Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

May 13, 2010

White Racists Take Over Arizona Lawmaking

Photo: Gov. Jan Brewer after signing SB 1070.
With UN Statement, Backlash to Arizona Goes International
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a statement Monday in Geneva calling out Arizona for a "disturbing pattern of legislative activity hostile to ethnic minorities and immigrants." Read more ...
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2010/05/with-un-statement-backlash-against.html
Arizona Republicans Ban Ethnic Studies in Arizona Schools:
http://hispanic.cc/arizona_republicans_take_another_whack_at_arizona_hispanics.htm
From Roberto Rodriguez:
Fifteen of us got arrested yesterday so that the children will learn their history and culture, both at home and in the classroom. The battle is not yet over and I do firmly believe we will triumph. You would have been proud of the hundreds
of middle and high school students, wave after wave that laid siege to first the TUSD headquarters -- to keep Tom Horne out -- and then the state bldg. Our first court date is june 7.
Thanks, Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez
DEMOCRACY NOW! 15 Arrested in Tucson Protesting Arizona Law Banning Ethnic Studies
In other news from Arizona, fifteen people, including several students, were arrested at the state offices of education in Tucson Wednesday. The group was protesting Arizona Governor Brewer’s decision to sign a law banning the teaching of ethnic studies in public schools. Meanwhile, Judy Burns, president of the Tucson Unified School District’s governing board, says she will not comply with the law. This is Isabel Garcia, co-chair of the Tuscon-based Coalition for Human Rights and legal defender of Pima County, Arizona.

Isabel Garcia: “These students here are here because they’ve got to fight. They can’t legalized discrimination. They cannot legalize racism. They cannot legalize the elimination of knowledge and classes that they feel are important to them. And they’re very clear about what’s going on in the state of Arizona. So they’re clearly fighting this entire police state and toxic racist environment that we’re subjecting them to as the state of Arizona. So these students are really clear. They’re not going to go back.” (Video: Courtesy of Pan Left Productions)


How Senators Voted on SB 1070:
Here is how senators voted on the final version of Arizona Senate Bill 1070, created by Sen. Russell Pearce, Republican senator from Mesa, Arizona.
Why did it pass? Check out the votes. Navajo Senator Albert Hale did not vote. White supremacists rely on non-voting legislators and 'no shows' to get bills like this passed.
Northern Arizona senators voted for the racist legislation. Northern Arizona is home to Navajo, Hopi, Havasupai, Hualapai, Paiute, Apache, Yavapai and other Native Americans. From northern Arizona, Senators Sylvia Allen, Jack Harper, Steve Pierce and Ron Gould voted 'Yes' to the racist law.
Y = Yes/N = No/NV = Not Voting/EXC = Excused/V = Vacant Member
SENATORS VOTES:
Paula Aboud N
Amanda Aguirre NV
Carolyn S. Allen N
Sylvia Allen Yes
Manuel V. "Manny" Alvarez N
Frank Antenori Yes
David Braswell Yes
Ed Bunch Yes
Meg Burton Cahill N
Ken Cheuvront N
Jorge Luis Garcia N
Ron Gould Yes
Chuck Gray Yes
Linda Gray Yes
Albert Hale NV
Jack W. Harper Yes
John Huppenthal Yes
Leah Landrum Taylor N
Barbara Leff Yes
Linda Lopez N
Debbie McCune Davis N
Al Melvin Yes
Richard Miranda N
John Nelson Yes
Russell Pearce Yes
Steve Pierce Yes
Rebecca Rios N
Jay Tibshraeny Yes
Thayer Verschoor Yes
Robert "Bob" Burns Yes
AYES: 17 NAYS: 11 NOT VOTING: 2 EXCUSED: 0 VACANT: 0
E-mail addresses of Senators:
http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=S

BILL SPONSORS SB1070: PEARCE R P; GRAY C P; GRAY L P; ANTENORI P; BARNES P; GOWAN P; HENDRIX P; KAVANAGH P; SEEL P; ALLEN S C ; BURNS C; GORMAN C; HARPER C; HUPPENTHAL C; LEFF C; MELVIN C; NELSON C; PIERCE S C; TIBSHRAENY C VERSCHOOR C; WARING C; ASH C; BIGGS C ;BURGES C; COURT C; CRUMP C; LESKO C; MASON C; MCLAIN C; MONTENEGRO C; MURPHY C; NICHOLS C; REAGAN C; STEVENS C; WEIERS J C; WEIERS JP C and YARBROUGH C
ARIZONA IMPRISONS PEOPLE OF COLOR FOR PROFIT
The new law will mean more profits for private prison contractors. Arizona State Legislators are in collusion with the private prison profiteers GEO (formerly Wackenhut) and CCA. These corporations are already profiteering from imprisoning people of color in Arizona private prisons. For white supremacist legislators, imprisoning people of color means jobs for Arizona. CCA (Corrections Corporation of America) is Pinal County's largest non-governmental employer.

Also see:
Tom Horne, the racist behind the anti-ethnic studies law:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/man_behind_arizonas_no_ethnic_studies_law.php?ref=mp

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