Former Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been making headlines almost from the day he was first sworn into office.
He first attracted national notice shortly after he was elected in 1992. He set up a "tent city" jail outside in the blistering Arizona heat. He brought back chain gangs, served only two meals a day and put inmates in pink underwear.
That won him favor with "tough on crime" groups-and the citizens of Maricopa County who re-elected him four times-but harsh criticism from those who deemed the conditions inhumane.
For many, he became a model of what law enforcement should be. But his tenure was plagued by scandal. It was alleged he failed to investigate serious crimes, including sexual assaults, that he targeted political opponents for investigations, that he violated election laws and mishandled office funds.
His hardline stance on illegal immigration won him more fans and more critics. He was accused of racial profiling, which resulted in a federal court action to stop the practice. In July, Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt of court for allegedly ignoring the court's order.
And just a few days ago, President Donald Trump pardoned Arpaio-a decision that has been almost universally criticized. The White House explained the pardon by saying Arpaio was an "American patriot" who "kept Arizona safe" and spent decades "protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration."
Critics say the pardon shows a disregard for the law and the legal system, as well as the rights of Americans unfairly targeted by racial profiling.
We want to know what you think. Was President Trump right to pardon Joe Arpaio? Or was it the wrong thing to do?
Send your response (50 words maximum) to [email protected] by Wednesday, Sept. 6. You can also mail your response to the Texarkana Gazette Friday Poll, P.O. Box 621, Texarkana, TX 75504, or drop it off at our office, 101 E. Broad St., Texarkana, Ark. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. We will print as many responses as we can in next Friday's paper.
Last Week: Laying Blame??
Last week's question was about Arkansas legislation that requires public schools to display a poster or framed copy of the motto "In God We Trust" centered above a U.S. flag. Should "In God We Trust" be displayed in schools and public buildings? Or is the new law a way to get around the separation of church and state?
Publicly and officially acknowledging trust in God was common amongst the Founding Fathers, before and after framing the Constitution. Liberals opposing this display, by saying, "unconstitutional, or "Separation of Church and State," are perverting its intent, the same as they are God's word. The benefit of displaying this "motto" depends on whether it reflects the nation's beliefs. -D.H.M., Texarkana, Ark.
No-America is a democracy not a theocracy. There are homes, churches, church schools, religious universities to take care of those that believe in a God. And there are those who cannot rationalize the garden of Eden tale, or a virgin birth, or a God in heaven. They do not need that to be moral, honest or trustworthy. -J.B., Texarkana, Ark.
From www.facebook.com/texarkanagazette
- Well, I reckon it might be nice to do if it were true.
- Great idea. And separation of church and state has only ever been used against God.
- Absolutely! It should have never been messed with in the first place!
- I've got an idea let's put up monuments with that inscription and later we can pay to have them taken down.