Rep. Grijalva (D,AZ) Offices Closed by Death Threats Over Immigration Bill

(10 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

From The Hill this afternoon:

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-…

Congressman Raul Grijalva, (AZ- 07) the co chair of the Democratic progressive caucus, is closing his Tuscon and Yuma offices because of death threats being made to staffers on the eve of SB1070 possibly being signed by Arizona’s Republican Governor Jan Drinkwine Brewer. Yes, that is her real name, Drinkwine Brewer, and   she just signed the anti- undocumented worker, latino and hispanic profiling, race baiting bill into law this afternoon.

One man called the congressman’s Tucson office twice and said he would “blow everyone’s brains out,” spokesman Adam Sarvana told The Hill.

Opponents of the bill, who include Grijalva, say that the bill is discriminatory.

Thousands of people concerned that the bill violates the U.S. Constitution have gathered outside the state capitol of Phoenix in protest since the bill cleared the legislature on Monday.  The bill makes it a crime to be in this country illegally, and it requires any Arizona police officers to question people about the status of their citizenship and immigration status if there is any reason to suspect that they are undocumented workers, also known as “illegal aliens.”  They must be able to show proof of citizenship upon request, merely based upon suspicion.   The bill also makes it illegal to hire undocumented immigrants for day labor, to transport them, and allows lawsuits against government agencies that Arizona feels are hindering enforcement of immigration laws.

The bill was sponsored by AZ State Republican Senator Russell Pearce of Mesa, of district 18.  Pearce is a former Deputy Sheriff of Arizona.  Pearce is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, according to wikipedia and other sources, a religious organization known for targeting LGBT people in the neighboring state of California with discriminatory state ballot measures against basic civil rights, such as marriage.  According to Senator Pearce’s facebook page,

http://www.facebook.com/group….

“I will not back off until we solve the problem of this illegal invasion,”

“Invaders, that’s what they are. Invaders on the American sovereignty and it can’t be tolerated.”  

Here is a 4/15/2010 Youtube video of Sen. Russell Pearce on the way to receive the “Legislator of the Year” award at Tiempe Diablo Stadium, from Americans For Prosperity,  and getting picketed outside by Libertarian groups against the bill who are against a National ID. It also has him on the stage.  (the award is a stuffed taxidermy “jackalope” )   I’ve written before about David Koch the oil baron and his astroturfing teaparty front group Americans For Prosperity,

https://www.docudharma.com/diar…  and how his brother Charles Koch works with New York Real Estate Developer Howard Rich, an ultra wealthy political operative in many states and big time supporter (he blogs it himself) of Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.   I mentioned their latest supporter, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Ginni Thomas, who just started a Tea Party lobbying group “Liberty Central”  in March here:  https://www.docudharma.com/diar…

See the common Koch roots of Freedomworks and Americans for Prosperity here.

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titled “Welcome to Arizona, Home of Papers Please!”    While this is not the most cleanly edited video, I am happy that at least somebody in Arizona had enough cajones to picket these Tea Party bigots.

The Mohave County Tea Party, which has supporters listed on Pearce’s facebook page (one recently left a picture of a Gasden flag type snake on an Arizona red and yellow flag, and a Boston Tea Party lithograph on the page, with links) claims that the only purpose of government is military protection, everything else should be eliminated. All social safety services would be eliminated in favor of charity.

From an Arizona Central story on the Tea Party event that Pearce got his award from:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/…

(Patrick) Beck of the Mohave County Tea Party said that if he had his way, he’d immediately eliminate Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. It’s impossible to seriously discuss reforming federal spending without tackling those programs’ costs, he said.

“We’ve got to exit responsibly,” Beck said. “The same concept here.”

Republican Governor Brewer, who was the Secretary of State of Arizona who replaced ex governor Janet Napolitano when she took the cabinet position of head of Homeland Security, claimed the new law would:

“It protects all of us, every Arizona citizen and everyone here in our state lawfully and it does so while ensuring that the constitutional rights of all in Arizona remain solid,” she said.

Our Dear Democratic Leader,  meanwhile, managed to come up with a mildly milquetoast statement of wishing that this blatant, unconstitutional racial profiling was not happening during his watch:

“And that includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threatened to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe,” he said.

“If we continue to fail to act at a federal level, we will continue to see misguided efforts opening up around the country,” Obama said earlier on Friday at a ceremony swearing in new U.S. citizens.

“We’ll continue to see misguided efforts opening up around the country ? !”  Doesn’t that just inspire a lot of confidence you won’t be hunted down by private vigilante groups, based on your physical appearance, name, and speech accent,  if you are an American or a resident going about your daily business, in the year 2010 in the United States of America ?  

“Ihre Papiere, Bitte.”

Not. The. Change. We. Voted. For.