Posted on 06/24/2005 1:10:23 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Statewide civil rights organizers met Thursday in Corpus Christi to announce the formation of the Contra Minuteman Coalition, which is opposed to the Minuteman Project, a civilian-led border watch group.
During a news conference at the Modern Cafe, about 25 officials from six organizations that included the American GI Forum and LULAC voiced their concern that the Minuteman Project, which is in the process of forming a Texas chapter, poses a threat to the state.
Among the complaints about the Minuteman organization, whose focus is to stop undocumented immigrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, was concern that the project is merely a racist cover to target Hispanics.
"Their main goal is to pick on the immigrant community," said Houston resident Juan Alvarez, a member of the Latin American Organization for Immigrant Rights. "Why only Hispanics? They're not picking on any other minorities. It's time for us to stand up and say, 'No more.'"
Mike Chavez, an activist with the American GI Forum, said the purpose of the coalition is to put pressure on the state to monitor Minuteman volunteers and their actions on the border.
"We want to make sure civil rights are not being violated," he said.
Joe Ortiz, national civil rights director for the GI Forum, agreed the border needs to be protected, but said the job should be left to professionals. Other coalition organizers worried Minuteman volunteers would be armed and that members from other states would be called into Texas to help police immigrants.
Bill Parmley, founder of the Minuteman chapter in Goliad, said the coalition's fears are unfounded and that there probably wouldn't be a need to bring in outside Minutemen.
"We've had enough of a response here in Texas that I doubt we'll have to bring in people from outside the state," Parmley said, adding that it wasn't the job of Minutemen to do anything except observe.
Chris Simcox, co-founder of the Arizona-based Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, said the coalition was overreacting, and that all Minuteman volunteers complete a comprehensive training session.
"These wild accusations are doing nothing but creating fear in the Hispanic community," Simcox said. "All we are is extra eyes for the Department of Homeland Security. Anything after that, we then contact Border Patrol and local law enforcement, and they would investigate."
Contact Lakendra Lewis at 886-3623 or lewisl@caller.com
No more ILLEGALS!
What are their intentions? I think their intentions are NOT LETTING ANYONE PASS FROM THE MEXICAN BORDER TO THE US SIDE. How is that so so so hard to comprehend?
REMEMBER GOLIAD
LOL! Some people's stupidity never ceases to amaze me.
IT'S THE EMPLOYERS THEY ARE PROBABLY WORRIED ABOUT. When I lived in Corpus these two groups were membered by the wealthy hispanics in the community. and the majority are EMPLOYERS.
Sheila Jackson Lee is probably the big organizer of these groups...she is just furious about the Minutemen being in TExas...
I say, tough, Sheila!!!!
"Why only Hispanics? They're not picking on any other minorities. It's time for us to stand up and say, 'No more.'"
Because we aren't being overrun by millions of Canadians crossing into the USA from Mexico.
Yes but dopey, low income democrats, in update ny ask the same dumb questions suggesting that protecting the border is racist.
We should encourage this group to round up as many people as they can to come down to the border and picket against the Minutemen guarding the boarder.
Then we will twice as many people scaring the illegals.
They are worried about having to deduct income,social security taxes. AND having to pay that pesky minimum wage that their hero Teddy Kennedy wants even higher.
Contra Minutemen Ping!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
What makes them "official". Do dey have badges? Let dem show us der badges!
Where can I donate to the Minuteman? Anyone know if there is a Houston chapter?
We could use Minutemen to also stop the theft of private property by government on behalf of other private enterprises.
I see the article doesn't say who the AGIF is, so I looked 'em up. They appear to be on the up and up, but their presence at this meeting may indicate that their position on illegal immigration doesn't match their stated goals as an organization.
Click the pic to visit their site...
Google 'minutemenhq' for their site.
I love it when they say ignorant things like that, but it's ignorant race issue comments like that, that get the attention of libs and the ACLU and every other "let's protect illegal immigrants even to the detriment of our country" protection group.
The civil rights of all US citizens, no matter what color, are being violated by this mass migration.
Thanks for the ping and the heads up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.