Last weekend, in a late-Friday announcement in the middle of a hurricane, Donald Trump issued a pardon for Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
America’s self-proclaimed “toughest sheriff” had been convicted of criminal contempt for refusing a federal order to stop violating the human and constitutional rights of the people he was charged with protecting. For this, Trump called Arpaio a “patriot” who was just “doing his job,” and used his own power of the pardon to get Arpaio off the hook.
This week in OtherWords, Ebony Slaughter-Johnson describes the irony of this outrageous hypocrisy from a so-called “law and order” president. And Khalil Bendib imagines a three-headed monster of Trump, Arpaio, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions terrorizing the nation, one traffic stop at a time.
Also this week, when millions of kids are going back to school, Sam Pizzigati reports on the unfortunate new phenomenon of teachers having to panhandle for school supplies. Part of the problem, he says, is that prominent local taxpayers — like big box stores — are conniving to squeeze local school budgets.
Finally, Jim Hightower weighs in with a surprising counterpoint to Trump’s fondness for Confederate monuments (from Civil War general Robert E. Lee himself), and Jill Hightower marvels at what “farm fresh” now means at Amazon-owned Whole Foods.
Khalil Bendib / OtherWords.org
- Teachers Shouldn’t Have to Panhandle for School Supplies / Sam Pizzigati
Giant retailers are conniving to tighten the squeeze on local public school budgets. - Trump’s Pardon of Joe Arpaio Is Deeply Disturbing / Ebony Slaughter-Johnson
The president called a man who freely violated people’s constitutional rights a “patriot.” What does that make his victims? - ‘Farm to Table’ Has Jumped the Shark / Jill Richardson
Whole Foods is now selling “farm fresh” Amazon electronics. - Not Even Robert E. Lee Wanted Confederate Monuments / Jim Hightower
The old general fought for an ugly cause, but even he could lend some wisdom to our current president. - America’s Whitest Sheriff / Khalil Bendib
