🗣️ Colonial Mindsets on Air: Wake Up Tucson's Attack on BIPOC Leadership

👥 Voices Silenced: How Conservative Media Dismisses Community Leadership 🔄 From Addiction to Housing: The Real Solutions Wake Up Tucson Ignores

Based on the 10/21/24 Wake Up Tucson show on KVOI-1030AM.

🙊 Notable quotes from the show

• "Circle K on Prince and Oracle has been destroyed by the Fenty zombies and economy of Tucson" - Chris DeSimone, dehumanizing people struggling with addiction

• "This is what's odd. This is what Lane said... If you don't know, now you know" - DeSimone, mockingly discussing Lane Santa Cruz's newsletter

• "They couldn't even stop a... You could have handed the ball off to a Rue McClanahan or Bea Arthur and she would have got 175" - DeSimone, making light of serious athletic department issues

• "We have $2.4 billion. They got an extra billion out of you people, and the place got worse" - DeSimone, oversimplifying complex municipal budget issues

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⏮️ ICYMI: From the Last Show…

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😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾

📻 A radio show in Tucson was talking about our city's problems 🏙️, but instead of thinking about how to help people who are having a hard time, they made fun of people trying to make things better 😢. They didn't like when people spoke Spanish and English together 🗣️, didn't want to help people who need homes 🏠, and were mean about people who came from other countries 🌍. They thought big computer buildings 🏢 were more important than helping our community and keeping our water safe 💧. But lots of people in Tucson are working hard to make our city better for everyone 🌈, even though these radio people don't understand why that's important ❤️.

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🗝️ Takeaways

• 🎭 Conservative media uses dehumanizing language to dismiss community struggles

• 🚫 Evidence-based solutions to homelessness and addiction are ignored in favor of punitive approaches

• 🗽 BIPOC leadership faces systematic ridicule when promoting community-focused initiatives

• 💰 Corporate development is prioritized over community wellbeing and environmental sustainability

• 🌈 Cultural initiatives and bilingual community engagement are mocked rather than understood

• 📊 Selective use of crime statistics promotes anti-immigrant fear-mongering

• 🤝 Grassroots democracy efforts like FUGA's Caravana face deliberate misrepresentation

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⏬ Jump to the 🦉 Three Sonorans Commentary based on:

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📻 What They Discussed

On a mild Monday morning in October 2024, Wake Up Tucson took to the airwaves with its usual blend of conservative commentary and local politics. Hosted by Chris DeSimone with regular co-host Matt Neely, and featuring Dr. di Filippo in the second hour as their political analysis expert, the show broadcasted what would be a revealing glimpse into the conservative mindset regarding Tucson's challenges and changes.

🏪 The Circle K Crisis

The show's narrative arc began with what could have been a meaningful discussion about community challenges, centered around the closure of a Circle K at Prince and Oracle.

Instead of examining the systemic issues leading to homelessness and addiction in our community, the hosts resorted to dehumanizing language, referring to struggling community members as "Fenty heads" and "zombies."

This rhetoric demonstrates a disturbing lack of empathy and promotes harmful stereotypes obstructing solutions to our city's challenges.

🏛️ The Conservative Mockery of Progressive Leadership: A Case Study of Lane Santa Cruz

The October 21, 2024, broadcast of Wake Up Tucson provided a troubling glimpse into how conservative media undermines progressive BIPOC leadership through ridicule and dismissal. The hosts' treatment of Councilmember Lane Santa Cruz's newsletter became a case study in cultural insensitivity and privileged perspective, revealing deep-seated biases against community-focused governance.

Host Chris DeSimone's performance was particularly telling. He mockingly read through Santa Cruz's newsletter with exaggerated derision.

"So with all the things going on, crime-wise... Let's see what's on Lane Santa Cruz's mind today," he began, before dismissively cataloging initiatives ranging from Indigenous Peoples' Day recognition to participatory budgeting.

His tone dripped with sarcasm as he read, "First important thing is the Indigenous People's day. Okay. Um, it's a moment to reflect on the injustices they have endured. So we got that."

The hosts reserved particular scorn for "FUGA’s Caravana to the Ballot Box" a community cycling initiative designed to encourage voter participation. Their mockery of this program exemplifies their broader disdain for grassroots community engagement efforts, especially those designed to empower historically marginalized communities.

Rather than engaging with the substantive value of increasing civic participation through accessible transportation, they chose to ridicule the initiative's cultural elements.

What's particularly striking about their coverage is what they mocked and failed to acknowledge. The hosts showed no recognition of the importance of cultural representation in governance, the proven effectiveness of housing-first approaches to homelessness, or the crucial role of participatory democracy in building equitable communities. For instance, their dismissal of the Old Pueblo Community Services HousingFirst center came without any engagement with the extensive research supporting such programs.

From a progressive Chicano perspective, Santa Cruz's newsletter demonstrates exactly the inclusive, community-focused governance Tucson needs. Her attention to Indigenous Peoples' Day acknowledges our community's historical context and ongoing struggles. The support for sustainable transportation initiatives addresses both environmental and equity concerns. The emphasis on participatory budgeting shows a commitment to democratic engagement beyond traditional governance models.

The hosts' closing commentary perhaps best encapsulates their problematic approach. "This is what's odd. This is the Lane Santa Cruz... If you don't know, now you know, everyone says I'm too harsh on these crew." This statement, laden with dismissive undertones, reflects a broader pattern of delegitimizing progressive BIPOC leadership through ridicule and marginalization.

This treatment of Santa Cruz's work illuminates the ongoing challenges faced by progressive BIPOC leaders in local government. When implementing community-focused, culturally responsive governance, they face policy opposition, personal ridicule, and cultural dismissal. The hosts' approach to Santa Cruz's newsletter serves as a perfect example of how conservative media often works to undermine progressive leadership by trivializing cultural initiatives, dismissing community engagement, and mocking attempts at inclusive governance.

Ultimately, this episode of Wake Up Tucson demonstrates not the failure of progressive leadership but rather the persistent challenge of implementing equitable, community-focused governance in the face of conservative opposition that refuses to engage seriously with alternative approaches to building a better city.

🎓 University Scene

The University of Arizona segment, covering homecoming events and sports developments, including a new women's ice hockey deal at Mosaic Quarter, demonstrated their tendency to reduce complex institutional matters to superficial commentary.

Rather than exploring the implications for gender equity in sports or the broader impact on our community, the discussion remained firmly anchored in financial concerns and surface-level observations.

🗳️ Election and Political Discussion

Perhaps most troubling was their treatment of immigration issues, particularly in their discussion of Prop 314.

The hosts presented crime statistics and narratives that painted immigration in a decidedly negative light while dismissing progressive voices like Isabel Garcia, who raised legitimate concerns about enforcement costs and human rights implications.

Their uncritical acceptance of recently revised FBI crime statistics, without examining the broader context or methodology, further exemplified their selective use of data to support pre-existing biases.

👮 Law Enforcement Controversy

The show's coverage of local law enforcement controversies, particularly regarding Sheriff Chris Nanos and administrative leaves within the department, demonstrated their one-dimensional approach to complex issues of accountability and justice. Rather than exploring the broader implications for community safety and police-community relations, the hosts focused on political point-scoring.

Throughout the broadcast, the hosts' perspective consistently prioritized business interests and conservative viewpoints over community needs and progressive solutions. Their analysis of economic development, comparing Tucson unfavorably with Buckeye, Arizona, revealed a narrow focus on corporate metrics while ignoring crucial factors like environmental impact, community benefits, and sustainable development practices.

This broadcast serves as a clear example of how conservative media can shape a narrative while avoiding substantive discussion of systemic issues and community-based solutions. It reminds us of the importance of diverse voices in our media landscape and the need for more nuanced, inclusive dialogue about our city's future.

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🦉 Three Sonorans Commentary

The Colonial Mindset Alive and Well

From the sterile confines of their radio studio, Wake Up Tucson's hosts recently delivered a broadcast that serves as a perfect case study of how conservative media perpetuates colonial mindsets and class warfare in our beloved borderlands community. Their October 21st show wasn't just conservative commentary – it was a masterclass in privilege-blind rhetoric that demands thorough deconstruction.

The hosts' gleeful discussion of the Circle K closure at Prince and Oracle laid bare their cruel perspective on human suffering. By referring to community members struggling with addiction as "Fenty heads" and "zombies," they didn't just demonstrate a lack of empathy – they actively contributed to the dehumanization that prevents our community from implementing real solutions to the addiction and housing crisis. Their celebration of this closure conveniently ignored the systemic issues at play: the lack of accessible healthcare, insufficient addiction treatment resources, our ongoing housing affordability crisis, and the deep-rooted income inequality that plagues our community.

Perhaps most revealing was their treatment of Council Member Lane Santa Cruz's newsletter, particularly their mockery of FUGA's Caravana to the Ballot Box. Combining cultural celebration with civic engagement, this community initiative became a target for their derision. The hosts' deliberate misrepresentation of this grassroots democracy effort reveals their contempt for community-based civic engagement, particularly when it emerges from our Chicano community. Their ridicule of bilingual initiatives and cultural celebrations isn't just insensitive – it's a direct attack on the multicultural fabric of Tucson.

Their discussion of immigration and Prop 314 followed a familiar playbook of fear-mongering and selective data presentation. When respected civil rights advocate Isabel Garcia raised legitimate concerns about the proposition's costs and human rights implications, they dismissed her expertise without engaging with her arguments. Their eager citation of conveniently revised FBI crime statistics while ignoring the economic contributions of immigrants, the human cost of family separation and the historical context of border militarization demonstrates their commitment to a narrative of fear over facts.

The hosts' celebration of corporate development in Buckeye while dismissing Tucson's community-focused initiatives reveals their colonial perspective on economic development. Their praise for a $20 billion data center project while mocking local sustainability initiatives and cultural celebrations prioritizes corporate profits over community wellbeing. This approach ignores critical issues like environmental impact, Indigenous land rights, water sustainability, and cultural preservation.

Their dismissal of Housing First initiatives demonstrates either willing ignorance or deliberate misrepresentation of evidence-based solutions to homelessness. Rather than engaging with the extensive research showing the effectiveness of these programs, they opted for mockery and dismissal. This choice reveals their preference for punitive approaches over proven solutions.

As our community grapples with real challenges – from climate change to housing affordability to healthcare access – we need serious discussions of solutions, not the conservative ridicule of progressive leadership. The hosts' perspectives represent the dying gasps of colonial mindsets that have no place in modern Tucson. Their mockery of progressive initiatives isn't just about politics – it's about maintaining systems of privilege and inequality that have harmed our communities for generations.

The path forward requires us to actively support progressive BIPOC leadership, defend evidence-based solutions to homelessness and addiction, protect immigrant rights, promote sustainable development, and preserve cultural celebrations and community initiatives. Our community deserves better than their privileged dismissal of real solutions and human dignity.

As we continue building a more equitable Tucson, we must remember that their ridicule of initiatives like FUGA's Caravana to the Ballot Box reveals more about their fears of genuine democratic participation than any failings of progressive leadership. La lucha continúa – the struggle continues, and conservative mockery won't deter our community's path toward justice and equity.

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👯 People Mentioned

Political Figures & Public Officials

Lane Santa Cruz

• Tucson City Council Member

• Criticized for newsletter focusing on cultural events and community initiatives

• Hosts mocked her "Kultura ex Chicano vibes festival" and FUGA's Caravana initiative

Katie Hobbs

• Arizona Governor

• Referred to as "veto queen"

• "She's running around spiking the football. Look at all the vetoes. I saw, I said a record. Look at me."

Chris Nanos

• Pima County Sheriff

• Subject of federal lawsuit

• Criticized for placing political rivals on administrative leave

• "Nanos knows nothing about accountability"

Heather Lappin

• Sheriff's department employee

• Placed on administrative leave

• Mentioned in context of "election interference"

Isabel Garcia

• Civil rights advocate

• Criticized Prop 314

• Quote about her: "When has she ever been concerned about any of the financial accountability and transparency?"

Paul Cunningham

• Referenced regarding endorsement of Heather Lappin

• "Mr. Bravery had to wait till all the early ballots came out first"

Regina Romero

• Referenced regarding city leadership

• Mentioned in context of "business folks tell you, oh, everything's great. Cause I get to go to a meeting with Regina Romero and give her a half ass hug"

Jan Lesher

• County Administrator

• Mentioned regarding overdose fatality review committee memo

Law Enforcement/Legal Figures

Steve Zerbalik

• AZ COPS attorney

• Quoted: "it's unprecedented for my experience to have a candidate silenced by their political opponent"

Aaron Cross

• Sergeant involved in lawsuit against Nanos

• Filed federal civil rights lawsuit

University/Sports Related

Ted McGinley

• Referenced in pop culture context

• "Ted McGinley is the grim reaper of television shows"

Historical/Reference Figures

Arnold Palmer

• Referenced multiple times in context of Trump comments

• Used as recurring joke throughout show

Media/Entertainment References

Lizzo

• Music artist

• Quoted regarding Detroit: "if Kamala wins than the whole country will be just like Detroit"

Local Business/Community Figures

Tom Litwiki

• Referenced regarding Old Pueblo community services

• Mentioned in context of housing first initiatives

Chris Ackerley

• Discussed treasurer presentation

• Praised for organizational chart presentation

Historical References Used

Rue McClanahan & Bea Arthur

• Golden Girls actresses referenced in football metaphor

• Used to mock athletic performance

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📢 Propaganda Analysis: Wake Up Tucson's Rhetorical Playbook

Systematic Breakdown of Propaganda Techniques

1. Dehumanization and Othering

The show consistently employs dehumanizing language to create an "us vs. them" narrative:

• Uses terms like "Fenty heads" and "zombies" to describe people struggling with addiction

• Portrays immigrants as criminals rather than human beings

• Creates moral distance between "taxpayers" and those requiring social services

• Example quote: "Circle K on Princeton Oracle has been destroyed by the Fenty zombies"

2. Fear Mongering and Moral Panic

The hosts cultivate fear through:

• Selective use of crime statistics

• Exaggerated portrayal of social disorder

• Apocalyptic descriptions of Tucson's conditions

• Comparing Tucson unfavorably to other cities without context Quote: "We have allowed this from a leadership sector... they've made you believe this is normal"

3. False Equivalence and Cherry-Picking

The show regularly:

• Compares Tucson to Mesa and Avondale without acknowledging demographic differences

• Selectively presents FBI crime statistics

• Ignores systemic causes while focusing on symptoms

• Uses isolated incidents to make broader claims about progressive policies

4. Mockery as Delegitimization

Consistently uses ridicule to undermine:

• Progressive BIPOC leadership (particularly Lane Santa Cruz)

• Cultural initiatives and bilingual programs

• Community-based solutions to social issues

• Housing first approaches Example: Mocking pronunciation of Spanish language programs and initiatives

5. Appeal to "Common Sense" Fallacy

The hosts frequently:

• Present complex issues as simple problems with obvious solutions

• Dismiss research-based approaches as unnecessary

• Suggest that "everyone knows" their perspective is correct

• Use phrases like "just get out of your bubble" to dismiss alternative viewpoints

6. Scapegoating

Consistently blames:

• Democratic leadership for all local problems

• Immigrants for crime and social issues

• Progressive policies for economic challenges

• "Thralls" and "bureaucrats" for government inefficiency

7. Nostalgia Manipulation

Employs:

• Idealized references to past conditions

• Suggestions that conservative leadership would restore order

• Implications that traditional approaches were better

• Dismissal of cultural change and diversity as problematic

8. False Dichotomies

Creates artificial choices between:

• Public safety and human services

• Economic development and community initiatives

• Cultural celebration and effective governance

• Law enforcement and accountability

9. Emotional Manipulation

Uses:

• Outrage as a primary emotional driver

• Sarcasm to dismiss opposing viewpoints

• Ridicule to delegitimize progressive initiatives

• Fear to motivate opposition to change

10. Information Control

Demonstrates through:

• Selective presentation of statistics

• Limited context for complex issues

• Dismissal of contrary evidence

• Ignoring successful progressive initiatives

Key Propaganda Patterns

The show's propaganda strategy reveals several consistent patterns:

1. Delegitimization of BIPOC leadership

2. Promotion of colonial mindsets

3. Prioritization of corporate interests over community needs

4. Dismissal of evidence-based solutions

5. Use of fear as a political motivator

Impact Analysis

This propaganda approach:

• Prevents meaningful dialogue about community solutions

• Reinforces existing prejudices and biases

• Obstructs evidence-based policy implementation

• Promotes division rather than unity

• Undermines democratic participation

The show's propaganda techniques serve to maintain existing power structures while preventing serious consideration of progressive solutions to community challenges.