Video: Sheriff Arpaio traumatizing children in Arizona

The Board: Traumatizing Children, to Keep Us 'Safe'
Watch video:
http://theboard.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/traumatizing-children-to-keep-us-safe/?emc=eta1n-to-keep-us-safe/?emc=eta1
JANUARY 14, 2009, 1:03 PM
Traumatizing Children, to Keep Us 'Safe'
By New York Times Editorial Board
Life in the United States in the age of state and local immigration enforcement run amok:
Here is a video from a recent immigrant-suppression sweep by Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Maricopa County, Ariz. It's painful to watch – two of the victims are young children who have been forcibly separated from their mother, who was turned over to federal immigration authorities.
Immigrant advocates say the sheriff is terrorizing Latino communities with raids like these, and using police-state tactics to stifle criticism. The man on the video who tries to shut the camera down is a member of Sheriff Arpaio's "posse."
More links and comments can be seen at the blog of Stephen Lemons, a Phoenix New Times reporter who has been trying to get the word out about Sheriff Arpaio.
Salvador Reza, a community organizer who shot the video, wrote to us:
"I appreciate if you forward it to people that you may think might get a better picture of the 'hell' we are living here in Arizona. It is getting worse instead of better."
http://www.tonatierra.org/
http://www.puenteaz.org/
NY Times: Video of Police State tactics in Maricopa
Photo: Arpaio protest in Tucson by Brenda Norrell

Special thanks to Juan Reza, for this poem written in response:

COSTLY TOY
by Juan Reza
Little girl, little boy, here’s a toy for you to stop crying while I take your Mama from your side. Can’t you see your crying bothers me? At age two, three, six or seven, you don’t know why I do it? Don’t you understand, she is illegal, dangerous criminal for sure? Don’t cry while I take your mother from you, though it’s sure you won’t be seeing her, who knows for how long - one day, four, six,… months even perhaps.
Don’t ask me profound questions, they bother me. Why I do it, you can’t understand. Now shut up and stop your crying. How dare you? I don’t even analyze them in depth. What can you know about mercenaries – sheriffs, border patrol officers, soldiers, ICE and “intelligence” agents, police, congresspersons, governors, State Department personnel, Visual Media people, authors, ideologues with and without religious titles – associated with and sold-out to interests of the financial elite? “Defenders of the nation, Democracy and liberty, protectors against terrorism and of our Rule and Law” are names by which we call our comforts. It’s my lot to do this ugly part, to cage and separate your mother from you. I have to obey, it’s the correct thing to do”.
We took your mom, but I can’t give you further reasons, just accept, they fit in well “within the current law.” It would cost me far too much right now, time, thinking, unsettling of my conscience, and seeing clearly what I’ve become: a deranged, abnormal being, demon perhaps to some. I must comply, my work requires it. Bills I have to pay. At your tender age of innocence, inseparable from the Divine, I cannot explain to you the logic of taking what’s most sacred and important in your life. Damn…I just don’t want to face it, that which I’ve become: a separator of children from their mothers and their fathers, mercenary, a traitor to myself, humanity, and even worse, to God.
“I’m only doing my job,” “I‘ve got to earn that money,” “I only follow orders,” “I deserve to be and I am happy,” are our preferred refrains – like excuses, ineffective balms and affirmations before something as powerful as the truth. They are like the smoke we blow from our dying embers that remain of the divine fire that we neglected to take good care of so as not to see ourselves with clarity before the mirrors of Divine Mother and Creator of the Truth. I sure hope that they will serve us at the hour of talking truthfully before the Divine Just Judge, who discovers everything that’s false.
In exchange for your mommy, here, now, take this toy. Study well what it has cost me! You’ll see, it’s very, but very costly, more than even my humanity. How long will I be paying for it? No, in that I don’t even dare to think.
Enough! Quit crying while I destroy, pardon, while I “deport” your mother. I don’t know how you’re going to make it, child. That part is not mine to do. Again, here I affirm, “I’m only doing my job, “I have to obey to earn money,” and “I’m happy, I’m happy, I’m happppppyyyyyyyyyyyyy - Damn! My robotic programming mechanism got jammed, I need someone to hit my head …… ppppppyyyyyyyyyyyyyy_______ ________ ___________________
By Juan N. Reza
For the humanity that remains and that is to come, especially for the children.

JUGUETE CARO
Juan N. Reza
Niña, niño, aqui te va este juguete a cambio de que dejes de llorar, mientras me llevo a tu mamá. ¿No ves que tu llanto me perturba? A tu edad de dos, tres, seis o siete años, ¿Qué no sabes porqué lo hago? ¿No entiendes que ella es ilegal? No llores mientras me llevo a tu madre aunque ya no podrás verla quien sabe hasta cuando, un dia, cuatro, seis, … meses quizás.
No me hagas preguntas molestas tan profundas sobre porqué lo hago, no lo podrás tu entender. Solamente quiero que te calles y dejes de llorar. ¿Cómo te atreves? Ni yo mismo las analizo profundamente. ¿Qué puedes saber de mercenari@s - alguaciles, patrulla fronteriza, soldad@s, agentes de “inteligencia,” y de ICE, policías, congresistas, gobernador/a, agentes del departamento de estado u oficial, cineastas y autores, ideólog@s con y sin título de religios@s - asociad@s y vendid@s a los intereses de la élite financiera? “Defensores de la patria, Democracia y libertad, protegemos contra el terrorismo” así le llamamos a nuestra propia comodidad. A mi me toca esta fea parte, enjaular a y apartarte de tu madre. Tengo que obedecer, pues eso es lo correcto.
Nos llevamos a tu mamá, pero no te puedo dar más razones, solo acepta, bien quedan “dentro de la ley.” Me costaría demasiado ahorita, tiempo, pensamiento, sacudidas a mi conciencia, y ver claramente en lo que me he convertido: una fiera trastornada y anormal. Tengo que cumplir con mi trabajo, tengo cuentas por pagar. A tu edad tan inocente inseparable de divinidad, no puedo explicarte el porqué me llevo lo más sagrado e importante en tu vida, ay…no lo quiero enfrentar, en lo que me he convertido: separador de niños de sus madres y sus padres, mercenari@, traicioner@ a Dios, a mi mismo, a toda la humanidad.
“Solo hago mi trabajo,” “tengo que ganar dinero,” “solo estoy siguiendo órdenes,” “merezco ser y soy feliz,” son nuestr@s refránes preferidos, como excusas, bálsamos y afirmaciones inefectiv@s ante algo tan fuerte como la verdad. Son como el humo que soplamos desde las murientes brazas que nos quedan del fuego divino que dejamos de cuidar para no vernos con claridad ante los espejos de la Divina Madre y Creadora de la Verdad. Ojalá nos sirvan a la hora de hablar ante el Justo Juez Divino que descubre toda falsedad.
A cambio de tu mamí, ay te va este juguete. Estudia bien lo que me ha costado. Verás, es muy, pero muy caro, aún más que mi propia humanidad. ¿Hasta cuándo lo estaré pagando? No, en eso no quiero ni pensar. ¡Ya! Calla tu llanto mientras destruyo, perdón, mientras “deporto”, a tu mamá. Haber como le haces nin@. No me compite. Afirmo,“solo hago mi trabajo,” “tengo que obedecer para ganar dinero,” y “soy feliz, soy feliz, soy felizizizzzizzzzzz. ¡Ayyy! Denme un golpe en la cabeza, se me atoró el mecanismo de mi programación robótica izizizizizizzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz_______ _______ _______ _______ ____________________________________________________________
Por Juan N. Reza “Cheno” para la humanidad que queda y que vendrá, especialmente para l@s niñ@s