Has An Arizona Sherrif Ever Been Recalled? – No Time Like The Present
Like everyone else, we watched the TV news in horror and sadness as the story of the shooting this weekend in AZ unfolded. Frankly, we had hoped not to write about it at all. It just seemed inappropriate and ghoulish to try and make political hay of any sort out of such a horrible event. Jared Loughner is a mentally disturbed individual. Period.
We could grit our teeth and ignore the innuendo of the main stream media. What else could we expect but for them to espouse the talking points of the left. Of course they would do their level best to associate Mr. Loughner with the Tea Party. Their attempt to smear Sarah Palin is so ludicrous as to be unworthy of comment. In the words of George Washington:
To persevere in one’s duty and be silent is the best answer to calumny.
However, as proud Arizonans, we could not let the statements of Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik go unanswered. Upon hearing his remarks we thought, “Who do you think you are? You are supposed to be fulfilling your role as Sheriff, not making baseless and asinine political statements based on your own personal views.â€Â This man was speaking to the press in his capacity as the top law enforcement official of the county investigating a heinous crime within his jurisdiction. His job was to deliver just the facts about the case; instead we were treated to this:
“When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous. And unfortunately, Arizona I think has become sort of the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”
We don’t live in Pima County, but the next time this buffoon is up for re-election, we are going to donate money to his opponent. Better yet, should someone mount a recall campaign, we’ll contribute to that.
A former classmate of Tucson shooter Jared Loughner calls him “a left-wing pot head.â€Â But, before knowing any of the facts, Sheriff Dupnik asserted that talk radio is to blame for this crime. Dupnik (does anyone else think he is aptly named?) is doing what a number of his ideological brethren are doing, making political capital out of a tragedy. He and they should be ashamed of themselves.   He is using this massacre to get his 15 minutes of fame by implicitly suggesting that some kind of control on the right to free speech may be necessary. History is rife with the consequences of limiting those rights. If, as a people we have learned anything from the past, it is that this is not a road we want to travel again.
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19 comments
Looking back at Sheriff Dupnik’s remarks and at how quickly he decided to go public with his “facts”, I still find it hard to believe. That is part of the reason why I have felt so strongly about this tragedy and the way the left has used it to push their own political agenda. It’s sickening and disheartening to think Americans would use such tragedy in this way.
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I agree. I live in AZ, and this Sheriff is no less than an insult to we Arizonans. If he means we are a Republican majority, then yes, he’s right… we lean heavily away from leftist elitist thought. But we are not violent, like the loon who shot the Judge. He was just a nut, regardless of his political affiliation. But the media and elitist response was quite predictable. If Arizonans are known for anything, I would say that we are smart and free, and the left knows it, which is why the President himself considered Arizona worthy of lawsuit over its lack of protection on our borders against illegal activity.
Megan Kelly did a great job interviewing this Sheriff. You can find it on YouTube.
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There has been some hinting on various blogs that he had earlier dropped the ball on Loughner in some way, though I don’t know if there’s any truth to it. But in any case, he’s also trying to sound high-minded while deflecting blame.
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I heard his comments while driving and almost ran off the road. What an imbecile and idiot. Makes you wonder how he got elected in the first place.
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Let me know if there is a recall effort. His remarks show an unbelievable callousness toward the victims and their families.
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Gatepundit among others spoke to the previous threats that this Sherif chose to not follow through on.
http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2011/01/report-sheriff-knew-about-loughners-actions-previous-threats-failed-to-act/
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Ron Stuewe said “Makes you wonder how he got elected in the first place.”
He was initially appointed Sheriff, not elected. After that – well, he’s a Democrat, in a Democrat-controlled county. The machine supports its own.
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Law enforcement agents are supposed to gather facts as per protocol which is used in the determination of guilt or innocence in a court of law. Of all people, Sheriff Dupnik should know. This makes his statements unconscionable. The left is continually finding new ways to shoot themselves in the foot. He is obviously one of their tools in a job that should require someone to be objective in order to be effective.
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[…] Has An Arizona Sheriff Ever Been Recalled? – No Time Like The Present […]
It is not the first time Dupnick has put his political philosophy before his elected duties. He told a Tucson news station that his agency would not enforce SB1070. I couldn’t find the video clip to link, but here is a story by the NY Daily News.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/04/29/2010-04-29_arizona_sheriff_clarence_dupnik_refuses_to_enforce_states_new_racist_immigration.html
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From the mouth of wicked Rahmbo, “never let a good crisis go to waste” and that’s exactly the tactic the lopsided left is using.
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Well, Pima County’s not exactly Nottingham, but its Sheriff displays certain similarities. No wonder the ranchers are up in arms.
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Martin Reply:
January 14th, 2011 at 5:48 pm
The arrogance is certainly there. Thanks for coming by, Bob. (I enjoy your site)
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.
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[…] What Would The Founders Think wonders if it isn’t a good time to recall a sheriff in Arizona. […]
In the end the liberal media ran with the normal, blame the conservatives who like the second admendment. They rush to judgement to play up to the base on the left and try to get other Americans scared of the tea party, Palin and etc. I also live in AZ and Sheriff Dupnick should be removed from office in his next election.
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Unfortunately this Sheriff reflects the mentality of some Americans. They actually believe that those who wish to uphold constitutional government are “bigots” etc. I am not surprised that he was elected because I speak to people that think like him all the time.
Thus we need blogs like this one – to educate and inform Americans; and in addition to mobilizing those who already know what’s going on we need to inspire new people to join the cause!
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Lived in Az. for 34 yrs. and never heard such balony from an elected official as done by the Dupnick!
If there was EVER a need for a recall – it is now! And here’s wishing you much success with it because our country is rampant with people in high places who think once in office they are untouchable. A precident needs to be levied to show them (the SOB’s) that they are dead wrong with this type of arrogance!
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Nice article and well written. I wanted to let you know that the application for recall petition and statement of organization has been filed in Pima County to begin the recall of Sheriff Dupnik. AAIA is leading the effort. We currently have several Tucson businesses that are willing to have the petitions in their businesses for customers to sign and we have about 200 volunteers who will be gathering signatures. I will be in Tucson next week (1-28) to hold a press conference to announce the official start of the campaign. Dan Baltes, Executive Director, Americans Against Immigration Amnesty
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Dan, I don’t live in Tucson, but I’ll pass on the information to friends that do. I didn’t see a place to donate on your site. You might want to put a prominent link there with a paypal donation button.
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