Montini's Columns & Blog
'Ancora imparo'

Revenge of the Sheriff Joe piñata

A organization called the PUEBLO Center for Legal and Human Rights on Cinco de Mayo sold tickets to those interested in taking a whack at a couple of piñatas featuring the face of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Naturally, the slamfest made it on TV, and was a big topic on local talk radio.

And as much fun as it may have been for participants, swinging a stick at the mock-up of the sheriff only feeds into the fears and paranoia that a lot of average people already have about immigrants (legal and otherwise). Or, as the Phoenix man who wrote to me on Tuesday said, "This sort of thing is provocative, stupid and teaches children the wrong lesson. It makes those of us in the middle ground on illegal immigration want to take a giant step to the right."

It is those people in the middle who ultimately will decide what happens with immigration. With borders. With the illegal immigrants already here. With the children of such people. With everything.

The PUEBLO fund-raising event might have been enjoyable for some and a way for others to blow off steam. But in their enthusiasm and their zeal, they forgot one important fact.

In real life, the people swinging the sticks ARE the piñatas.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 03:20 PM
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Topics: AZTALK, REPUBLIC COLUMNISTS, NEWS, AZ POLITICS

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