Thread: AZ-Immigration billboard infuriates sheriff and El Salvador

Immigration billboard infuriates sheriff and El Salvador consul
Posted: Sep 23, 2010 8:44 PM CDT
Updated: Sep 24, 2010 6:33 PM CDT
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Billboard on Oracle has several upset, including El Salvador's Govt.


ORACLE, Ariz. (KGUN9-TV) – El Salvador's Consul General for Arizona said Friday that he will ask for an official investigation of a controversial billboard in Oracle. However, it's unlikely that investigation, if it even occurs, would get very far.

The small billboard that sparked the big flap features a simple quote, a simple image and a simple message. But it's a message that's arguably deceptive. The sign has added another strange twist to Arizona's already inflamed immigration debate.

The billboard is located in Oracle on private property along American avenue. On the left is a picture of an Hispanic family of four. On the right is a quote from Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, who is an outspoken advocate for Arizona's immigration crackdown. The quote reads, "This is our most serious public safety issue and national security threat to America."

In context, it appears that Babeu is referring directly to the harmless-looking family, labeling them as a criminal or even terrorist threat.

But the quote is presented out of context. Babeu originally gave the quote earlier this summer in a statement reacting to a federal judge's temporary injunction against SB 1070. That ruling barred immediate enforcement of the most important provisions of the state's controversial crackdown on illegal immigration.

Babeu is furious. On Thursday his office issued a press release blasting the owners of the billboard. The press release quotes the sheriff as saying, "I find this billboard offensive and misleading. This message is not truthful and takes away from the great work our law enforcement members do on a daily basis to protect our Pinal County families."

The sheriff used the incident as a springboard to continue the attacks he has been making on the Obama administration. The press release states, "This billboard represents the same misleading and misguided message that President Obama made when he gave the example of how law enforcement would target a father walking down the street eating ice cream with his daughter if SB1070 passed."

Sheriff Babeu continued those remarks in an interview with KGUN9's Steve Nuñez Thursday afternoon, pointing out that he does not know the family depicted in the billboard and that his calls for immigration reform and better border security are not directed at any one person, family or group of people.

Nuñez asked the sheriff whether it would be fair to say that families such as the one depicted on the billboard could get deported if his efforts to crack down on illegal immigration succeed.

In response, Babeu pointed out that the reforms he's backed prohibit racial profiling. "SB1070, in fact, is far more stringent than existing law at the federal government and actually prohibits any law enforcement officer from having contact with somebody regarding this law based on race color or national origin."

Still, the sheriff wants the billboard taken down. But he has no obvious way of making that happen on his own. The sign sits on private property. And so far, the owners aren't budging.

Owners Frank Pierson and Mary Ellen Kazda defend their sign as "message art" even though the sign clearly sends a political statement against SB 1070. In an interview with Nuñez, Kazda denied that its message accuses anyone of racism. Instead, she proclaims the message is designed to be "provocative in a friendly way and not in a hurtful way."

Kazda also says the sign is an exercise in democracy. By that measure, it's working. It has plenty of people, including local residents, talking.

But even residents are divided on whether it should stay up or go down. Bill Hemden said, "I think it's a slanted side of the issue personally. I don't think that's a serious threat."

Kathy Valenzuela said, "Oracle is an art community and obviously he felt so strongly about it he wanted to expose this."

Babeu told Nuñez that he felt the sign violates campaign ad laws because it fails to identify a political action committee. Nuñez checked on that point with an elections expert, attorney William Risner. He disagreed with the sheriff that the sign is illegal, but did agree that it could be misleading and implies Babeu is racist. "That would be the reasonable intention of whoever put up that sign," Risner said.

Kazda told Nuñez that the flap has taken her by surprise. She said the board has been up for four weeks, and got attention on Thursday only because Sheriff Babeu sent out press releases.

Gotten attention it has. Enrique Melendez, El Salvador's honorary consul for Arizona, is outraged. He points out that the family depicted in the sign is wearing the emblems of El Salvador, and one is wearing a shirt bearing a picture of El Salvador's president.

"It's an insult to our nation," Melendez told KGUN9 News. Melendez insists that El Salvador respects American sovereignty and immigration law, and does not send illegal immigrants to the U.S.

Melendez told KGUN9 News he hopes to convince the owners to take the sign down. But added that while El Salvador's foreign minister is aware of the situation, it's too early to be talking about filing an official protest with the U.S. State Department.

El Salvador's Consul General for Arizona, José JoaquÃ*n Chacón, echoed Melendez' words Friday afternoon. He told KGUN9 News that the sign is offensive. Chacón said he will send a letter to Sheriff Babeu protesting the sign and asking for an investigation.

As for the owners, they tell KGUN9 News they are open to dialogue. But in the meantime, the sign stays up.


http://www.kgun9.com/Global/story.asp?S=13209375

Someone should take a picture of this couple with the billboard sign, make a billboard and post it on private property with the "art message", "it's people like this who have destroyed our country."

That sign is nothing more than a catalyst to spread more hate and paranoia. It's just there to stir people up.

Arizona Sheriff Agrees to Meet With Billboard Owner Over 'Offensive' Image

Published September 26, 2010


A billboard of an El Salvadoran family next to a quote by Paul Babeu has infuriated the Pinal County, Ariz., sheriff, who says it slanders him.

Pinal County, Ariz., Sheriff Paul Babeu said Sunday he'd be willing to meet with the owner of a billboard who displayed an image of an Hispanic family with a quote by Babeu that the sheriff says portrays him as racially motivated.

"I'm the sheriff for everybody. I'm happy to meet with you or anybody else," Babeu told billboard owner Frank Pierson. "The best way to do that is call me. Don't put up an offensive billboard like this that slanders me and slanders" law enforcement.

Pierson posted the billboard of the family of four next to a quote of Babeu saying, "This is our most serious public safety issue and a national security threat to America."

Pierson said he displayed the image because he wants citizens to "step up" and tell Congress to enforce immigration laws.

"The truth is that we have been betrayed by our Congress that have let this kind of thing go on and forced people like me and Sheriff Babeu, who basically agree on almost everything, to look like we are kind of adversaries," Pierson told Fox News.

Pierson, who described the photo as a "beautiful, holy image of a wonderful and radiant family," added that he also posted the billboard because he wanted to show that millions of illegal immigrants are not in the U.S. to do harm.

"Most immigrant families are in the country to make a better life and to maybe raise a family, certainly contribute to the community," Pierson said, adding that he hopes the dialogue would change so as to "balance the clear need to get the bad guys and get them out of our society but also to pay attention to the human dignity of individuals and families who have come here seeking a better life as many of our forebearers did."

But Babeu said the effort to depict him as racist not only is inaccurate, the photo is of an El Salvadoran family that is in the country legally.

"I find it to be highly inappropriate and blatantly false to put my quote there with a picture of a very innocent, obviously Hispanic family," Babeu said. "I would respectfully ask Mr. Pierson to respect these innocent people who this is their image whether you got their approval or not -- we know you did not -- to take the statement down."

The issue of national security has been a recurring theme in the debate over Arizona's porous border. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has been criticized for overstating the statistics on drugs and violence pouring in from Mexico.

But Babeu said that border patrol officers have apprehended hundreds of people from countries that are listed as state sponsors of terrorism. He added that by casting a racial pall over the border security issue is to do a disservice to national security and law enforcement.

"I'm trying to stand up for the rules of law and it is a constant battle with the opposition trying to portray me and any law enforcement that tries to secure the border -- even the president made this a racial issue and it is not. This isn't about race. We profile criminal behavior and criminal conduct," Babeu said.


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09 ... ics+-+Text)

Artists of Controversial Billboard Want Apology
Sheriff Babeu posts artists' phone # on Facebook
Updated: Monday, 27 Sep 2010, 7:14 PM MDT
Published : Monday, 27 Sep 2010, 7:13 PM MDT

ORACLE, Ariz. - Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu is sounding off on a billboard in Oracle that's critical of the sheriff's tough stance on illegal immigration.

The sign features a Hispanic family, suggesting they are a serious security threat.

It got the sheriff so fired up, he's going after the artists behind the billboard, posting their home phone number on his Facebook page.

But one of the artists behind the controversial sign says Sheriff Babeu crossed the line by posting his number. We talked to Frank Pierson by phone.

"Unprofessional and what I would expect is an apology... I would expect an apology when we meet as he agreed to do," says Pierson.

The billboard is of a Salvadoran family, living legally in the U.S. Next to the picture is an actual quote from Sheriff Babeu, talking about the security threat posed by illegal immigration.

The sheriff says his words were taken out of context. "They've used comments of mine that clearly were not targeted for an innocent family."

The artists who made the billboard say they've received harassing phone calls because of their message, and they're worried things might escalate.

The sign has been taken down, but a new billboard up in its place still focuses on the touchy topic of immigration.

www.myfoxphoenix.com

Controversial Oracle billboard comes down, new message goes up
Posted: Sep 27, 2010 8:40 PM CDT Updated: Sep 28, 2010 12:28 AM CDT

Reporter: Steve Nuñez

ORACLE, Ariz. (KGUN9-TV) - That controversial billboard in Oracle has come down. Just two days after the owners told Nine On Your Side it would stay up. So why the about-face? Frank Pierson says he replaced his so-called "message art" because Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu agreed to meet with him and discuss immigration reform.

"We feel that it served its purpose," said Pierson. "We got a conversation going."

The old sign displayed the image of an El Salvadoran family next to a quote from Sheriff Babeu implying the family is a "threat to national security." Sheriff Babeu said the implied connection painted him as a "racist."

Sheriff Babeu, outraged by the billboard, called for Pierson to take it down even though it sits on private property and is considered an exercise in "freedom of speech."

Today, Pierson replaced the sign with a new one that reads: "Nation of Immigrants."

Pierson says political figures, and not his billboard, are the one's misleading people.

"They've been trafficking in false information about illegal's and tarring with a broad brush families who should not be denigrated under any circumstances what so ever because they're here to feed their families," said Pierson. "And we ought to respect that because we would do the same ourselves that's the nature of who we are."

Sheriff Babeu says he's happy Pierson took down his controversial sign. On the flip side, Babeu says he wants the same as Pierson: to create dialogue that calls for solutions.

However, Babeu says securing the border should come first then compromise.

"When all the rhetoric ad heated anger calms down... address that wholly.

But if the old sign stirred controversy, the new sign is also stirring new debate. This time the message is designed to get people thinking about if the word "immigrants" also includes "illegal's."

"I think it should be taken down," said Fred Ashton. "Arizona is full of illegal immigrants."

Victoria Toothman said, "I would say it's just as if it's a nation of immigrants. Mostly, we all came from somewhere else."

The country of El Salvador also called on Pierson to take down the billboard. Last week, General Consul Jose Joaquin Chacon called the sign "offensive" because it implied his country promotes its people to cross illegally into the United States.

Pierson adamantly vowed he would not take down his sign unless the family depicted in the photo would come forward and ask him to do so.

9OYS now knows how Pierson got ahold of that picture. A photographer for Shutterstock Images snapped the photo of the Navidad family attending a rally calling for immigration reform in Washington, D.C., on May 1, 2009.

Right now, 9OYS is trying to confirm if Pierson got permission to use the copyrighted photo.

Both Pierson and Sheriff Babeu plan to clear their calendars and set a date on when they can meet.

http://www.kgun9.com/global/story.asp?s=13227003

Pierson, who described the photo as a "beautiful, holy image of a wonderful and radiant family," added that he also posted the billboard because he wanted to show that millions of illegal immigrants are not in the U.S. to do harm.

"Most immigrant families are in the country to make a better life and to maybe raise a family, certainly contribute to the community

Illegal Aliens are not immigrants. Immigrants came into this country legally and dont break our laws. Illegal Aliens broke our laws by sneaking into this country breaking the law. The only way an illegal can support themselves here is to continue breaking the law by stealing identitys and jobs.