arpaio detained illegal immigrants for their legal status as their only crime. The U.S Department of Justice reprimanded him, but Arpaio continued, hence landing him in trouble. Arpaio’s other infamous offenses include:
- Referring to his jail as a “concentration camp”
- Permitting jail staff to break the neck of a paraplegic man
- Refusal to investigate hundreds of sexual abuse cases
- Authorizing a SWAT raid where, reportedly, deputies laughed as a puppy burned to death
- Referring to Mexican people as “wetbacks,” “Mexican bitches,” “fucking Mexicans” and “stupid Mexicans.”
You read all of that right. A man who spits racial slurs, breaks the backs of disabled people, calls his jail a death camp, trivializes sexual abuse, and laughs as puppies burn is running for the United States Senate. Less than a month after news of a man with questionable character running for Senate finally cycled out of the news, similar circumstances are occurring again. However it should be stressed that while the Moore case only held allegations (because evidence of groping doesn’t survive the decades), most of the evidence against Joe Arpaio is irrefutable fact. The proof of racial slurs and illegally detaining illegal aliens is documented by the U.S Department of Justice. Under his watch, a paraplegic man’s back was broken. Multiple cases of sexual assault languished as Arpaio’s department took their time to investigate. For most of these cases, the families were left with no choice but to move on from the trauma. Joe Arpaio is not too concerned with sexual abuse, has ruthless jail tactics, and is most definitely racist.
That being said, I urge the media and America to pay as much attention to Joe Arpaio as we did towards Moore. I want to see Arpaio blacklisted as much as Moore. I want to see Arpaio lose as much as Moore. 2017 was many things, but I appreciated seeing the trend of the general population beginning to hold sexual predators accountable for their actions. It’s now time to hold another scumbag accountable as well. America, may we never rest until the veil is completely lifted, and those who blurt out racial slurs and allow for sexual abuse in their communities are fully booted out of office.
Photo: Gage Skidmore
