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Self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" in the nation Joe Arpaio of Arizona has said that 38 inmates will be fed only bread and water for a week for allegedly defacing American flags.
As part of an initiative the Maricopa County sheriff began in November, each jail cell has a sticker of an American flag, and inmates were threatened with the bread and water diet if the sticker was defaced in any way.
"These inmates have destroyed the American flag that was placed in their cells," CNN reports Arpaio as saying. "Tearing them, writing on them, stepping on them, throwing them in the toilet, trash or wherever they feel. It's a disgrace ... this is government property that they are destroying, and we will take action against those who act this way."
In addition to the flags, Arpaio's nationalist push includes the daily playing of "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" over the jails' PA systems.
The sheriff announced in December that he would be segregating military veteran inmates to offer them special programs.
Arpaio is notorious for his for his treatment of inmates, including forcing inmates to wear pink underwear, using chain gangs, and his often sweltering "Tent City" jail which he referred to as a concentration camp.
In addition, a federal court found that Arpaio's office engaged in racial profiling.
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Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" in the nation Joe Arpaio of Arizona has said that 38 inmates will be fed only bread and water for a week for allegedly defacing American flags.
As part of an initiative the Maricopa County sheriff began in November, each jail cell has a sticker of an American flag, and inmates were threatened with the bread and water diet if the sticker was defaced in any way.
"These inmates have destroyed the American flag that was placed in their cells," CNN reports Arpaio as saying. "Tearing them, writing on them, stepping on them, throwing them in the toilet, trash or wherever they feel. It's a disgrace ... this is government property that they are destroying, and we will take action against those who act this way."
In addition to the flags, Arpaio's nationalist push includes the daily playing of "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" over the jails' PA systems.
The sheriff announced in December that he would be segregating military veteran inmates to offer them special programs.
Arpaio is notorious for his for his treatment of inmates, including forcing inmates to wear pink underwear, using chain gangs, and his often sweltering "Tent City" jail which he referred to as a concentration camp.
In addition, a federal court found that Arpaio's office engaged in racial profiling.
________________
Self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" in the nation Joe Arpaio of Arizona has said that 38 inmates will be fed only bread and water for a week for allegedly defacing American flags.
As part of an initiative the Maricopa County sheriff began in November, each jail cell has a sticker of an American flag, and inmates were threatened with the bread and water diet if the sticker was defaced in any way.
"These inmates have destroyed the American flag that was placed in their cells," CNN reports Arpaio as saying. "Tearing them, writing on them, stepping on them, throwing them in the toilet, trash or wherever they feel. It's a disgrace ... this is government property that they are destroying, and we will take action against those who act this way."
In addition to the flags, Arpaio's nationalist push includes the daily playing of "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" over the jails' PA systems.
The sheriff announced in December that he would be segregating military veteran inmates to offer them special programs.
Arpaio is notorious for his for his treatment of inmates, including forcing inmates to wear pink underwear, using chain gangs, and his often sweltering "Tent City" jail which he referred to as a concentration camp.
In addition, a federal court found that Arpaio's office engaged in racial profiling.
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