The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Arizona Jewish Post or its publisher, Southern Arizona Jewish Charity.
Attendees perform a Nazi salute at a board meeting in Pima County, Arizona, in early June. repetition. And no one said anything.
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The Tucson and Southern Arizona Jewish Community Relations Council, which I lead, works together to combat all forms of identity-based hatred. JCRC’s work is based on the belief that Jewish and other marginalized communities can only thrive in a strong civil society, and we are the right people for our work. Latest audit. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist and rebel groups in our county, currently monitors 1,225 such groups across the United States.
Hate speech has become normalized. Extremists and members of hate groups are now freely interacting with celebrities, and white supremacist rhetoric is slipping politicians from major parties. These concerted efforts use intimidation and other tactics to exclude countless numbers of their fellow citizens, especially LGBTQ+ people and people of color, from the democratic process.
Earlier this week, I attended my first Board of Supervisors meeting to celebrate the proclamation that declared June 2023 Pima County Pride Month. Both the month and the movement, Pride commemorates his 1969 Manhattan Stonewall Uprising, which saw gay and transgender people stand up to police violence and change forever the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. I’m here. Pima County’s proclamation partly stated, “Celebrating Pride Month is an opportunity to take action and engage in dialogue to strengthen alliances, build acceptance, and advance equal rights.” It is
When my supervisor, Rex Scott, gave a presentation, acknowledging the members of the county trade union AFSCME 449 that spearheaded the certification, the man seated in front of me raised his right arm and gave a Nazi salute. more than once. with exemption. As I mentioned earlier, no one said anything at the meeting.
The board of directors has been particularly controversial lately. The board has been subjected to rude and boisterous behavior, and in the case of supervisor Matt Heinz, has even received defamatory accusations that have no place on community forums. To spread “unsettled and slow sessions that have been dominated by right-wing speakers for months.” (Arizona Daily Star, June 7, 2023), Superintendent Scott proposed shortening the time allotted for public comment, and the item was included on the agenda for this meeting.
Pima County Republicans protested these changes, with supervisors Steve Christie and Sharon Bronson voting against. Opponents said it was an attack on free speech, but the motion passed 3-2.
Even in today’s polarized world, facing a Nazi salute at a public meeting with elected officials evokes an instinctive reaction. The men who were present at this meeting intended to intimidate and bully others into submission and complicity in silence. And it worked.
While the board has a policy of asking meeting attendees to adhere to the rules of courtesy, courtesy and good conduct, this man is forced to stay in place, grab a microphone, and share his vile ideology out loud. was allowed. Although Grijalva eventually dismissed him for being “aggressive,” neither the Daily Star nor the Tucson Sentinel reported on his Nazi salute in their coverage of the conference.
Have we become a community where this anomalous behavior is not mentioned and challenged? Let’s finish now. His JCRC in Tucson and Southern Arizona applauds the efforts of Coaches Grijalva, Scott and Heinz to defend a civic and democratic forum where all citizens’ voices are heard. And we ask directors Christie and Bronson to publicly state whether the Nazi salute really is the kind of speech they zealously defend.
