As the entire nation wastes its time arguing about preening aristocrat Henry Gates, this is the kind of serious, substantive story about racial profiling that's being ignored (but not by Democracy Now!, as usual):
AARTI SHAHANI: Our understanding, those of us who were watching Obama and had hopes in Obama, was that, under Obama, programs like 287(g) would be terminated, because they are driven off of a desire for racial profiling. Officers that want to be able to have the power to pick up Latinos, brown people, while driving, these are the self-selecting group of people that joined to 287(g). And unfortunately, two weeks ago, Napolitano gave us our first really blatant betrayal when she decided not only not to suspend 287(g), but to expand it around the country.
Notably, she gave this program—she reinitiated the contract with Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona. Mind you, Joe Arpaio is currently under federal investigation.
(Shahani is too circumspect to mention that Joe Arpaio is also one of the most vile human beings in the country and possibly all of human history, so I've said it for her.)
And what are some of the implications of this move by the Obama administration?
ROBERT LOVATO: I’ve been around the country interviewing undocumented immigrants pretty much everywhere, except a few states in the Northeast, and I’ve seen people’s hands shake like they did when I was in El Salvador, or their faces twitch. That’s terror. That’s post-traumatic stress disorder that’s caused by that. So, a lot of activists, I think, are finding a hypocrisy on a historic scale made by a historic new presidency, in terms of them talking about preventing terrorism or being against racial profiling, when, in fact, the 287(g) program and other programs like it foster new and extreme levels of terrorism and racial profiling.
"Extreme levels of terrorism and racial profiling"? Yeah, sure, whatever. Look, we Americans can't be bothered worrying about the re-persecution of the people who've fled here from the hellish abattoirs we've made of their countries over the years; we've got much more important things to spend our time fruitlessly obsessing over.
NOT TO MENTION: Democracy Now! also had this wonderful news snippet today:
The top US military commander in Iraq has suggested the US Air Force will continue to control Iraqi airspace beyond the 2011 deadline for the withdrawal of all US troops. On Tuesday, General Ray Odierno said Iraq won’t be able to provide its own air defenses by the time US forces are supposed to leave Iraq.
You might think I'd disagree with this plan, but actually I fully appreciate the mortal danger Iraq faces from the mighty air force of Al-Qaeda of Mesopotamia. And I congratulate the U.S. on its selfless desire to protect Iraqis from airborne attacks, which I understand have killed an awful lot of people there since March of 2003.
Yes, it is annoying to see the corporate media grab on to a story of relatively little significance (and I agree with you that the Gates' case is that) and beat it into the ground, while other stories of much greater significance are ignored.
But I think we should remember that the corporate media (and most of the blogosphere) is deeply, deeply stupid. How much do we want them dealing with matters of importance? I can't even imagine what a hash they'd make of the health care "debate" if they actually spent more time on it.
Personally, I think they should give themselves over entirely to the coverage of celebrity funerals. And if lots more celebrities have to die to make that possible, that's a price I'm willing to pay.
Posted by: SteveB | Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 07:36 AM
One thing that is interesting about this is that if Israel does launch an attack on Iran, it'll be crystal clear who allowed it to happen. That'd be clear anyway, but with this story out it'll be undeniable.
Agreed that the Gates story is pretty small and of course it's what the media focuses on.
Meanwhile the NYT is warning us all of scary Muslims taking over Europe link
You know you have to be terrified because the author of the book is a writer for the NYT Sunday Magazine (and the Weekly Standard).
I especially like the part where this piece meant to portray millions of people as a threat warns that some of them might harbor prejudices (anti-semitism).
Posted by: Donald Johnson | Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 04:00 PM
Right. Also, the sneaky 'ground attacks.'
These unfortunates make a delicious base sauce. A red one.
It's most yummy when the meat is 'smart targeted.' From above the charring is most delish.
Posted by: john | Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 08:40 PM