Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Hate-Radio Attacks Latina Public Defender





I grew up in Tucson. My mother still lives there. Mom's a Magistrate (a judge)(part-time) in the Tucson City Court. Tucson is home; I keep up on its politics and happenings.

One of the people I personally admire enormously in Tucson is Isabel Garcia, Pima County Legal Defender.

Isabel Garcia, Tucson Strategy Meeting, June 3, 2000. photo unknown.
Isabel Garcia, Tucson Strategy Meeting, June 3, 2000. photo unknown.

With grace and poise, she manages an office which is perennially under budget, caring for the least fortunate among us.

Now Ms. Garcia is under brutal attack from right-wing hate groups for daring to point out that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is an asshole.

Well, he is (an asshole) and good for her for pointing it out. The camera hog was out of his county, on a book tour down to Tucson, and there was a protest which Ms. Garcia attended, during which piñata's of the sheriff were beaten. She laughed, and ended up with the head of one of the piñatas.

Clobbering a piñata of a hated politician is of course, an old and honored tradition. Though it drove the right-wing haters nuts.

That's different from what the radio shock-jock above did to Ms. Garcia. He took a piñata head, fondled it, objectified the body he attached it to, and was just, creepy.

Isabel Garcia has been defended by supporters throughout Tucson, Arizona, in letters and in editorials. And now the hate-jock is in full retreat as his advertising base crumbles.

Never retreat from a bully; always fight back.

Bravo Isabel Garcia, my favorite strong person of the day.