The man who fashions himself “America’s toughest sheriff,” Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, AZ, will force inmates to listen to Christmas music all day through the holidays, in spite of six lawsuits against his actions. Arpaio put out a press release in red and green type, downplaying these lawsuits and saying he’s doing in it spite of them.
The six prior lawsuits have claimed Arpaio’s less-than-merry practice should be considered cruel and unusual punishment, or that the sheriff is forcing people to participate in religious celebrations.
The practice of forcing people to listen to crappy music all day long has been used in the past for interrogation purposes. For example, the U.S. military blared Metallica music at detainees in Guantanamo Bay with the intention of breaking them down psychologically.
Think Progress notes:
According to ABC News, Arpaio said that “for agnostics,” he would “mix in the singing Chipmunks” — who also presumably sing Christmas carols. “We can’t say ‘Merry Christmas’ in the U.S., in the world anymore,” said Arpaio, fulling joining in the War on Christmas. “What are we coming to? I am saying it. I am singing it. It’s gonna be in this jail, and that’s the way the ball bounces.”
Arpaio is not doing this to bring his wards holiday cheer.
Recently Arpaio’s tactics gained attention again when a woman spoke out and said she was detained in Arpaio’s jail while nine months pregnant. She eventually had to give birth while shackled to a bed and then “was not allowed to hold her baby and was told that if no one came to pick up the child within 72 hours, the baby would be turned over to state custody.”
You don’t think being forced to listen to Christmas music is punishment? Then go listen to Burl Ives sing “A Holly Jolly Christmas.”
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