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Sure, you could use riches to become a crime-fighting super hero. Alternatively, you could use your fabulous wealth to spend your entire adult life living as a 2-year-old girl.

I wish I were making this up.

-Skor

in some communities that still practice, polygamy changed from just a relegious practice into a cultural one.

Oh, and they certainly aren't just marrying widows and single women. this guy has (amongst other things) two children from two different underage girls.

Anyways, think of it as +1 funny.
Viva la Ken!

I wonder if you could legally view child pornography if you classified it as part of the belief of a religion.

County inmate Lance Hawthorne died in a cell whose vent had been closed as a form of punishment

Frankly this is murder 2 (depraved indifference towards human life). Had a parent used similar punishment with a child, he or she would certainly be so-convicted (moreover, I imagine there is case history to demonstrate the point).

The article also states that 70% of inmates in Arpaio's jail are merely awaiting trial.

Roasting puppies alive. Endangering neighborhoods. Wrecking cars. Burning down houses. (I don't buy their candle story either. What "confusion?" The family was at the entrance and removed immediately, the guy they were after was in the attic. So who was in the bedroom knocking down this alleged "candle"?) And if they really believed the guy was a walking arsenal, why did they show up at the scene unarmored? At least knowing that there would be no gun battle is a perfect excuse for not bothering to alert the neighbors.

As the Man In Charge, this is a direct reflection on him. If he is unaware of the behavior of his officers, or if he chooses to ignore it, then he is exhibiting gross incompetence and should be fired without retirement benefits. "Didn't get the memo" or "I wasn't aware of this" is NOT an excuse for incompetent mismanagement of a police force.

So, if the man isn't incompetent and is in total charge of the operation, then he must have condoned the operation. What word would YOU use for a man who condones chasing a 10 month old dog (who by the officer's own statement was not attacking anyone) back into the fire? What word would YOU use for someone who can't be bothered to move the child and wife away from a burning house, effectively forcing them to listen to their puppy as it burns to death, in addition to putting them at risk? What word would YOU use to describe a person who tells a child crying for her dog to "Shut the fuck up"? Personally, I think "sadists" is too good of a word to describe these people.

The buck for all this stops somewhere. If it isn't stopping at Joe, then you need to step back and take a look at the man you're defending and decide if he really is competent to fulfill the duties of his position. Because while being tough on crime makes for a great sound bite and eating green meat makes for a super photo-op, he is supposed to be running the show.

Fellow gets sent to tent city on minor charges. Another inmate finds out he's on work release (stays at night, goes to work during the day), asks him to call his buddy at a certain number.

Guy gets home, calls the fellow for whatever reason (welfare call or whatever- it's some sob story), and is informed that he's going to smuggle drugs into tent city, or he'll get shivved that night in bed.

Poor slob ends up smuggling drugs in; sheriff's officers don't catch him, since they're not the sharpest anyway. He gives the drugs to the guy that contacted him in the first place, and says he'll never do it again.

But, of course, by then he's on the hook. He'll either get murdered in his sleep, or turned over to the guards for bringing in drugs. Or, when he's outside, he'll get hit on the streets. Doesn't matter- he's done for either way.

That's the way things work in tent city. Thousands of people incarcerated with a whopping total of FOUR guards at some points in time. How the hell they've kept them from rioting, I'll never know.

That's just the way Joe works. And it hasn't changed a damned thing in terms of crime.

Recently (July 23rd), Maricopa County's (AZ) illustrious sheriff department, headed by lauded sheriff Joe Arpaio (heh, Amenesty International just *loves* this guy), decided to conduct a raid in an upscale Ahwatukee neighborhood. This neighborhood was your typical "cookie-cutter-houses-crammed-together"-type place. They had basically conducted this raid on the house because a "friend" of one of the occupants (who was wanted on a misdemeanor warrant for traffic citations), who was arrested for theft of automatic weapons and armor-piercing bullets, told the authorities that his friend here was in the same mess, and was getting ready to "do something". That sent the sheriff's gang into high gear.

Without discussing the matter or letting anyone in the Phoenix police department know what was going on (they had jurisdiction, not the sheriff), they raided the house. Neighbors noticed an unmarked white Suburban and men putting on flak jackets and helmets - all unmarked (as far as the neighbors could see). They surrounded the house, then fired tear gas shells into the house. Parked in front of the house (somehow out of the line of sight of the neighbors) was the sheriff's assault tank. With the shots of tear gas, and the unmarked everything, neighbors were most definitely frightened. One called 911, and found out what was going on, and told not to worry, that everything was OK. The tear gas caused most of the occupants to come outside, where they were slammed to the ground and handcuffed, but the suspect stayed inside, holed up in the attic.

At this point, a fire started. The occupants of the house claim it was the tear gas cannisters, fire department officials claim it was a candle that was knocked over in the confusion (whatever the case, it is obvious that a fire likely wouldn't have broken out had such heavy handed tactics not been employed). A dog inside tried to come out after the fire (the occupants who were outside were calling and crying for their dog), but was shooed back in with a fire extinguisher by one of the deputies. The occupants of the house pleaded with the deputies for their dog, but the deputies just laughed at them. The suspect heard the dog (it was his dog), and decided to come out, but he couldn't find the dog, and eventually exited the house, where he was handcuffed. The dog ended up burning alive in the house. The house was totally destroyed.

So, here we have a blaze in a crowded neighborhood (which could have set the entire neighborhood ablaze, given the close proximity of nearby houses), a scared neighborhood, people handcuffed in suspicion of owning illegal weapons for who-knows-what purpose, an assault tank on the scene - and what is the outcome?

The man under arrest doesn't have *any* such weapons - his only crime was the bench warrant, plus he legally owned (but were presumably burnt up) an antique shotgun and a 9mm pistol. About the tank? Deputies didn't set its parking brake properly, it rolled down the hill and smashed into a parked car, causing $4000.00 worth of damage to the neighbor's vehicle. Said neighbor and owner of the vehicle had just parked and exited the vehicle with her daughter, and ran into the house after hearing the shots of the tear gas shells...

Want to read more?

This is what our laws and elected officials do to us. This is the end result of things like the Patriot Act and shows like Cops and America's Most Wanted (you should see the re-election commercials for Arpaio here in Phoenix where John Walsh endorses our sheriff, advocating the need for such police officers like him - I suppose if resurrecting the Brownshirts and creating more Tent City gulags is what you want). This is but yet another in a long, long series of criminal-like actions this man and his rowdy gang of deputies have committed over the years. From outright (but paid off) murders of individuals in restraint chairs to jail systems that make Amnesty International livid, I sincerely hope that the people of Arizona and Maricopa County wake up and see what a shambles Sheriff Joe has made of the judicial system and send him packing this coming November.

Just in case you're interested on what the aforementioned sheriff is up to THESE days, take a look at the latest New Times.

-72

Best of all, there's the people that work for him, like the corrupt David Hendershott, a man so fat that he once had to be cut out of a car with the jaws of life- a vehicle that had been impounded by sheriff's office, in fact.

Believe me- Sheriff Joe comes across as a hard-hitting lawman, but he's corrupt, morally bankrupt, and out to make a splash rather than fix the problems in his jails. Unfortunately, more money is spent in litigation and settlements than should be, taking officers off the street.

The Wayback Machine thing sucks, as do so many other Scientology actions against the net, but frankly I'm a little more concerned about how Scientology's actions affect people's rights out in the non-virtual world.

This is an organization that has framed critics, including journalist Paulette Cooper, who was indicted for sending bomb threats which, in reality, Scientology had sent to themselves. Scientology also attempted to frame Clearwater mayor Gabriel Cazares (for hit-and-run), U.S. District Judge Ben Krentzman (for solicitation and drug use), attorney Michael Flynn (for cashing a forged check), BBS operator Tom Klemesrud (for battery), attorney Graham Berry (for child molestation and battery), author Russell Miller (for murder), and former Scientologists Martin Hunt (for Internet posts; his report of the police officer's visit didn't mention what was being alleged about the posts) and Gene Allard (for grand theft - Allard won a 1974 malicious prosecution suit against Scientology).
Numerous instances of making false reports to police have been reported.

This is an organization that has seen 11 top-ranking executives go to jail in the U.S. for infiltrating government offices to steal and plant documents. In the similar Canadian trial, three Scientology executives and the Toronto church organization itself were found guilty of similar crimes.

The FBI raids in the late 70s turned up evidence of the frame-ups of Cooper and Cazares, along with evidence that Scientology had infiltrated numerous other government offices, such as the California Attorney General's office, as well as newspapers like the Clearwater Sun, law offices like Sidley & Austin, and other organizations, such as the Clark County Mental Health Agency. A Scientologist on the San Diego police force was fired for passing police information to Scientology.

A typical response from Scientology spokepeople is "that was years ago." (We never did that, and besides, we don't do it anymore.)

Well, there were five frame-up attempts that I can count in the past 3-4 years (Keith Henson, successfully framed and now a fugitive in Canada; Mark Bunker, acquitted; Bob Minton, acquitted twice but now apparently extorted into testifying for Scientology; Jesse Prince, hung jury).

There are also disturbing signs that Scientology is continuing to infiltrate government offices and businesses. A motion was filed just a couple of weeks ago alleging religious discrimination in the case of a woman who was fired from the Greenwich Housing Authority after Scientology management systems were introduced and employees were required to attend Scientology courses, paid for with thousands of dollars in public money, and the EEOC recently took action in a Texas case in which employees at a dental office were fired after refusing to attend Scientology classes. The Sacramento News & Review did a story not long ago about a publishing house that uses Scientology management techniques, run by Scientologists Dennis McKenna (who, as a Scientology spokesman, defended what Scientology did to Paulette Cooper) and Don Pearson (who gave extensive Scientology training to Allstate employees until management finally stopped it); the company, eRepublic, publishes a magazine on the use of technology in government (and another on the use of technology in education) and consults to governments on technology issues. The magazine includes ads for business training - never mentioning that it teaches Scientology principles - offered by people like Arte Maren - long-time Scientologist, co-conspirator in the 70s government infiltration case, and trainer in the Greenwich Housing Authority case.

I'm concerned that people confronted by Scientology training in the workplace don't know their rights. I hope the EEOC will vigorously defend people who are being illegally subjected to Scientology training at work - and I hope journalists will keep a closer eye on Scientology's continuing infiltration in government and business.

Kristi
Scientology Lies

The Wayback Machine thing sucks, as do so many other Scientology actions against the net, but frankly I'm a little more concerned about how Scientology's actions affect people's rights out in the non-virtual world.

This is an organization that has framed critics, including journalist Paulette Cooper, who was indicted for sending bomb threats which, in reality, Scientology had sent to themselves. Scientology also attempted to frame Clearwater mayor Gabriel Cazares (for hit-and-run), U.S. District Judge Ben Krentzman (for solicitation and drug use), attorney Michael Flynn (for cashing a forged check), BBS operator Tom Klemesrud (for battery), attorney Graham Berry (for child molestation and battery), author Russell Miller (for murder), and former Scientologists Martin Hunt (for Internet posts; his report of the police officer's visit didn't mention what was being alleged about the posts) and Gene Allard (for grand theft - Allard won a 1974 malicious prosecution suit against Scientology).
Numerous instances of making false reports to police have been reported.

This is an organization that has seen 11 top-ranking executives go to jail in the U.S. for infiltrating government offices to steal and plant documents. In the similar Canadian trial, three Scientology executives and the Toronto church organization itself were found guilty of similar crimes.

The FBI raids in the late 70s turned up evidence of the frame-ups of Cooper and Cazares, along with evidence that Scientology had infiltrated numerous other government offices, such as the California Attorney General's office, as well as newspapers like the Clearwater Sun, law offices like Sidley & Austin, and other organizations, such as the Clark County Mental Health Agency. A Scientologist on the San Diego police force was fired for passing police information to Scientology.

A typical response from Scientology spokepeople is "that was years ago." (We never did that, and besides, we don't do it anymore.)

Well, there were five frame-up attempts that I can count in the past 3-4 years (Keith Henson, successfully framed and now a fugitive in Canada; Mark Bunker, acquitted; Bob Minton, acquitted twice but now apparently extorted into testifying for Scientology; Jesse Prince, hung jury).

There are also disturbing signs that Scientology is continuing to infiltrate government offices and businesses. A motion was filed just a couple of weeks ago alleging religious discrimination in the case of a woman who was fired from the Greenwich Housing Authority after Scientology management systems were introduced and employees were required to attend Scientology courses, paid for with thousands of dollars in public money, and the EEOC recently took action in a Texas case in which employees at a dental office were fired after refusing to attend Scientology classes. The Sacramento News & Review did a story not long ago about a publishing house that uses Scientology management techniques, run by Scientologists Dennis McKenna (who, as a Scientology spokesman, defended what Scientology did to Paulette Cooper) and Don Pearson (who gave extensive Scientology training to Allstate employees until management finally stopped it); the company, eRepublic, publishes a magazine on the use of technology in government (and another on the use of technology in education) and consults to governments on technology issues. The magazine includes ads for business training - never mentioning that it teaches Scientology principles - offered by people like Arte Maren - long-time Scientologist, co-conspirator in the 70s government infiltration case, and trainer in the Greenwich Housing Authority case.

I'm concerned that people confronted by Scientology training in the workplace don't know their rights. I hope the EEOC will vigorously defend people who are being illegally subjected to Scientology training at work - and I hope journalists will keep a closer eye on Scientology's continuing infiltration in government and business.

Kristi
Scientology Lies

If you live in the Phoenix Metro area, this is your big chance to make a great impression, show interest in your local government, and learn something too -- I mean, this is great-- the people who make important decisions about the county's technology are going to be LISTENING to you-- aside from the inevitable rips on Microsoft (easy to do), be sure to play up the cost-benefits and reliability of Linux and *bsd as viable alternatives. Have some printed materials (or CD-ROMs?) to give out.

If you seem too fanatical or "out there", you may scare them off-- it's easy to dismiss a lunatic, even when they're right. So please don't dress like Obiwan ;) A well-thought out, reasoned discussion about the benefits of open source software may make a tremendous difference if you can reach the right people and they are truly open to change.

Good luck everyone! Let us know how it works out Monday! Someone call the Arizona Republic and New Times. (And be on the lookout for a counter-offensive from Microsoft).

W

Quoted from Arnie Lerma's website:

DECLARATION OF ROBERT J. CIPRIANO

I, Robert J. Cipriano, hereby declare and state as follows:

[. . .]

38. I was befriended the first day of my employment at Earthlink by a Mr. Michael Hamra, another sales associate. I quickly started a friendship with Mr. Hamra and spent countless hours talking about various things including how Earthlink started with investments, by Kirstie Alley, Tom Cruise, John Travolta and other wealthy Scientologists, into Sky Dayton's idea of an internet service provider. Mr. Hamra told me how Sky Dayton had a coffee shop before starting Earthlink and that he, because of being a Scientologist and his friendships with celebrity Scientologists, he was able to build a multi-million dollar company that could, "Watch over the entire internet from within the internet."

39. Additionally, Mr. Hamra told me he was one of the founding group of Scientologist who ran Earthlink out of a Glendale one room office where he made sales calls from a bathroom in the office. Mr. Hamra said, "The Church of Scientology now had a database of information on every subscriber which included names, credit card info., credit reports, telephone info., computer info., who had referred them to Earthlink and who were their previous ISP providers." Mr. Hamra told me about the "other Earthlink building" which was next door on New York Avenue in Pasadena. Mr. Hamra told me that the other building was high security and is where Earthlink and the Church of Scientology did all the monitoring of the internet. Mr. Hamra was always very interested in my testimony in Berry v. Cipriano. It became clear to me that he was reporting what I was saying to other in Scientology.

40. I received many incoming sales calls while at Earthlink from individuals who would ask, "Are you a bunch of Scientologists?" We were trained to never admit that we were involved with the Church Of Scientology.

---

There is also an article on this in the Phoenix New Times.

Incidentally Earthlink is now owned by Mindspring, so the same conditions may not currently prevail. Cipriano is also not the best source, as he is virtually a pathological liar, but he did indeed work for Earthlink, and whatever else Cipriano may have said, it's disturbing a Scientology lawyer could duke people into a job there at will.

Quoted from Arnie Lerma's website:

DECLARATION OF ROBERT J. CIPRIANO

I, Robert J. Cipriano, hereby declare and state as follows:

[. . .]

38. I was befriended the first day of my employment at Earthlink by a Mr. Michael Hamra, another sales associate. I quickly started a friendship with Mr. Hamra and spent countless hours talking about various things including how Earthlink started with investments, by Kirstie Alley, Tom Cruise, John Travolta and other wealthy Scientologists, into Sky Dayton's idea of an internet service provider. Mr. Hamra told me how Sky Dayton had a coffee shop before starting Earthlink and that he, because of being a Scientologist and his friendships with celebrity Scientologists, he was able to build a multi-million dollar company that could, "Watch over the entire internet from within the internet."

39. Additionally, Mr. Hamra told me he was one of the founding group of Scientologist who ran Earthlink out of a Glendale one room office where he made sales calls from a bathroom in the office. Mr. Hamra said, "The Church of Scientology now had a database of information on every subscriber which included names, credit card info., credit reports, telephone info., computer info., who had referred them to Earthlink and who were their previous ISP providers." Mr. Hamra told me about the "other Earthlink building" which was next door on New York Avenue in Pasadena. Mr. Hamra told me that the other building was high security and is where Earthlink and the Church of Scientology did all the monitoring of the internet. Mr. Hamra was always very interested in my testimony in Berry v. Cipriano. It became clear to me that he was reporting what I was saying to other in Scientology.

40. I received many incoming sales calls while at Earthlink from individuals who would ask, "Are you a bunch of Scientologists?" We were trained to never admit that we were involved with the Church Of Scientology.

---

There is also an article on this in the Phoenix New Times.

Incidentally Earthlink is now owned by Mindspring, so the same conditions may not currently prevail. Cipriano is also not the best source, as he is virtually a pathological liar, but he did indeed work for Earthlink, and whatever else Cipriano may have said, it's disturbing a Scientology lawyer could duke people into a job there at will.