Homosexuality in the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (Joe Arpaio)

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Larry Black and Joel Fox both are high-ranking lawmen with more than 20 years at the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

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Both are married with children.

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Arpaio sent a group of 100 deputies and posse members to New Orleans in 2005 to help with the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

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A few weeks later, the same team went back to the Gulf region to help the victims of Hurricane Rita, and Arpaio couldn't have been prouder of his troops.

Yet in e-mails obtained by New Times, Fox and Black mention how something happened on the trips that doesn't seem related to safeguarding New Orleans from looters. It was something that Fox says changed their lives and that Fox wants Black to experience again.

Months after the trips, the two expressed their emotions in writing.

"I think you know how I have felt since yesterday," Black writes to Fox on Saturday, April 8, 2006, in an e-mail titled "battles." "I have not thought or done anything but go over in my head how all of this got all out of w[h]ack.

"I want to live like Louisiana every day, and I will not stop trying, but I am not perfect or even close, so it takes constant effort even in the face of defeat," Black goes on. "Battles or perceived battles with you hit my heart and not my mind, which means I don't think first, which causes things to get worse."

Fox replies a few hours later that he's been in "turmoil" since they last spoke. Black isn't the same man he was in Louisiana, Fox complains.

"You see, I got to see you in your Glory, when you were Free. I got to see the real Larry, being Larry, and enjoying it like nothing has ever been enjoyed before," Fox writes. "I hope you don't misunderstand what I mean by the 'real Larry.' Of course you are real, all the time. I mean the way you felt in Louisiana. The freedom I speak of is the freedom you enjoyed for that two weeks. The 'real' Larry is free. I see you going farther and farther away from that freedom, and it breaks my heart.

"No matter what happens, no matter what it looks like when the battle is over, I will be here with you, loving you. I will sharpen your sword, mend your armor, show you a few new tricks, and heal your wounds."

The e-mails, found by investigators on Cox Communications servers and on a computer registered to the Sheriff's Office in Fox's home, span years and express sentiments that go beyond mere friendship. The writers often sound like love-struck teenagers.

"Now say, for example (and I know this is not true) the ible said to stop loving you, then I would NOT stop loving you," Fox wrote to Black in 2007. "So my love for you is more important to me than the Bible. And if you punched me in the mouth and knocked me down, I would get back up and chase after you to find out why. Because my love for you is more important than my pride. This also is why I don't care what people say about us."

Fox states that he will love others in his life, but Black "will always be the most important one."

Black would later deny to state and federal investigators that he and Fox had a homosexual relationship.

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2011-04-14/news/two-mcso-deputies-love-connection-is-at-the-heart-of-the-sca-scandal/

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Wow. Those emails remind me of the letters Lincoln had written to his close friend.

[Ban Hammer 13,489]

since arpaio is often mistaken for the sheriff of nottingham, does that mean these guys are the merry men?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

since arpaio is often mistaken for the sheriff of nottingham, does that mean these guys are the merry men?

Given that The Sheriff and the Merry Men were on opposite sides, I'd say that's not likely.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Charles just got pwned.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

How does this tie in with this?

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/305116-investigation-into-3-of-arpaios-top-deputies-complete-they-will-likely-be-fired/

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How does this tie in with this?

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/305116-investigation-into-3-of-arpaios-top-deputies-complete-they-will-likely-be-fired/

The behavior in that thread is illegal. The behavior in this thread is legal. Being gay is not against the law.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

The behavior in that thread is illegal. The behavior in this thread is legal. Being gay is not against the law.

I mean, could the investigation into the supposed illegal activities have been prompted by a homophobic reaction or maybe the criminal activities investigation prompted a homophobic smear job.

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I mean, could the investigation into the supposed illegal activities have been prompted by a homophobic reaction or maybe the criminal activities investigation prompted a homophobic smear job.

I don't know.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

I don't know.

It seems all to neat to be random. Two deputies involved in both a criminal investigation AND a homosexual scandle at the same time.

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It seems all to neat to be random. Two deputies involved in both a criminal investigation AND a homosexual scandle at the same time.

The homosexual thing is hardly a scandal. They wouldn't be the first two men to ever have sex.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

The homosexual thing is hardly a scandal. They wouldn't be the first two men to ever have sex.

You know what I mean. No, homosexuality isn't a scandal for most people. I was just wondering about the timing of all this. Did the sheriff find out about the homosexuality, wanted to get rid of them and invent the criminal thing or did the sheriff find out about the criminal thing but didn't have enough evidence to get a conviction and was blackmailing them into leaving or were they just criminals that were also homosexuals? It all smacks of a huge smear campaign to me. It kind of reminds me of one of those movies about the small town rednecks and how they play dirty pool.

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You know what I mean. No, homosexuality isn't a scandal for most people. I was just wondering about the timing of all this. Did the sheriff find out about the homosexuality, wanted to get rid of them and invent the criminal thing or did the sheriff find out about the criminal thing but didn't have enough evidence to get a conviction and was blackmailing them into leaving or were they just criminals that were also homosexuals? It all smacks of a huge smear campaign to me. It kind of reminds me of one of those movies about the small town rednecks and how they play dirty pool.

Time will tell. Or maybe it won't

[Ban Hammer 13,489]

Given that The Sheriff and the Merry Men were on opposite sides, I'd say that's not likely.

they are on opposite sides, just you're not figuring out what those sides are.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Oh Charles, you just can't let anything go can you