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See also: Joe Arpaio Looks Like Tired, Old Racist on Stand During Racial-Profiling Trial
See also: Arpaio Struggles to Answer Examples of Seemingly Bigoted Leadership
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio took the stand yesterday to face questions related to alleged racial profiling, and if you ask our colleague Ray Stern, Arpaio looked like a “tired, old racist” up there.
Arpaio, suffering from an alleged flu — he also said he had either a cold or the flu during ex-Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas’ disbarment proceedings — was asked about some of the public comments he made about brown-skinned folks.
One of those questions had to do with a statement in one of Arpaio’s books that second- and third-generation Mexican-Americans were not part of the American “mainstream.”
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Not surprisingly, Arpaio pegged his ghostwriter for penning that line.
Arpaio was also confronted with letters from loyal fans, complaining about the “Mexicans” on street corners or speaking Spanish, obviously “illegal” to the authors of the letters.
The plaintiffs contend that not only did Arpaio send thank-you letters back, but he also acted on some of these letters as if they were tips of criminal activity.
Still, Arpaio responded saying, “When I sent those letters, it doesn’t mean that I agree with them, or mean [MCSO employees] should take action.”
Many of Arpaio’s public statements were on display, like the time he explained to a crowd in Texas that he had “official reasons” for doing things, then he had “my reasons” for doing things.
Arpaio chalked that one up to humor.
So, based on the accounts of Arpaio’s day on the stand yesterday, how did he do?
Cast your vote below:
