Support our Minutemen Patriots!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Posted on 02/27/2006 9:21:47 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
Motivated by an important issue — but bloated by self-importance — the Minutemen patrolled the border to stem the tide of illegal immigration.
President Bush called them "a vigilante group," a potentially dangerous intrusion into the realm of law enforcement officials.
That was almost a year ago, and his words ring truer than ever.
Already unnecessary, the Minutemen have been rendered even more superfluous, thanks to a state program dubbed Operation Linebacker, which has allocated nearly $10 million for border security since December.
With much of the money going to bolster sheriff's departments from Brownsville to El Paso, the program created a second line of defense for the Border Patrol.
"They served their purpose by attracting attention," El Paso County Sheriff Leo Samaniego told the El Paso Times recently. "They made their point. Now that we have (Operation) Linebacker, I don't think we need them."
The Minutemen, as stubborn as they are unnecessary, may not go away quietly, but if they really want to serve their country, they will let more qualified people — the law enforcement officials on the border — address the problem.
"We've got a lot of Border Patrol agents trying to chase the good, hardworking people down," Bush told the U.S. Conference of Mayors more than a year ago. "If we make the system work right, if we make it legitimate, then our Border Patrol will be able to chase down true threats to our national security."
With the assaults against journalists in Nuevo Laredo and the intimidation of deputies in Hudspeth County, those threats have become more serious than ever.
Instead of helping solve it, the Minutemen aggravate the problem.
Samaniego is right; Texas does not need them.
We still need a (Operation) Line, Sheriff!
Vigilantes Ping!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
President Bush called them "a vigilante group," a potentially dangerous intrusion into the realm of law enforcement officials.
That was almost a year ago, and his words ring truer than ever
The Minutemen have never tried to replace law enforcement.
They have tried to aid law enforcement by providing them with information.
I haven't seen any evidence that the Minutemen have interferred with the border patrol or with law inforcement.
I'm happy to see that law enforcement is getting additional funding, however no rational person can argue that the border is even reasonably close to being secure.
The Sheriff may not want the help of the Minutemen. However, they aren't breaking any laws. They are providing information to law enforcement and in doing so they are also providing information about what law enforcement is doing and what they are failing to do.
A Sheriff who is trying to do his job should appreciate that more exposure on this topic should help him get the resources needed to attack the problem.
Even though I did not particularly like the San Antonio Light, I do miss media competition. With one newspaper for the City, this is the kind of crap reporting that we get.
I seem to notice the Officer didn't seem to think the illegal workers are a bad thing. He just wanted to stop terrorist. That seems like selective law enforcement to me. Do they get to do that now-a-day?
Perhaps the San Antonio Express-Sleaze can document a single incident involving the Minutemen in Texas where they engaged in anything else than the border equivalent of a Neighborhood Watch.
So then we should see an editorial tomorrow from these yahoos saying that Neighborhood Watch groups are vigilantes as well.
Already unnecessary, the Minutemen have been rendered even more superfluous, thanks to a state program dubbed Operation Linebacker, which has allocated nearly $10 million for border security since December.
Wow. Ten million bucks.
That amounts to a bit over $11,000 dollars per mile of Texas-Mexico border. Which means that might pay for one extra man every eight miles or so after all costs are factored in - and that doesn't even cover the cost of holding illegals for deportation or legal proceedings.
Window dressing.
One should question why he doesn't want citizen envolvement. Perhaps the Sheriff has something to hide.
It would seem that when the money is spent hiring and training new recruits (and common sense would dictate hiring from the Minutemen, as possible), then I would aree the Minutemen are superfluous.
At that point they also should be Thanked, as individual volunteers for the defence of their country, officially by the government. IMHO.
Apparently. I'd say that that is why they want the minutemen to "go away".
aree......? agree.
The minutemen proved that it is possible to seal the border; all you have to do is want to do it.
That is why law enforcement doesn't like them, they prove that the current state of affairs is not an unstoppable force of nature, it is a decision. People with names have decided not to enforce the law.
The writer has an obvious bias against citizen involvement in law enforcement. He probably is unaware that this is a republic; that we are citizens. We delegate our powers to our government employees, but we do not cede them, we do not give them up. In the end, a policeman has no power that we do not ourselves have.
If our leaders do not do their jobs, we have the right to take action.
Thanks for posting this article.
"With the assaults against journalists in Nuevo Laredo and the intimidation of deputies in Hudspeth County, those threats have become more serious than ever."
So now the state has a fund to buy more gear and staff.
Where will the money go? How much increase in manpower is planned? Seems the author is short on info, but high on fear. The enemy says put down your weapons or we will kill you. If you don't cooperate with us, we will kill you.
Journalists shot, intimidation of deputies......??? So... sounds like more is better. Not less. Show me more first, I say to the journalist who is an editorialist.
"Instead of helping solve it, the Minutemen aggravate the problem. Samaniego is right; Texas does not need them."
But Texans think so, and they are Texas.
This Texan think we need them. Heck, if I could manage the time, I'd BE one of them.
hahahahahahaha!!
El Paso County Sheriff Leo Samaniego
Oh yes. The illegals the Mexican racists have won. Let's all give up now. :)
He He , hiding behind "editorial?" Right. No one willing to put their name on this hate spew fest, right? Well here is a bit of info for the OBL lurkers out there. In my FACE TO FACE TWO HOUR MEETING with El Paso County Sheriff Leo Samaniego he was very clear that the Texas Minutemen are very welcome anytime, wether he NEEDS the help or not. I will let everyone know what his opinion is of the Border Watch operations as well as the opinions of Sheriff West and his Deputies of Hudspeth County Sheriff's Department when we meet with them in about a month during the April Operation.
By the way, Mr. hide behind the "editorial" staff of the San Antonio Express, Operation Linebacker has yet to put one (1) additional LEO on the border, stop one load of dope or report a single illegal border buster.
In the meantime, we will let you know how many illegals are flooding across the border THIS year.
sheesh, what an utter pinhead...
Did a search and it looks like ineed to STFU!
Did anybody else catch this? Methinks that the CBP and sheriffs may want the Minutemen to quit cutting into the profits from smuggling.
I think the 10 million is evidence the Minutement are MORE important now.
I think the volunteers keep the border patrol honest and that is the problem for the advocates. They can't use PC to misdirect or force them to stay in a certain place, also the volunteers are far more location flexible than bureacratic government employees.
One should question why he doesn't want citizen envolvement. Perhaps the Sheriff has something to hide.
If someone would check into this Sheriff, I bet they'd find a bleeding heart Lib up for re-election.
Perhaps the minutemen should change the name of their group. To liberals, "minutemen" = "militias" = "angry white guys".
Change it to the "National Neighborhood Watch Program". That would confound libs. Then when people complain, the former "minutemen" could draw the natural comparisons and ask, "if its a good thing to help police in this manner, why isn't it a good thing to help the Border Patrol in the same way?"
Then sit back and whatch libs hem, haw and tap-dance their way through whatever dumbass excuses pop into their addled brains.
I don't think the Sheriff has anything to hide, I think the "editorial" is hiding somthing itself, such as the entirity of what the Sheriff had to say. Here is more from the El Paso Times from today...
Sheriffs to go before D.C. panels
More leaders will testify about border violence
Michael D. Hernandez
El Paso Times
Monday, February 27, 2006
The chorus of border sheriffs asking for greater support from the federal government is expected to grow this week in Washington, D.C., during congressional hearings addressing violence in communities near Mexico.
The Texas Border Sheriffs' Coalition has tapped sheriffs Todd Garrison of Doña Ana County and Larry Dever of Cochise County in Arizona (Sheriff Dever from the original MMP) to help provide testimony during Thursday's House subcommittee hearing titled, "Outgunned and Outmanned: Enforcement Confronts Violence Along the Southern Border."
"Whatever Congress decides to improve our situation should also go for the entire Southwest," El Paso County Sheriff Leo Samaniego said about inviting his colleagues from New Mexico and Arizona. "We want to show solidarity and provide Congress with what the other sheriffs have experienced."
Members of the coalition also will testify at a Senate subcommittee hearing on Wednesday and will meet privately with officials from the Department of Homeland Security.
Both hearings have become important venues for the coalition as it argues for more federal money through a $100 million border security bill that was passed in the House of Representatives and is being considered by the Senate. (and has a chance that the libs will blow it out of the water)
A Jan. 23 standoff between law enforcement officers from the United States and armed gunman fleeing Hudspeth County back into Mexico has touched off scrutiny of the border by Congress. (along with 2 and fixing to be 3 Border watch operations.)
An increase in federal funds for local law enforcement would bring desperate relief to the border, said Culberson County Sheriff Oscar Carrillo.
"Right now, we are only able to work along I-10," he said. "With more money we can buy off-road equipment because, right now, we really don't know what's going on near the (Rio Grande)."
Well well. Sounds to me like all of the Sheriff's coalition need all the help they can get and will not stick their nose up at anything. So much for the hate spew fest from the "editorial" from the San Antonio paper...
Someone finally got that one.
Vigilantes is Spanish for watchmen.
Thank you, President Bush!
My suggestion was more apropos than I thought.
ping
FWIW, last Friday I drove from McAllen through Beaumont into La. I was in a Dodge SUV with a u-haul. At the Falfurrias check point, I was just waved on through. Normally, I take up for the border patrol but not this time. They weren't checking anyone,.
We passed 3 truck weigh stations. Only one was open and being used. The number of rest parks far out number weigh stations.
Let's just see how good their program does. IF it's successful, then great. IF not, then we still need the Minutemen!
Border sheriffs embrace funding [Texas Operation Linebacker]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1563280/posts
[Texas: Val Verde]County backs ‘Operation Linebacker’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1504200/posts
Support our Minutemen Patriots!
Be Ever Vigilant!
" Bush told the U.S. Conference of Mayors more than a year ago. "If we make the system work right, if we make it legitimate, then our Border Patrol will be able to chase down true threats to our national security."
Their turning this country into a 3rd world sewer like they fled is a far bigger threat than some rag head terrorist in the long run.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1563280/posts
[Texas: Val Verde]County backs 'Operation Linebacker'
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1504200/posts
Oh yes, I know they do. I'm really glad they're finally getting some help. The Minutemen served a very good purpose and as long as our politicians stay out of the border operation, it might actually work. As soon as Bush gets his amnesty program, we won't need any programs. They will be wide open borders!!
Lies, Lies, and More Lies!!!
I spent about 5 hours along the Border Saturday, giving someone a tour, later gathering information, it is very obvious that many more Minutemen are needed!!!
Perhaps the Sheriff has something to hide.
Most of them do.
President Bush called them "a vigilante group,"
Which he never should of done.
I was at a business in Long Beach today and they had a "person"
there doing some painting. On the hood of the "person's" car it said "Fu@K the U.S. Government.
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