Posted on 04/09/2005 3:08:41 PM PDT by HiJinx
Phoenix resident Alan Coffey, a Minuteman Project volunteer, fills a bag with clothing and other debris left by illegal immigrants near Stump Canyon Friday. (Mark Levy-Herald/Review)
STUMP CANYON - The San Pedro Valley looks peaceful when seen from 5,500 feet up in the Huachuca Mountains.
But looking at the ground can make the sight turn from beautiful to ugly.
Trash left by untold numbers of illegal immigrants who use the paths in the mountains and canyons as their way north into the United States is spread around.
Piles of plastic water and soda bottles, backpacks, clothing, airline tickets, toothbrushes, tubes of toothpaste and food containers litter areas.
Alan Coffey has spent more than a week in Stump Canyon area as a Minuteman Project volunteer, where he combines looking for illegal immigrants with cleaning up the environment.
On Friday, he piled three large trash bags full of debris in the back of his pickup truck and had at least three more bags to fill.
Although the project is to look for illegal immigrants and report them to the U.S Border Patrol, the 62-year-old said he cannot just let the trash remain.
In an area with sharp rocky outcrops and broken stones, Coffey was busy picking up the trash.
A child-size Washington Redskins T-shirt, followed by water bottles and backpacks went into a bag.
"I be the trash man," Coffey said with a laugh just before dragging the thick plastic bag down a hill.
The area with the trash was between Stump and Hunter canyons, an area Coffey said is evidently a major route for illegal immigrants.
The height where he suspects the illegal immigrants rest before changing their clothes and grabbing rides is strategically placed.
A retired Army lieutenant colonel who served most of his career as a military intelligence officer, he said the location's height gives the illegal immigrants a commanding view of the valley below and the roads they use to continue on their treks. They also can watch for Border Patrol agents who may want to intercept them.
Coffey lived in this part of the state when he was assigned to Fort Huachuca in 1971 and again in 1983. He retired in 1988 and now calls Phoenix home. His last assignment was as a commander of an intelligence training unit in California.
Coffey, who says he's semi-retired, said he heard about the Minuteman Project through newspaper articles and the Internet.
After checking out the organization and "chatting with some people," he scheduled himself to participate.
Coffey arrived in Tombstone on April 1 to register, spent last weekend getting the lay of the land in Stump Canyon and began patrolling in earnest on Monday. He will be going back to Phoenix this weekend and return on Monday for another five days of patrolling.
About half of the volunteers patrol in the Naco, Ariz., area, and the other half in or near the Huachuca Mountains, he said.
On Friday, volunteers' vehicles were seen in other canyons and along Highway 92.
While the majority of the trash is being left behind by Mexicans, Coffey said Border Patrol agents have told him and other volunteers that they have found backpacks with Muslim prayer rugs and other Arabian materials.
Agents are open with the volunteers, saying things they don't dare to talk about officially, he said.
Like many of the volunteers, Coffey is concerned that terrorists may be entering the United States, especially from Arabian countries.
People who live in the canyons also aren't hesitant to talk with volunteers. While Coffey spoke, Stump Canyon resident Nate Cooper stopped and talked.
"I'm happy to see you guys here," Cooper said. "The last few days have been quiet."
Cooper was speaking about how the presence of the volunteers have calmed illegal immigrant traffic down in places such as Stump Canyon.
"I'm sorry you can't stay here longer," Cooper told Coffey.
The canyon resident asked if the volunteers would be going to Washington, D.C., to tell members of Congress what they have seen and done.
Coffey said plans are to take the message back to the nation's capital as part of First Amendment rights.
"We have assembled and now we plan to petition," Coffey said.
Like others taking part in the project he is concerned that the Mexican government is pushing out its unwanted citizens, especially those who are Indian.
On Wednesday, Coffey and other volunteers responded to a call about four unknown people in Ash Canyon, an area just south of Stump Canyon. When they arrived, they found two men, four women and two girls, the latter between the ages of 5 and 9.
While waiting for Border Patrol agents to show up, the volunteers gave the group water and Gatorade. Coffey said the people appeared to be Mexican-Indians from south Mexico.
"They looked like they were dehydrated," Coffey said.
They seemed apprehensive at first, he said. But they relaxed as the minutes went on, Coffey said. By the time the agents took them away, the children were laughing.
Coffey mostly agrees with Minuteman Project organizers and members. But he disagrees with those who were upset that Maj. Gen. James Hylton, commander of the Network Enterprise Technology Command on Fort Huachuca, prohibited his soldiers from participating in patrolling or monitoring illegal immigrants. He said the general made the right decision.
Hylton, as well as the garrison commander and head of the 111th Military Intelligence Brigade, issued directives to active-duty soldiers telling them they could not participate because of safety concerns.
"If I were in his (Hylton's) place I would have done the same thing," Coffey said.
To Coffey, it is more important that the border problems and illegal immigrant issue are not understood or known by people outside Arizona.
"I live in a state that needs national attention," he said.
"I live in a state that needs national attention," he said.
I'm doing what I can to help you, Colonel.
Remember the TV commercial with the old Indian Chief standing by a polluted stream, teardrop on his cheek?
That's the way we feel here sometimes.
Tell Davy Crockett The Minutemen have arrived.
I would be real suprised if they weren't.
BUMP
The old "Indian Chief" was Iron Eyes Cody.
We taught them our ways very well, eh, white boy.
Some questions and ideas for you to think about.
What do you think would happen if a popular football or other sports star was to start off the project by donating 5 or 25 million dollars to build fences on private property that adjoins the border?
Then a few more sport stars each throw in a couple of million of their own money while asking all "True Americans" to send just one hours wages to the FENCE FUND?
Do you think that the politicians would be able to stop this from growing out of control and the voters demanding that the Feds "fence our land"?
Do you think the politicians would listen or ignore a million calls a day to their offices?
Never underestimate what the American people can do when they decide they want to do it.
While I'm at it, we could start a Name and Shame List of companies that hire illegals. Name the banks that loan money to a tax number when the illegal doesn't have a phony Social Security number. Name the mortgage companies that favor home loans to illegals, using our money for their downpayment.
If you have ideas or questions, throw them in the pot here. I'm sure there's FReeper who can answer most of the questions or critique your ideas. Do you have any ideas on how to get this started?
We need to keep the fire burning while the media is watching and reporting.
I've been thinking about that, and saved most of the articles regarding the battle to close the local illegal alien job center. I was amazed local companies defending the center would offer up their names in print. On a personal level, I figured if I ever needed the services they render, I'd be certain not to patronize these outfits. There's commentary from an individual in today's paper telling all how gosh golly happy he was with the job center staff (who helped him greatly because he does not speak Spanish) and workers provided. And since he doesn't speak the language, I imagine he had one helluva time determining whether his workers' documents were in order. The author also seemed to think anyone that disagreed with his outlook was "provincial."
PS: I'd certainly pledge an hour's wages to the Fence Fund!
Article sent to every politician I could think of, including JOHN MCCAIN, the deaf and dumb Senator from invaded Arizona.
Exciting times are ahead for America because the people are once again understanding who is the Big Boss. We are!
http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/04/09/sections/commentary/article_474511.php
Letters - The Minuteman project
Yvette Cabrera's column, "Showdown shouldn't take place at border" [Local, April 3], was highly entertaining. May I offer her a few educational suggestions:
Try to stay away from uninformed sources. Professor Jorge Chapa says the Minutemen were operating as vigilantes in Arizona, "trying to apprehend" Mexican citizens.
However, if Cabrera had paid attention to the Minutemen's Web site, she would have learned that their goal is not to capture Mexican citizens but to assist the Border Patrol by informing them of their location and interview others with an opposing viewpoint.
Please avoid stereotypes.
Cabrera lists metaphors used by the media to denounce northward- traveling Mexican citizens such as "an overwhelming flood or a sea of brown faces."
However, when describing the Minutemen she quotes a Border Patrol agent who calls them, "old, overweight and out of shape."
Show statistics on how many Mexican citizens captured by the Border Patrol had criminal backgrounds.
While I agree that many come to America in search of better lives, a number of these Mexican citizens commit crimes.
B. Walker
Garden Grove
A state of anarchy
It is every American's responsibility to "protect and defend" our nation against enemies foreign and domestic. That is a life-long oath that I took as a member of the U.S. military.
Opinions of those like Yvette Cabrera are that "no one is responsible, and no one can tell us what to do." That is anarchy, lawlessness. These people have no respect for laws.
Some say that Americans are the modern Romans. Just as the Roman Empire fell, so too is America falling. It is sad to see this happening.
Stop being hyphenated Americans. Join us, be Americans, be proud to be Americans.
Respect our laws and treat lawbreakers harshly, regardless of their race or nationality.
Mark Schuk
Irvine
Same old tired line
The line about immigrants "doing the jobs American's won't do" is 25 years old and very tired.
It is obviously the best excuse for allowing the illegal invasion to continue.
But if the millions that California spends yearly on free education and medical care for these criminals and their offspring doesn't bother you, it should.
The short-term result of providing services is overcrowded, underfunded schools and an epidemic of hospital and emergency-room closures.
The unchecked long-term result will be irreversible state bankruptcy.
How can Yvette Cabrera complain about media bias and slanted reporting when her diatribe quoted two so-called experts on these issues, both of whom have Hispanic surnames?
Mike Hosea
Cypress
The people who run the SC are hacks who probably have never read the works of Abbey, Leopold, Muir or any others, but they can recite verbatim Bill Clinton's bromides.
great article HiJinx. it makes my blood boil when the disrupters here show such a lack of respect to good men such as this retired Lt Col. he served his country once already in uniform, and now does so for no pay and not much thanks; but because he LOVES his Country and honors his oath to serve protect and defend. meanwhile we have posers here who deride and smear him and what he does.
thank God for men like Alan Coffey
Patriot Bump!
Great ideas Ranch!
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