Posted on 04/08/2005 9:41:04 AM PDT by hsmomx3
Minuteman Project Undercover
The protests and the patrols, the flags and the signs, Minuteman Project coordinator Jim Gilchrist has told the media this "event" running like a well-oiled machine.
Gilchrist says, "The sheriff's department has been very supportive."
But behind the scenes, our hidden cameras show there are problems and plenty the Minutemen are not telling reporters.
Lady on Hidden cam says, "We don't want the press to find out where the information is being handed out because we'll have CNN and FOX and yeah."
They're controlling what you hear, from why some of these volunteers "really" came to southern Arizona.
John says, "If the border's gone, they're going to be pushing drugs on every one of our kids at school."
To problems the organizers are having controlling the extremists who showed up.
John says, "The guys up here, on what we were talking about earlier on Mountain View, with the shotguns and the flag and lighting the fire. And lighting a fire on G-----n BLM land."
To get the real story, we went undercover, camping and patrolling with the Minuteman volunteers.
We blended in because we had signed up as volunteers ourselves.
Lady on Hidden Cam says, "Noon and four.. Chris will give you your assignments - probably walk you in to the spot."
Our "spot" is at the base of the Huachuca Mountains, on the side of a state highway, just south of Sierra Vista.
Along with instructions on what to do if our group spots illegal immigrants, we're told something else over and over.
Guy in Green says, "Don't be talking to the press. They'll misconstrue things.. not all of them.. but we don't know which ones will and which ones won't."
The concern over the media is so great all of the volunteers are given these guidelines, that give suggestions for what they should say if they are interviewed.
Lady says, "Economically it's ruining us. Environmentally it's ruining us."
Suggestions that make it onto the major news networks.
Man says, "I think it's become a major national security issue."
But the stories we get from our fellow volunteers when they don't know they're on camera give an uncensored version.
Marc says, "You walk into a MacDonald's and you wake up and realize the entire third world is here."
This Tucson resident tells us he doesn't like what Mexicans do to his neighborhood.
Marc says, "It's not like these are poor immigrants coming here for minimum wage jobs. A lot of these people have thousands of dollars in their pockets."
This couple from Georgia tell us they believe their small town is being invaded.
Georgia Man says, "Until the Mexicans started moving in in 94..95.. Dalton was about 35-thousand."
There are eight volunteers in our group, from as far away as Boston and Washington, DC.
Our mission is to patrol this stretch of roadway, keeping an eye on two washes and a field.
It doesn't take long to find what the Minutemen are looking for.
Guy in Green says, "(So what do we have?) They're sleeping under the bridge. I just called the Border Patrol.. they're sending a guy out."
This man and the woman from Georgia have spotted a group of suspected illegal immigrants.
Guy in Green says, "The lady here.. she took off like a herd of elephants."
Unfamiliar with the terrain and the situation, the lady from Georgia tripped and fell, splitting her chin.
Marc says, "One of them just ran up the wash and there's possibly four more."
Across the highway, more Minutemen show up with video cameras, eager to catch a real apprehension on tape.
After 10-minutes, Border Patrol agents arrive and take five illegal immigrants into custody.
The Minutemen here follow their instructions - keeping their distance - and observing, as the agents do their jobs
It's a relief for my producer and myself, given the fact - everyone in our group - except us - is armed with handguns.
But as the sun goes down, problems keeping control of a group as big as the Minutemen begin to surface.
Marc says, "There was a standoff and people got killed."
The man from Tucson is asked to leave our group - because he keeps talking to reporters.
John says, "People like that, they'll drag down, they'll drag down the whole thing."
And as the night goes on, a drama unfolds across the highway.
Some of the volunteers are carrying shotguns, which is against the rules and our group leader admits: Minuteman organizers are having trouble deciding what to do about it.
Adahm/John says, "(What's up with the shotgun guys? How are you going to deal with those two?) I have no idea.. that's out of my.. I don't even want to go up there."
Adahm/John says, "(Well don't they have a guy like you are with us? Don't they have their?) He's not there. I can't find him."
Guy in Green says, "I hope they're not drinking or anything. I didn't see any beer there."
That was the end of our mission. We were done.
The next day, project organizer Jim Gilchrist - confronted with the shotgun story - re-gained his tight control over the information going out.
Gilchrist says, "That report was followed up.. we did trace those people down. They are not Minuteman project.. they are not Minuteman project volunteers. They are rogue patrollers posing as Minuteman volunteers."
http://www.kpho.com/Global/story.asp?S=258687&nav=23KtRlYG
"Don't be talking to the press. They'll misconstrue things.. not all of them.. but we don't know which ones will and which ones won't."That's a truism. Only a trained spokesman should to the press on any situation.
So far, I see nothing wrong with having a "Minuteman" project...
This is the first one, the flukes still need to get worked out.
Just think how successful next year's will be...
naturally this is CBS
Good grief, whoever wrote this can't even spell "McDonald's" right.
I think the leftists/illegal-philes are just upset they can't dig up anything bad about the Minutemen.
This is all they found? Wow, what a blockbuster expose...
Just what exactly in that story constitutes "under fire" besides the fact that the MM don't want the press around doing everything in thweir power to discredit them.
I don't understand what this station did that is so bad. The article does have bias, but I see nothing wrong with journalists trying to blend in to see what is going on.
Agreed. I also don't think they actually found much wrong. They don't want to talk to journalists??? Shocking, shocking! As opposed to everyone else.
I can't imagine why Jim Gilchrist is trying to control the flow of information. It's not like the press is going undercover to infiltrate his group. /sarcasm.
The more I find out about journalism, the more convince I am that most are dumber than rocks and are clueless to their own contradictions.
"This is all they found? Wow, what a blockbuster expose..."
That is what I was thinking. Looks to me like this reporter is only trying to paint the MM as racists.
But I thought Americans wanted Mexicans to work in the carpet mills?
Do I have to use /sarcasm?
Could it be because "he" was another infiltrating media idiot who was only "volunteering" as cover to get the scoop?
BTW,Thank you Minutemen!Thank you for standing up for all of us.I have yet to hear anyone I encounter on the street denounce your being there.
Lastnight, this same station said that the minuteman people were supposed to have thorough background checks done on the participants and it was stated that this was never done. This, I assume, is a follow-up article to what was said on Channel 5 lastnight.
I couldn't agree with you more.
Bump!
See my tagline.
This is part of the same media that has a lovefest with our Butch Governor of AZ. Enough said.
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