Sunday, August 01, 2010

Arizona Federal Judge Inundated with Threats

Can't you just feel the love? The far right elements who hate immigrants (and Hispanics in particular) seem to always lean towards violence against anyone who merely seeks to uphold the constitutional rights of those who don't fit the mold of the GOP/tea party base. Namely, white, conservative a/k/a delusional, Christian, homophobic, and heterosexual. And I must point out that this element clearly includes most of the largest self-proclaimed Christian, "pro-family" organizations if one follows their websites.
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Now these self-described patriots and Christians are bestowing their "love" on U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton who struck down significant portions of Arizona's new racial profiling immigration law that would require citizens to carry proof of citizenship like something out of Nazi Germany or the former Soviet Union. It seems that Judge Bolton has received hundreds of threats, some of which sound like they include death threats. And people still refuse to admit that these far right elements aren't a clear and present danger to society? I sincerely hope that these threats are investigated and some folks criminally prosecuted with plenty of publicity for their hate motivated behavior. Obviously, it will be telling to see who some of these individuals are and the groups with which they have affiliations. Here are highlights from the Chicago Sun Times:
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U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton received hundreds of threats at her court offices within hours of her ruling last week on Arizona's tough and controversial immigration law.
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"She has been inundated," said U.S. Marshal David Gonzales, indicating his agents are taking some seriously. "About 99.9 percent of the inappropriate comments are people venting. They are exercising their First Amendment rights, and a lot of it is perverted. But it's that 0.1 percent that goes over the line that we are taking extra seriously."
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Bolton put on hold key provisions, including the heart of the statute that would give police the authority to check a suspect's immigration status during routine stops if there was reasonable suspicion that the suspect was in the country illegally. Her decision also blocks sections of the law that would require documented immigrants to carry their registration papers.
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The increase in threats coincides with more online use and the proliferation of blogs, he said. A quick scan shows many sites and discussion forums where Bolton is called a traitor or other, unprintable names. "She's tough as nails. She takes this as all part of her job," Gonzales said.

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