The Kendall County Republican Central Committee invited one of the most divisive people in America to be the keynote speaker at their annual family picnic. I guess the six or seven Republican presidential hopefuls are skipping Kendall County, and Sarah Palin was not available, so they turned to the other media hound, Joe Arpaio.
What is scary is that Joe Arpaio, who put Arizona taxpayers on the hook for his illegal racial profiling, and is also being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, drew several hundred Republicans to a fundraiser.
I read this Beacon News article and decided Sunday afternoon was an appropriate time to pen my response. On this Sunday, I am certain that many Republicans who pledge to the Christian faith were in church pews, but where were they on Saturday when Joe Arpaio was in town? Were they at the protest outside or did they venture inside the GOP fundraiser?
Being raised on the mission field in West Africa I learned a Sunday School song that has this verse, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight.”
Every child who attends Sunday School probably knows this song and many of us adults could hum along.
I guess I am scratching my head because I don’t understand how the Republicans who sing, “Red and yellow, black and white,” on Sunday can go to a fundraiser on Saturday that features a keynote speaker who openly pushes a message of hate, intolerance and division. Furthermore, this is a lawman who is being investigated for breaking the law; specifically, racial profiling the citizens of Maricopa County, Arizona. Maybe some Sunday School teacher needs to re-write the song to include brown people and that would fix everything.
Maybe there is a God who recognizes borders and a God who does not recognize borders. Growing up I guess I was exposed to the God who does not recognize borders, and many of the good Christians in Kendall County worship a God that recognizes borders.
And I have not heard a peep from the other wing of the Republican Party, the business community that exploits undocumented workers for cheap labor here in the United States.
I guess both wings of the Republican Party that attend the “family” picnic now embrace racial profiling; and at a minimum, it is fair to say that the Republicans are no longer the party of Abraham Lincoln, they are the party of the racial profilers.
So who in Kendall County is standing up for equality and justice?
Corey Johnson, with Laborers Local 149, has been one of the strongest local voices of reason on the topic and was recently quoted in the Oswego Patch. Here is a snip of what Johnson told the Patch.
Johnson said the Republican committee has made a mistake in inviting Arpaio to talk during the picnic. The local laborers union boasts several Hispanic members. He said these members have asked Johnson and the union leadership to speak out against the choice of speaker whom these members say has long discriminated against Hispanic residents in Arizona.
“These members are the same ones who go to our churches. They are the same ones whose kids go to our schools. They are the same ones who pay taxes in our community,” Johnson said. “Yet the local Republicans bring in a guy who is truly offensive to them.
As a former resident of Kendall County, I often miss the country and rolling corn fields. However, the Arpaio event made me realize how much I appreciate living in my diverse neighborhood on the East side of Aurora.
Tags: Corey Johnson, Illinois, immigration, Kendall County, racial profiling, Republicans, Sheriff Joe Arpaio
John Laesch, you are a hypocrite!!! You personally tried to kick 5 Hispanics off the ballot in Kane County!! You embrace Latinos, but just make sure there aren’t too many of them getting involved in politics. (If anyone has any questions, please call Kane County Clerks office for information) You claim to be a big Union guy, but 3 of those 5 were Union officials!!! Smart move, John. Are you sure Joe Arpaio isn’t your political advisor?
Danish Prince, the GOP is the one who invited Sheriff Joe Arpaio to this event. You did not even bother to address that issue. I have come to expect the usualy deflection and turn-around of blame these days instead of answering the original charge.
Joe Arpaio is, at best, a controversial person to invite to any political function. His actions speak louder than any protests could convey. Many in my family as Hispanics, and their family tree goes back to long before the Mayflower first touched ground here. Some of them live in Arizona and have been subjected to the anti-Hispanic scrutiny which is only exacerbated by the likes of Joe Arpaio.
Did you know that in WWII so-called illegal immigrants were welcomed here to work in the fields so non-Hispanics could go off to war? Then, after the need was over, they were rounded up and sent back home to Mexico or which ever nation they came from. Bad news was, many Hispanics born here, with family trees longer and older than many others, were also sent there. No distinction was made between those who were U.S. citizens, and those who were not.
This is the kind of atmosphere Hispanics are subjected to in Joe Arpaio’s domain. It bet is some sheriff here decided that you were not legally here, even if you have a family tree gong back many generations, you would feel pretty afraid just to walk down the street.
It is true that because Arizona in on the border with Mexico, many Mexicans and possibly others cross the border. The idea is to use law enforcement to use sensible tactics, not harrassment, to find them and make sure justice is done. In my view Joe Arpaio judges guilty until proven innocent tactics that are un-American at best, illegal at worst. Inviting him to that outing islike tossing gasoline on a raging fire. Yes, it looks good for the people who dislike or even openly hate people of a different culture, but it is simply bad politics for the nation.