Monday, April 04, 2005
The Minuteman Project: Will it sink?
I think that the reporter who wrote this has his doubts about this project. Personally I suspect it will either end as a farce or a tragedy. My money is on a farce.
Jax
TOMBSTONE, AZ -- (OfficialWire) -- 04/04/05 -- For the next 30 days, members of a growing band of weekend warriors, dubbed the Minutemen Project, plan to rotate shifts around the clock keeping an eye on the Arizona-Mexico border and looking for illegal immigrants and smugglers who allegedly cross the desert in southeast Arizona.
The project was the brainchild of Chris Simcox, a 44-year-old former kindergarten teacher from Los Angeles who moved to Tombstone, Arizona a few years ago.
After buying a local newspaper Simcox focused his attention on the illegal immigration issue. "This area is one of the hottest spots in the country," he said...as compared to say, Cincinnati, Ohio. "There are hundreds of 'illegals' over that border just waiting to cross," he added, apparently unaware of the fact that the residents of Mexico were not 'illegal' until they actually crossed the U.S. border.
Nearly 400 civilians composed of mostly retired men who have formed an all-volunteer civilian border patrol have joined Simcox, many armed with handguns, are wandering around the border-zone looking for what Simcox called 'suspicious activity'. Handguns are legal in Arizona as long as the weapon is not concealed. Simcox said he has given the men strict orders not to use their guns. "I told everyone we're to spot and report," he explained. "We're to be vigilant, alert, observant and to report suspicious activity to appropriate authorities."
But residents and legitimate border patrol agents are worried that the volunteers could injure someone or be hurt themselves. U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Jose Garza said: "The Mexican smuggling organizations are willing to assault our agents, and they're going to be willing to assault these civilians who put themselves in harm's way."
Ray Borane, the mayor of nearby Douglas, a border town of 15,000 mostly Hispanic residents, labeled the Minutemen vigilantes. "They have a lynch-mob mentality, especially when it comes to dealing with illegal immigrants," he said. "[The Minutemen] have no training, no sensitivity. They come in here and have a good time chasing these people down and then leave. That doesn't set very well with us here."
From all accounts, Simcox and his band of wannabe 'agents' appear obsessed with the issue. One report found that the Minutemen's leader had actually located one lone person, standing on a hilltop on the Mexican side of the border.
"See! There's somebody standing right up there!" said Simcox, who pointed at the individual who was later identified as a Mexican reporter, carrying a camera.
Fortunately, no one was shot. (Link)
Jax
TOMBSTONE, AZ -- (OfficialWire) -- 04/04/05 -- For the next 30 days, members of a growing band of weekend warriors, dubbed the Minutemen Project, plan to rotate shifts around the clock keeping an eye on the Arizona-Mexico border and looking for illegal immigrants and smugglers who allegedly cross the desert in southeast Arizona.
The project was the brainchild of Chris Simcox, a 44-year-old former kindergarten teacher from Los Angeles who moved to Tombstone, Arizona a few years ago.
After buying a local newspaper Simcox focused his attention on the illegal immigration issue. "This area is one of the hottest spots in the country," he said...as compared to say, Cincinnati, Ohio. "There are hundreds of 'illegals' over that border just waiting to cross," he added, apparently unaware of the fact that the residents of Mexico were not 'illegal' until they actually crossed the U.S. border.
Nearly 400 civilians composed of mostly retired men who have formed an all-volunteer civilian border patrol have joined Simcox, many armed with handguns, are wandering around the border-zone looking for what Simcox called 'suspicious activity'. Handguns are legal in Arizona as long as the weapon is not concealed. Simcox said he has given the men strict orders not to use their guns. "I told everyone we're to spot and report," he explained. "We're to be vigilant, alert, observant and to report suspicious activity to appropriate authorities."
But residents and legitimate border patrol agents are worried that the volunteers could injure someone or be hurt themselves. U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Jose Garza said: "The Mexican smuggling organizations are willing to assault our agents, and they're going to be willing to assault these civilians who put themselves in harm's way."
Ray Borane, the mayor of nearby Douglas, a border town of 15,000 mostly Hispanic residents, labeled the Minutemen vigilantes. "They have a lynch-mob mentality, especially when it comes to dealing with illegal immigrants," he said. "[The Minutemen] have no training, no sensitivity. They come in here and have a good time chasing these people down and then leave. That doesn't set very well with us here."
From all accounts, Simcox and his band of wannabe 'agents' appear obsessed with the issue. One report found that the Minutemen's leader had actually located one lone person, standing on a hilltop on the Mexican side of the border.
"See! There's somebody standing right up there!" said Simcox, who pointed at the individual who was later identified as a Mexican reporter, carrying a camera.
Fortunately, no one was shot. (Link)
