When I first became aware of Lori Klein it is was in January when Klein took a loaded gun into the Senate building. The building is clearly marked and states that you must check in all weapons. It’s actually a state law! However according to Russell Pearce as the Senate President he can supersede state law in that building and he’s okay with Senators packing heat in the Senate building, and according to Pearce, that’s not up for debate. Klein at the time indicated that the senate has a don’t ask don’t tell policy about violating the weapons law that applies to the senate building.

I once again became aware of Lori Klein (R) Anthem, during a senate floor session in which Klein read a letter on the Arizona State Senate floor. The letter itself was controversial as it appears that Sen. Klein had not herself researched the validity of the letter, or the accusations, but had received the letter from Senate President Russell Pearce and decided to read the letter on the floor of the senate.

The letter was filled with lies about Latino children and their desire to grow up to be thugs. Lori Klein read it with such passion, that it appeared to validate her own feelings towards Latino kids. The letter was written by substitute teacher Tony Hill who has since been researched and labeled by many as unfit to teach in public schools because of his alleged violent behavior.

The court file notes that Hill was suspended in 2006 from his job at a supermarket “because of his irrational behavior,” and was hospitalized for a time for depression and possible suicidal thoughts.

After his discharge, the file continues, Hill allegedly threatened his work supervisor and his wife–the latter ”fled the marital home with the minor children and all pets,” and won a court order of protection.

Klein defended her irresponsible action tooth and nail, and as if that wasn’t enough, I subsequently had a run in with Lori Klein while I was protesting at the State Capitol.

Klein walked past a group of our protesters with a handful of all white high school kids in tow and yelled out, “why don’t you go back to Mexico.” It was appalling behavior on behalf of a state senator and certainly conduct unbecoming that of a senator. Nonetheless Klein once again felt her actions were justified and apparently felt she was setting a good example for these kids from Anthem, Arizona who were following close behind her.

As Klein went by the protesters questioned her comments about going back to Mexico, and once again Klein yelled, “Why don’t you go back to Mexico.” Present, and as witnesses, were two Anglo protesters. They were shocked that Lori Klein would have made those kind of statements to a group of peaceful protesters at the state capitol.

The kids that were with Lori Klein came back and started arguing with the protesters, making comments like, “why do you defend illegals”, and “they don’t deserve an education.”

I could see where this was going and I suggested that the protesters not engage the unruly teenagers who were simply following the monkey see, monkey do philosophy.

As breaking news hit the media today on Lori Klein, I wasn’t surprised to see that Klein had once again made the news. This time an Arizona Republic reporter, Richard Ruelas encountered Klein’s bizarre behavior. According to news reports and accounts given by Ruelas, as reported by the Arizona Guardian,

Republican Sen. Lori Klein was showing off her raspberry-pink handgun when she aimed it at a journalist who was interviewing her in the lounge just outside the Senate chambers.

According to the story that was published Sunday in the Arizona Republic, Klein’s .380 Ruger was loaded and did not have a safety to keep the gun from going off.

But Klein told the reporter, Richard Ruelas, that he didn’t need to worry because, “I just didn’t have my hand on the trigger.”

The Arizona Republic reports,

“She had (the gun) out, and I looked down and saw the red dot on my chest,” Ruelas recounted Monday. He said he didn’t ask Klein to demonstrate the gun’s feature, nor did he realize until much later in his interview that her gun was loaded and did not have a safety.

Klein now denies that she pointed the gun at Ruelas. Klein stated later,

Klein trained the laser site on a blank wall to demonstrate it for the photographer.

But Klein, in an e-mail to Arizona Capitol Times, said there was only one instance where she turned on the laser sight , and she wrote that Ruelas sat himself down in front of it.

Ruelas offered a different account and has a tape recording of the interview that makes two different references to the laser sighting.

Yet another controversial incident involving a State Senator that has at the very least breached decorum, which according to Senate President Pearce is unacceptable in “his” senate building, and possibly a criminal act according to some legal experts.

Lori Klein admits to telling Protesters to go back to Mexico

So the question is, Is Lori Klein a gun toting racist?

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana and the Tucson Citizen. Arizona. www.nospinonair.com/http://www.carlosgalindo.com
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