Still deeper on Arpaio

The title of Mary Kay Arndt's letter on Sept. 9, was "Dig deeper into Arpaio's actions." But upon digging deeper, what I found in her condemnation of Sheriff Joe Arpaio were troubling flaws in what she billed as "facts."

* "He ordered women to be shackled while giving birth to their children."

However, this was always common policy nationwide, including in Arpaio's Maricopa County until just recently. And it was not until around 2010 that public opinion started to turn on the practice. Yet even today, some states have no laws prohibiting the procedure, and of the states that have anti-shackling laws, not all provide comprehensive protection.

* "He bragged about spending more to feed dogs than human inmates; and what he did give the inmates to eat was mostly expired food."

But according to a 2001, 60 Minutes profile, Arpaio noted that his prisoners still receive "3,000 calories" per day, which is universally recognized as a healthy amount. Regarding "expired food," other than infant formula, there are no laws in this country restricting the sale or consumption of food after its merely suggested and unrequited expiration date unless it is unfit for human consumption.

* "These are just some of the documented abusive acts involving former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, in addition to the charge of Latino profiling and the contempt of court charge. He was convicted of all of this."

Except, Arpaio was never convicted of a single crime in his career other than the one in Donald Trump's pardon: misdemeanor contempt of court for ignoring a judge's order to cease detaining individuals solely on the belief they were in the country illegally.

Frank Gabl

Prospect Heights