Whacko Arizona

Snapshots of a state gone looney:

* Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer recently claimed that most migrants are drug runners and that there have been beheadings in the state -- everyone from academics to statisticians to the Border Patrol say that is ridiculous.

* Brewer is raising funds to defend her racial-profiling SB 1070 -- among contributors are the white supremacist groups Stromfront and American Third Position.

* State senator Russell Pearce is the main man behind Arizona's infamous SB 1070 -- he has neo-Nazi links.

* Maricopa Country Sheriff Joe Arpaio searches feverishly for undocumented workers, marches them in chains and striped suits through the streets and sends his deputies after public figures who challenge him -- all the while he sows fear of brown people in the minds of the unknowing retirees who keep voting for him.

* Sen. John McCain, once Sen. Ted Kennedy's partner in working toward comprehensive immigration reform, has done a complete flip-flop on the issue -- in the meantime he's spent $10 million trying to ensure his reelection.

* The Arizona legislature now allows people to carry concealed weapons without a permit -- including in restaurants and bars.

* This same gang has been chopping away at education, healthcare for children and parks (even our highway toilets have been closed) -- all they know is tax cutting, which they have done for 15 of the last 17 years.

* The state has banned ethnic studies programs -- they have even ruled that a teacher with an accent cannot teach students that are learning English.

* And they passed a state "birther" law -- one more whack, of course, at President Obama.

There is plenty more where all of this came from, but I believe there is enough above to bring in a verdict of Truly Whacko.

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July 27 addendum: On Thursday another Arizona law will take effect: schools will have to get parents' permission to teach sex education.