Whatever they may say about resources, this decision came about because the community stood up for itself and spoke bravely, plainly, and publicly to the Sheriff, the media, and the rest of the community. We are all in their debt and as a community are all stronger because of their courage.

I think from the comments from Sheriff Jones today that he is an asshole. It is not appropriate for an officer who is supposed to keep the community safe to make negative personal comments about our federal government, talk about people like they are wood, and pretend to speak for me when he lumps all illegal immigrants as criminals. I am appalled.

"Stack them up like cordwood?"

Pretty gross way of talking about human beings. I guess he's expressing his true feelings.

And blaming Obama.

It's a bigot's twofer! Maybe he can figure out some way to blame local libruls so he can get a hat trick.

but just like Stacy X’s war on Christmas, it works.

Talk to the average Knox Joe about pensions or education funding and they’re going to glaze over. Throw them some “save Christmas” or “it’s the illegals” red meat, and you’ll have their vote forever.

That was some horrible language. I would compare it to some other historical remarks, but wouldn't want to invoke Godwin's Law.

I really can't believe our Sheriff said "stack them like cordwood". Something's really wrong here. I can only hope he reads what he said and see how wrong it is. This is really upsetting. Too many emotions to really express it properly here.

How knox co public officials will respond. Will county commission have a resolution condeming this language?? will GOP public officials take him to task for his comments?? Or will be get what we get we usually get when stacey campfield burps..which is radio silence?

from jim sessions:

"There was an ad hoc emergency meeting Wed. night of the Comité Popular of Knoxville and various supportive local allies. All had gathered because they felt a day should not go by without some kind of community response to the horrible statement Sheriff JJ Jones posted after learning that ICE had decided not to enter into a 287(g) agreement with Knox County. (See the bottom of this message if you have not yet seen what I am talking about.)

So Knoxville will indeed have a response.

What: A community message to Sheriff Jones: How to Distinguish Human Beings from Cordwood

When: Thursday, August 22, 2013

Where: Market Square, then a walk to the front of City County Building

Who: Everyone who wants to voice opposition to the Sheriff's threatening words toward the immigrant community

At 6 pm, we will gather in Market Square to offer a lesson in how to distinguish pieces of cordwood from human beings. If you happen to have a piece of cordwood, please bring it with you. But mostly be ready to share with those gathered -- in just a sentence or two -- something about what makes you a human being. With your statement and perhaps a piece of cordwood in your possession, you will find it easy to fit into the lesson...."

I'm bringing my kid, some friends, and some noise to this here rally! No Nazi Cops in K-town! No Hate speech from the Shurf!

see next post

...We proceeded to the small courtyard. The wall was about eight feet high; it adjoined what had been a stable or garage. We entered it.

It was floored with concrete. There were two rows of bodies stacked up like cordwood. They were thin and very white. Some of the bodies were terribly bruised, though there seemed to be little flesh to bruise. Some had been shot through the head, but they bled but little. All except two were naked. I tried to count them as best I could and arrived at the conclusion that all that was mortal of more than five hundred men and boys lay there in two neat piles..

Well, ain't this just ducky.
JJ's getting lots of congratulatory backslaps and attaboys from the red meat crowd because he doesn't have anybody around him with the sense to tell him he's embarrassed this community and should apologize.
Meanwhile KPD's classy appointed police chief has to put extra cops on the street to deal with the mess the elected high sheriff made.

Awesome coverage of the event last night here:
(link...)

Woodstock is over. Unfortunately the baby boomers are from that era and they have produced so many young, now of age, voters who are carrying on the family tradition of illogical carefree thinking. Outnumbered we are for the time being, until 80's teenagers' kids get old enough vote and swing the numbers back in favor of more logical thinking.
The open door do anything you want policy people think is beautiful and caring and sweet come on in and we'll all pay your way, has a major trickle down negative effect on legal, working citizens. But if you haven't been effected then you will never see it for what it really is.
comments can sound brutal, mean or insensitive, but the bottom line is sometimes they are true. And if you can't deal and it makes you feel soft then you need to catch football game and have a beer cause your not wearing your boys on the outside gents.

The open door do anything you want policy people think is beautiful and caring and sweet come on in and we'll all pay your way, has a major trickle down negative effect on legal, working citizens. But if you haven't been effected then you will never see it for what it really is.

Here's what it really is: cheap labor. Which is why nothing has been done about it.

Thanks for playing, but this has nothing to do with hippies versus squares.

Outnumbered we are for the time being

Who's we? My people have been outnumbered my whole life.

The majority of county voters agree with the sheriff- although the "cord-wood" comment was in poor taste, illegals don t vote and Jones will probably get positive traction from the average Knox county voter in the long run,people will remember that he is tough on illegals-and they ll like it.The protests against him only firm up those who support and defend him.

than the electorate in this region electing people to high offices who are not smart enough to know not to use it.

That Alexander doesn’t sound like a cast member of Hee-Haw is one of the things that currently has him on the Republican outs.

Wonder how much the Sheriff's Office gets paid by the federal government for housing federal prisoners, including ICE detainees?

ETA: For Blount County (which complains about overcrowded jails) it is $58.50 per day for 110 beds, which could be as much as $2.3 million per year.

A reader sent a link to what appears to be the most recent Knox County agreement available at the DOJ, which was from 1996. It is for $44.15 per day or $725K per year.

Hats off to Frank Cagle and Craig Griffith for smacking down George Korda's anti-immigrant mantra on Gene Patterson's show today.
Korda brought up the undocumented worker who murdered that poor girl from Alabama in a West Knox motel a few years ago as an example of the kind of thing that tougher enforcement would eliminate. Cagle asked how many murders have we had since then committed by full-fledged citizens; Griffith said he's from S Florida where they have real immigration problems – unlike here.