WHERE THE LAW LEGALIZES CRIME-- CIVILIZATION DISAPPEARS!
Ric Polansky ©
It’s the same old story. Each day. In all the tabloids. Always written about a place that most people consider to be the most civilized country on the face of this earth…but….
A well known criminal with more than 25 previous convictions gets interrupted whilst breaking into another routine house robbery. A struggle ensues and by accident the thief is immobilized, and, in fact injured in the scuffle. Police arrest him. He laughs in their faces knowing he will be out on bail within hours—even though slightly limping.
As the larcenists returns home he is met with an uproar of resentment. His pre-teen son, also having been booked with more than twenty similar offenses, but as a minor cannot be prosecuted, feels unjustly served as he must forego his new pair of Nike shoes because of his father incapacity to work. His sister, although just a teen is pregnant but knows not the father from the gang she sleeps with. The poor mother has a drug habit and without the help of the robberies cannot continue to feed her habit nor look after her darlings.
No fools our wretched upstarts for the clever mother has fortunately obtained legal aid and unfortunately for the people whose house was broken into, they must come up with their own money to defend themselves from the state sponsored criminals.
Sound unfamiliar? Can you possibly name such a savage place where such an incredible unlikely scenario could possibly take place? It’s citizens have fewer rights than criminals.
The loss of all hope—the unmasking of civilization.
Yet, in the far distance I hear a faint cry, the approaching thunder of hooves churning up a whirl-wind of justice, riding from the remote west into the bug-eyed grimacing faces of the common criminal is none other than Sheriff Joe Arpaio, champion of the innocent citizen, who he deems has rights also.
None dare wander into his jurisdiction, nor spit into the wind, nor even consider pulling the mask on the old lone ranger cuz you don’t mess around with him.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio, his popularity so immense that he is a legend not only in the United States, but south of the border too. Even Spanish speaking web browsers herald him on their internet sites. Sheriff Joe is the head of the 4th largest municipality in the United States, Phoenix, Arizona. After 42 years of law enforcement experience, Arpaio’s strength is in his ability to know what the public wants. As Sheriff “I serve the public. The public is my boss” and he means it. Voted back into office with a resounding 85% popularity no one ran against him for his next term.
Crime there might be, but not at the public’s expense. What does he do so differently that has made him the talk of law enforcement agencies around the world. Well for one thing he makes the criminal pay for his crimes. He has even gone so far as to create “chain gangs which work six days a week contributing thousands of dollars of free labor to the community. Then so as to not avoid being labeled as a discriminator he formed the world's first ever female chain gang to clean streets, paint over graffiti, and bury the indigent in the county cemetery.
Equally impressive are the Sheriff's get tough policies. Arpaio doesn't believe in coddling criminals, frequently saying that jails should not be country clubs. He banned smoking, coffee, pornographic magazines, movies and unrestricted television in all jails”. He also makes prisoners pay for their meals by additional work.
Tough yes, but not criminally so. His “Hard Knocks High” is the only accredited high school behind bars in the states. Hundreds of confused youth have started anew by graduating with degrees and the rate of return to incarceration is almost nil. He gives young offenders a chance to learn, grown up a little and think a lot of their wrong doings. Another program is called ALPHA and is designed to wean drug offenders from their habits. The community interacts too with a buddy system of counseling.
It was an easy start. He simply announced what he would do to crime, fathers that didn’t pay alimony, drug dealers and then did it. Not enough jail cells, Sheriff Joe built a tent city and made all inmates, male and female wear pink underwear as a reminder they were there for a reason. Oh, and Wednesday is green bologna day too.
He calls himself “the toughest sheriff in America” and is not afraid to serve instant notice upon offenders. You do the time, and pay for the crime. You don’t want to work, “then sleep it off in a lockdown with three other inmates in an 8 by 12 foot cell for 23 hours.
All prisoners wear striped black and white jail outfits as a constant reminder of their wrong doing to the community. Two meals a day and if you need medical treatment, somebody better pay for you. Get caught for a crime, drunk and disorderly, you get posted on the internet in full photogenic color with a detail description of your deeds. Ah, even if it is for a watercraft violation in one of the many lakes in the county!
His book is a bestseller on Amazon: HOW WE CAN WIN THE WAR AGAINST CRIME. This book takes a hard look at the criminal justice system in America and makes honest and realistic assessments. It offers proven solutions to the problems faced by law enforcement agencies nationwide. It is well known that people of the liberal persuasion dislike Sherrif Joe.
But the people of his constituency say it best on his home page:
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, in partnership with our citizens and contract cities, will enforce state laws, deter criminal activity, protect life and property, maintain order, and operate a safe, constitutional jail system.
Bad guys, now you can have the nightmares!
