Posted on 04/11/2005 6:38:36 AM PDT by Irontank
Along a border between Mexico and Arizona, a few dozen gunslingers are patrolling for illegal immigrants, and the fact that they have attracted mostly television cameras so far takes little away from the danger they pose to themselves and others. It would be far saner to leave the patrolling of the border to the border patrol. These self-proclaimed "Minutemen" - whom President Bush has rightly labeled vigilantes - should put their guns away and look where the real solutions to America's flawed immigration policy should be found: in Washington.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
HOw does one join the Minutemen? They seem to be the only ones actually doing something about a problem. Clearly Bush and Our Governor Arnold (recently again back-flipped) on pension issues have done nothing and I was speaking with a friend over the weekend and the Minutemen seem to be the only organization that identified a problem, implemented a solution, it is working and, it did not require tax dollars.
Um, the problem is Washington isn't doing anything.
It would be far saner to leave the patrolling of the border to the border patrol.
These self-proclaimed "Minutemen" - whom President Bush has rightly labeled vigilantes - should put their guns away and look where the real solutions to America's flawed immigration policy should be found: in Washington.
Yeah, leave it to Bush and his liberal supporters and kiss the farm goodbye!
Stay asleep America and miss the aroma of pan, carne and freoles as they trek North!
The 'fence fund' sounds like a great idea. I wonder what the pitfalls are regarding the property on which to place the fence? I guess there are many private citizen land owners there willing to help based on the Minuteman reports.
What would be needed is an honest way to set up that fund with a well respected financial institution willing to put their name on a project like this.
Do the writers of the NYT ever travel outside the homo-bars of NYCity?
From bonehead articles like this and others, they don't.
Was it the Weekly Standard that came up with that?
Both the NY Slimes and President Bush need to look up the definition of "vigilante". Here is is from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:
Etymology: Spanish, watchman, guard, from vigilante vigilant, from Latin vigilant-, vigilans
: a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law appear inadequate);
Since the Minutemen aren't punishing anyone, rather reporting them to the border patrol for pickup, they are merely good citizens doing what good citizens are supposed to, reporting crimes to the appropriate authorities. They are not trespassing on anyone's property. Many of them are armed for their own protection, because there are some bad hombres in the areas they are operating in.
Some are, some are not. The armed ones are in full compliance with applicable laws. Arizona has open carry sans permit and is a "shall issue" state for concealed carry permits. No permit is required for openly carried long arms. Additionally they recognize the permits of Alaska, Texas, Utah, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan.
Well not quite, the Southwest was obtained after the war with Mexico, fought by both regular federal troops and levies from the state militias. It was not fought by private militias or by state militias acting under state orders. They were officered by the likes of Robert E. Lee, William T. Sherman, U.S. Grant, and other such recognizable US military officers who later found themselves on opposite sides during the later unpleasantness.
>>What would be needed is an honest way to set up that fund with a well respected financial institution willing to put their name on a project like this.<<
Perhaps just have a well respected financial institution go over the books every month and sign the checks for those applying for funds.
I envision something like send us your tax bill and we'll determine if you qualify regarding location. Too far away from the border and nope, no money. Right on the border and the check will be in the mail in 10 days.
Or go into the tax offices, get a list of names of people who own border property, mail them a letter asking them to participate. Wgen you have sufficient numbers then have a voluteer crew go and dig the holes, mix the cement and set the poles. The next weekend they could hang the fence.
If we start the program on private property then demand they continue it on federal land, it'll be a winner. When they finish with their end of the job, GIVE them the fenceline that's on private property. Then get the FEDS to run another fence right on the border. Would you rather cut two fences or just one if you were trying to sneak in?
Put a low voltage DC wire through the fence that would allow the local BP to determine when and where the cut was made. (all it would take is a good ohm meter) Then if they can't respond for an hour, fine. They will know that the illegals will be within a certain area because it would be impossible to be further away in that timespan. Have a federal crew who just repairs the fence and wire daily ASAP after it was cut.
LOL SO TRUE! Ironic that we can't find Americans who want to play ball isn't it?
While those folks are illegal, there's nothing wrong with pan(bread), carne (meat) and frijoles (beans). Staples of southwest cuisine, on both sides of the border. You have to remember that there are lots of *legal* Hispanic residents and citizens in that part of the country. Some of them are descended from folks who were living in those parts long before they became part of the US.
Of course you haven't lived until you've had a brat with kraut on a tortilla. :)
check yer mail, Cowboy
No, the problem is that we expect Washington to do something. We need to change our expectations. Private solutions are more effective.
We're better off keeping it a private program. Whom do you think the bureaucrats would hire to build those fences?
#1
The costs should not be borne just by those who can see the differences between black and white, all Americans will receive the benefits of controlled immigration.
#2
I do not think we, you and I should pay to build and maintain fence on Federal property. Not all of the border is private property.
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