Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 12:25 am
You might have missed this. The infamous pink handcuff aficionado from Arizona is solving the nation’s problems again. This time, he’s gonna send out his armed posse of volunteers to stalk Maricopa County schools for “protection”, post Sandy Hook massacre.
Oh, no worries, Sheriff Arpaio assured Arizona 12 News that only 300-400 of the 3,000 will be armed, and they undergo “about” 100 hours of training. He also does a background check on them (why can’t we do both of these things nationally, good sir?). Of course, we have no proof of that they are trained, other than Arpaio’s word.
Watch here via Azcentral:
12 News reported, “… hundreds of people like the idea on our Facebook Page and hundreds more commented on it.” Well, if they like it on their Facebook Page, it must be a great idea. I mean, armed volunteers patrolling to protect from “violent predators” — it’s like a really cool video game only finally, the Tough Guys get to do something IRL.
These volunteers wear the uniform of a sheriff’s deputy, drive the county sheriff’s deputy vehicles, but they aren’t on the county payroll (which also means no accountability; if you’re shot by one of these guys by accident, you won’t have anyone to complain to). It’s like big boy dress-up.
Arpaio explained, “I have the authority to mobilize private citizens and fight crime in this county. (Politicians) are going to be talking about the guns now for years. But I have certain resources at my disposal and I’m not going to talk about it. I’m going to do it.”
Sure, it sounds great in theory — volunteers! But: Who pays for a county car they damage? If they went through all of the training, why aren’t they deputies? Who paid for their weapons and ammo? Are the taxpayers funding this, and if so, for how long has this been going on? If not, what entity is responsible to the public for the behavior of the posse? What is to stop this armed posse from abusing their power?
As of yet, no one among the paranoid “the government is coming to attack us” group has figured out that allowing a sheriff to hand pick his own armed posse with no accountability to the people might not be such a great idea. These are the same people who say we must have guns to protect ourselves from the government, letting a government official arm his own hand picked posse to patrol at government funded schools.
Ironic or so dumb it makes you embarrassed to be an American?
This is a “preliminary plan” but Arpaio wants it in place within a week. “I don’t need a new law to send out my posse.” Right. Anyone seeing the problem yet?
Wait till Arpaio sends out his armed posse after law abiding citizens. Oh, too late. Arpaio just started an “immigration posse” as well. He hasn’t said “when they will be deployed.” For realz, boys?
So, these same folks will be a-okay when Obama hand picks a posse of armed liberals to patrol under his control, to search out any (insert right wing stereotype profile here)? RIIIIGHT.
How many parents want their kids going to one of the armed posse schools? Just wondering, ‘cuz then it seems to follow that it’s time to arm the kids so that they can fight the hypothetical, “possible tyranny” of the armed non-government but empowered-by-government citizens “deployed” on their schools.
What we have here is a failure to communicate. If government is the “problem”, then how is this okay? It’s both a power grab and a very, very bad idea.
Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.
Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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