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| 2005-03-17 |
| More than 1,000 volunteers !!! are expected to take part in a monthlong vigil on the Arizona-Mexico border in what organizers said yesterday will be a peaceful protest of the government's failure to control illegal immigration, complete with guidelines on how to avoid confrontations and handle the press. "This call for volunteers is not a call to arms, but a call to voices seeking a peaceful and respectable resolve to the chaotic neglect by members of our local, state and federal governments charged with applying U.S. immigration law," said James Gilchrist, organizer of the so-called "Minuteman Project" border vigil set to begin April 1. About 700 volunteers are expected at opening-day rallies, with more joining as the vigil continues through April 30 near U.S. Border Patrol stations in Naco, Ariz., and Douglas, Ariz. Volunteers have been told to let the agents know that "we appreciate their efforts." The volunteers will operate under guidelines issued by the border-vigil organizers calling for them not to spark confrontations with any outside protesters or create negative press coverage. The volunteers have been told that some people will try to provoke confrontations, and they should not react. They also have been told to be "careful" what they say to members of the press, because "they can be the enemy." "Give them no reason to use a sound bite that will cleverly be used to make you look bad," one of the guidelines says. "If there are opposition protesters, you can send them a message by ignoring them. Wave, smile and ignore all idiots. Let them make fools of themselves, but do not stoop to their level of ignorance. Let the media show them as the aggressors. This is a peaceful protest," said another guideline. According to the guidelines, volunteers will not be permitted to carry rifles, but will be allowed to carry handguns if they are licensed to do so. An operational plan calls for teams of four to six persons, assigned at intervals of 200 to 300 yards, to be deployed along a 20-mile stretch of the border known as the San Pedro River Valley. The plan also calls for the volunteers to go no closer to the border than one mile, and they have been told to make "lots of noise and burn campfires at night to be very visible." Mr. Gilchrist said the protest mission is to observe and report only, and there would be no attempt to detain any illegal aliens. He said because the Minuteman Project is aimed at deterring border crossers, he expects alien smugglers to avoid the targeted area and cross elsewhere to the east and west " proving that "a real presence on the border" can deter illegal immigration. Another protest organizer, Chris Simcox, has warned the volunteers to be respectful of the Mexican government and to direct their comments about a lack of immigration enforcement towards President Bush and Congress. "There is only one way to stop the invasion, and that is for our government to do its job and seal the border," he said. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #19 Together with guns, all these guys should have a camera, still or video and take as many pictures as they can. |
| Posted by: SwissTex 2005-03-17 9:00:17 PM |
| #18 The best way to avoid the militia trap is to find a few and make a public example of them by expelling them, preferably with a friendly, photogenic kick or two to the backside. |
| Posted by: thibaud (aka lex) 2005-03-17 5:12:55 PM |
| #17 Here's a good link to keep up with the local news when the time comes: http://www.carnageaz.com/ |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-03-17 4:20:04 PM |
| #16 Exactly or it'll be the militia fiasco again. The reality is that it will be anyway. The MSM has predetermined this. |
| Posted by: AzCat 2005-03-17 3:26:52 PM |
| #15 We do NOT want the 'seal-the-border' movement to be identified in any way, shape or form with the nutbags. Exactly or it'll be the militia fiasco again. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-03-17 1:31:24 PM |
| #14 This is all well and good, but I have a problem. It's this: 99.9% of the people participating are going to be good, law-abiding, decent folks. And 0.1% will be some asshole member of an ultra-right wing, nutbag milita group from the Identity Xian Church or something, there hell-bent on causing trouble. They, of course, will get 100% of media attention, especially if there is violence. One of the Arizona papers (don't remember which one) pointed this out, and it's true. We do NOT want the 'seal-the-border' movement to be identified in any way, shape or form with the nutbags. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2005-03-17 1:28:36 PM |
| #13 would just knock seven bells out of any argument that he was just a lone gun nut randomly shooting at innocent people. You haven't been watching the ABC/CBS/NBC/CNN/BBC/etc.... news lately haven't you? They will just leave off all the qualifications and imply that he is a lone gun nut randomly shooting into crowds of innocent people, puppies, cute baby seals, and baby ducks... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-03-17 1:10:02 PM |
| #12 DiFi? I am amazed. http://www.parapundit.com/archives/002668.html#002668 |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-03-17 11:41:21 AM |
| #11 Posted a mile back from the border? Fine. Make sure they have heavy mortars set up behind them, just in case the Sonoran pigs and the Groupies start getting pushy. Any of these guys know how to read a map and call in a strike without landing the rounds on their own lines? |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-03-17 11:26:55 AM |
| #10 Yes - and the 100 Mara S. members the Feds rounded up on Monday and Tuesday is a very small percent of their membership. It was, however, a warning shot that the Feds are not amused at the threat. |
| Posted by: too true 2005-03-17 11:06:04 AM |
| #9 Arizona law about open carry (and legal, licensed, concealed carry, BTW), are all well and good, *but*, I think these folks want to play it extra safe. Even in AZ, police officers and others can be "licensed" to carry a gun, and this affords them *extra* legal protections in case they need to use them. Testimony like "I am a retired police officer and am trained and licensed to own and use a firearm. I have received over 70 hours of training in the use of my weapon, and have logged in over 2000 hours of practice in the police firearms range", would just knock seven bells out of any argument that he was just a lone gun nut randomly shooting at innocent people. Otherwise, I once again want to remind everyone that a vicious central and South American crime gang has been ordered by its boss, from prison, to "make an example" out of these militiamen. So do not be surprised if at some point there is a LOT of gun play, with maybe a bunch of people getting killed. I would suspect that the bad guys would try to get a mob together to cross the border as a group, then, when they get close to a militiaman position, open fire with automatic weapons, then scram back across the border. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-03-17 11:01:09 AM |
| #8 And with digital videocams streaming the whole thing back to the American public. Mexico will have the whole country up in arms if they violate the border in April. |
| Posted by: too true 2005-03-17 10:56:22 AM |
| #7 jeez! One mile buffer in from the border won't guarantee a lack of conflict with Mexican military. Anyone from the border region knows that the Mexican army units and Grupo Beta have crossed much further into the US than that. This is almost too PC. Bright lights and armed for self-defense is the minmum necessary |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-03-17 10:45:42 AM |
| #6 Or the concept of "handgun = defensive weapon" as opposed to "handguns = bad". :-P re: DO -- 18 of them are from New York of all places ... P.S. As far as I know, many a company has had to make gun variants just for certain states ... |
| Posted by: Glosing Slang5997 2005-03-17 10:33:06 AM |
| #5 I think that's aimed at people from states that require permits. Yours for the 2nd ... |
| Posted by: too true 2005-03-17 10:27:57 AM |
| #4 volunteers will not be permitted to carry rifles, but will be allowed to carry handguns if they are licensed to do so. Arizona is an open carry state. Anyone, who can legally own a gun, can legally openly carry a gun. Why they should restrict this to those "licensed to do so" is odd. Arizona does not have gun ownership licenses. What license do they mean? A CCW or Law Enforcement Organization membership? If they really don't want anyone to carry a gun, they should just say so, not try to qualify it in some sort of bogus way. I suppose there are issues with running into laws aimed at preventing private militias, but there is also the second amendment. |
| Posted by: DO 2005-03-17 10:21:27 AM |
| #3 They have a site up, Mrs. D. |
| Posted by: too true 2005-03-17 8:59:57 AM |
| #2 They also have been told to be "careful" what they say to members of the press, because "they can be the enemy." Didn't take them long to figure that out. Jackal, perhaps you should offer to take care of PR and start a blog for them to use to disseminate their side of the story broadly. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-03-17 8:45:34 AM |
| #1 I support these guys 100%. While I won't be joining them, I'm looking into how to give them logistical help or something (I live in Tucson, about 90 miles from where they will be working.) |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-03-17 8:42:47 AM |