Arizona State Obama Snub Makes Us Wonder Why Arizona Is So Evil

The news that President Barack Obama will not be receiving an honorary degree from Arizona State University for giving their commencement address today has shocked some. But why? It’s only one in a long line of newsworthy racist antics from that state.

1983

Young Arizona Congressman John McCain, and the two other Republican Arizona Congressman, vote against Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday.

1986

The holiday goes into affect with only 27 states observing. In the Arizona state legislature, a bill to recognize the holiday fails, so Governor Bruce Babbitt (D) declares it a holiday through executive order.

1987

Incoming Republican Governor of Arizona Evan Mecham makes it his first order of business that January to rescind the executive order made by Babbitt. John McCain supports him.

1990

The people of Arizona are given a chance to vote on whether or not to re-instate MLK Day there. John McCain changes his mind about the holiday and convinces President Ronald Reagan to write a letter encouraging Arizonans to join him in “supporting a holiday to commemorate the ideals to which Dr. King dedicated his life.” Governor Mecham opposes the holiday saying, “I guess King did a lot for the colored people, but I don’t think he deserves a national holiday.” The referendum does not pass.

The NFL rescinds its decision to have Super Bowl XXVII at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.

1991

Rap Group Public Enemy releases “By The Time I Get To Arizona” in response to the vote.

1992

Evan Mecham loses the governor race to John McCain. Arizonans vote to recognize MLK day.

The same year, Joe Arpaio, an Italian-American from Massachusetts who previously worked as a DEA agent in Nevada, successfully campaigns for the office of Sheriff of Maricopa County (the greater Phoenix area) on a platform of being “tough on crime.” Thus begins an almost twenty  year reign by a sheriff who uses racial profiling and humiliation tactics against people of color that continues to this day. His most recent object of terror: Mexicans and Americans of Mexican descent.

2005

Arizona passes a state law making it a felony, punishable by up to two years in jail, to smuggle illegal immigrants across the border.

2006

Sheriff Arpaio tells the Washington Times about illegal aliens in his possession, “I’m not going to turn these people over to federal authorities so they can have a free ride back to Mexico. I’ll give them a free ride to my jail.”

2008

Arizona Republicans discover Neo-Nazi ties at the lowest rungs of their political party. U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, (R-Ariz) and Representatives John Shadegg and Trent Franks send a letter to the Maricopa County Republican chairman, demanding that J.T. Ready be removed as a precinct committeeman in legislative District 18 because of his ties to the neo-Nazi movement. The state’s largest newspaper, The Arizona Republic criticizes this move, calling it “using a bazooka to zap a housefly.”

2009

Arizona State University decides not to award President Barack Obama, the first black president of the United States and their commencement address speaker, an honorary degree saying in a statement, “His body of work is yet to come. That’s why we’re not recognizing him with a degree at the beginning of his presidency.” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart uncovers the fact that former prime minister of Canada Kim Campbell received an honorary degree from ASU after serving only 142 days as PM. 

After being widely mocked in the press, Arizona State University President Michael M. Crow says that he is reconsidering the University’s decision not to bestow President Obama with the worthless goodwill token called the honorary degree.