RSSPima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik Faces Recall Bid Due to Bias Politcizing the Tucson, AZ Shooting
Do actions really have consequences in Tucson, AZ?
Will there be ramifications for Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik’s outspoken and inappropriate comments follwoing the Tucson, AZ shooting? Following the mass shooting that left 6 dead and 13 wounded including US Rep Gabby Giffords (AZ-D), Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik was quick to blame heated political rhetoric,prejudice & bigoty, and talk radio for the shooting.
The only problem was that there was no evidence pointing in that direction. Instead, Dupnik went on TV interview after TV interview providing only opinion. Hardly what is expected from a law enforcement officer.
Because of his actions, a group has begaun efforts to recall the sheriff in a special election. Although Dupnik is in a heavily Democrat district, all people really need to take a look at what the sheriff did and ask themselves whether they deem this appropriate of LE. Should a sheriff politicize a crime, instead of providing the facts of the case?
Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik has never lost an election, but that was before his remarks assigning blame for the deadly Tucson, Ariz., shooting to political “vitriol” and calling Arizona “a mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”
Now it’s Sheriff Dupnik who finds himself on the public-opinion hot seat. A group opposed to illegal immigration has begun an effort to recall the sheriff in a special election. Meanwhile, a Pima County tea party group is planning on holding a “Dump Dupnik” rally next week outside his office.
“I haven’t been a fan of Dupnik’s for a long time, but this really was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said Tom Rompel, co-owner of Black Weapons Armory in Tucson. “He’s law enforcement. We expect ‘the facts, ma’am,’ not his opinion. He leans far left, always has, and frankly, people have had enough.”
More from KTAR:
Baltes’ group is based in Salt Lake City. He said many of the e-mails came from Arizona.
“I’ve gotten e-mails from people who support the sheriff, who support what he did, and who want me to keep my nose out of it,” Baltes said. “But for every one of those, I’m getting 50 saying ‘Thank you,’ and that’s from Republicans and Democrats alike.”
Within an hour after the shooting at a Giffords meet-and-greet event in northwest Tucson on Jan. 8, Dupnik suggested that political “vitriol,” particularly by conservatives, was to blame and called Arizona “a mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”
Besides Bales’ group, the Pima County Tea Party Patriots plans a “Dump Dupnik” rally next week outside the sheriff’s office in Tucson. The Tea Party group said Dupnik “embarrassed” Tucson in front of the nation by politicizing the shootings with no evidence
In the end, the American people soundly rejected (poll 1, poll2) Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, numerous Democrats and the liberal MSM who tried to make political points off the hideous mass murder allegedly at the hands of Jared Loughner.
Posted January 23, 2011 by Scared Monkeys Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-D), Jared Loughner, Justice, Media, Murder, Politics, Polls, Tucson Massacre, WTF | 9 comments |
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9 Responses to “Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik Faces Recall Bid Due to Bias Politcizing the Tucson, AZ Shooting”
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Just a darn minute now, President ‘O’ called up the
left wing Dupe to congratulate him on his position.
The sheriff cannot be all bad after all.
Good for them. This man needs to be removed from office. He is a disgrace to law enforcement every where.
Headline: Deluded Dupe Detours Duty to Defame Detractors!
Is this what they call a dirty cop, just wondering.
Original Post:
Sheriff Clarence Dupnik was quick to blame heated political rhetoric, prejudice & bigoty, and talk radio for the shooting./i>
Sheriff Clarence Dupnik:
“But again I’d just like to say that when you look at unbalanced people, how they are–how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government, the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous. And, unfortunately, Arizona, I think, has become sort of the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”
“There’s reason to believe that this individual may have a mental issue. And I think people who are unbalanced are especially susceptible to vitriol.”
A reasonable question is how the language used by Dupnik (susceptible) compares with the claim made here (blame). Initially, I can see how one might interpret his comments as blame. However, the language he uses, susceptible, is much less direct and is typically defined as “influenced”, which is a partial factor for something. Blame is much more direct, typically defined as “to hold responsible.”
According to the common language usages and definitions, blame seems much too strong a term as a synonym for susceptible, and is not likely the Sheriff’s intent when he spoke.
Original Post:
“The only problem was that there was no evidence pointing in that direction.”
Can it be proved that this is actually true? How do we know there was no evidence for the Sheriff’s comments? In his official capacity, isn’t it likely that he is aware of the nature of local commentary, especially due to the strong attention given to SB1070? Might he be aware of any security threats made?
It has been said that he was offering his opinion. Perhaps, but it just might have been his professional opinion, based on what he had seen and heard in his official capacity as Sheriff. Can anyone prove this is not the case?
In the end, it likely doesn’t matter what the public thinks of this issue, as far as polls go. It just might be up to our professional public servants to go ahead and do their job, and warn us when circumstances warrant. BTW, aren’t there voices calling out that LE didn’t do enough in this matter, even if they had no actionable situation that could lead to their involvement? Do we want them engaged, or do we want them merely part of post-event reactions, after damage is done?
The Sheriff was calling it as he sees it and he is right. The tea party and republicans are full of hate and sew violence. While it is OK for the right to have Sheriff Joe voice his opinion and no one is going after his job as he has a right to voice his opinion. This is more about right wing racist groups and hate mongers wanting to avoid accountability and culpability as the truth is words and symbols have power. No one knows what effect the ads had on the killer or if he listened to the hate filled AM buffoons who carry on like Hitler in a beer hall. We do know no good can come from it and it is a crying shame that the tea people would trying to limit our Sheriffs right to FREE SPEECH. The problem with the tea people is they are right wing extremists who hate democracy and diversity. They are like Hitler, full of fear and hate.
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SM: Thank you for your completely illogical, Leftist, insanoid rant. You have no idea what you are talking about and its folks like you that make more and more in the middle become Tea party members.
I guess you are not taking Keith Olbermann’s demise very well. What a shame.
A Sheriff when dealing with a crime, teagedy and assasination attempt is suppose to provide the public with the facts, not his liberal agenda. This was on ongoing crime at the time and this bufoon was so quick to lay blame.
Imagine if the doctors at the hospital taking care of Gabby Giffords railed on Obamacare instead of proving medical updates. Hmm? Game, Set, match!!!
R
Sheriff Dupnik was just saying what a lot of people have been wanting to say for a long time. I am a native Arizonan and of a certain minority group. All my life I have known this state to be hateful and becoming more and more bigoted. I have personally experienced it. Clarence Dupnik has been sheriff for 30 years. Dont’ you think he has seen and experienced all this hate over time. Although the Tucson shootings may not have been due to conservative hate mongering, it certaintly sets a tone, especially when people like Glen Beck tells his listeners to shoot certain people in the head. Limblaugh mocks a chinese president by babbling in Chinese. By the way, Arizona is last in the nation in providing services for the mentally ill, next to last in education and no.# 1 in death panels.
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SM Sheriff Dupnik was 100% wrong, even Obama said it.
R
Dupnik is a Disgrace to Law Enforcement, the Office of Sheriff, the people of Pima County, and the State of Arizona. There is no room for Politics in Law Enforcement. Either have the FACTS, or keep your Mouth Shut. I hope the Recall is Successful.
a quick Q:
“I haven’t been a fan of Dupnik’s for a long time, but this really was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said Tom Rompel, co-owner of Black Weapons Armory in Tucson.
Is that the store where the lunny bought his guns?