Posted on 07/17/2005 9:52:24 AM PDT by kellynla
Poised at the Mexican border, they had their night-vision goggles, lawn chairs, flashlights and cell phones.
They fanned out, covering 2,000 miles of the U.S.-Mexican border. And for two weeks last spring, they pledged to do what they say the American government is too short-staffed to do: patrol the borders to keep illegal immigrants out.
Members of two Warminster groups took part in the controversial border patrol watches, known as the Minutemen Project. The effort was designed to show their opposition to illegal immigration and voice their demand for increased border enforcement.
For them, the two-week civilian patrol effort wasn't just about making a statement.
"We are protecting the rights and liberties of American citizens," said June Pirotin, a founding member of Warminster-based Pennsylvanians Against Illegal Immigration. "If you come here legally, that's wonderful. But if you don't, you don't deserve the benefits owed to American citizens."
Pirotin said he learned about the Minuteman Project in January and set out in March to participate in the civilian watch. His group is opposed by the Bush administration - which dubbed them "vigilantes." The American Civil Liberties Union also opposes the Minuteman Project.
After Quakertown resident John Ryan returned to Bucks County from his border watch, he said he recruited the help of Pennsylvanians Against Illegal Immigration and launched the Pennsylvania Minutemen.
The group's first meeting was held Wednesday in Warminster, a town with a fast-growing Latino population. "We are concerned and upset to see the dismantling of the country right before our eyes," said Ryan.
At the meeting, Minutemen Project participant Dottie Dalton displayed T-shirts designed for the group. They read: "No guts, No Old Glory." Posters reading "Deport Illegal Aliens" lined the tables.
(Excerpt) Read more at phillyburbs.com ...
ping
and here too!
It is growing and our government better take notice and remember who put them where they are.
It's always nice to read an article that by the second sentence has betrayed the author's naivete regarding the subject matter.
Benefits owed Americans? Socialism is a birth right? Is that what the Minutemen are defending? I say bankrupt the corrupt U.S. the sooner the better. If we can dissolve this multi-trillion dollar per annum spending socialist empire maybe we take back our real birth right - liberty.
I would suggest that we endevor to collect every last penny from the corporate scum that has decided to employ these illegals.
Taking their money won't work, we should start putting executives in jail when they hire illegal aliens.
If you had read the whole paragraph you might have seen the benefits they were talking about were not socialism but the rights and liberties guaranteed to citizens by our Constitution.
"We are protecting the rights and liberties of American citizens," said June Pirotin, a founding member of Warminster-based Pennsylvanians Against Illegal Immigration. "If you come here legally, that's wonderful. But if you don't, you don't deserve the benefits owed to American citizens."
Americans are entitled, among other things, to be protected from invasion and to a system of government that respects the rule of law. They are getting neither.
Pardon me for asking, which Constitutional right costs taxpayers money?
From the article:
We love immigrants; we came from immigrants. It's the illegals we're trying to stop. Once they cross the line, they've won the lottery - and we're paying for it, " said Dalton. He said employers who hire illegal immigrants should be penalized.
It didn't take long for others at the meeting to join the conversation.
"People we know can't get health insurance, but they [illegal immigrants] can?" one man shouted. Another added, "How many times do we hear they pay taxes? That's a lot of nonsense."
Calling the group to order, Ryan said, "This group will grow when people realize how much money is coming out of their pockets."
Is taxpayer provided health insurance socialism, or a Constitutional right in your opinion?
It is socialism. And the people who are the subject of this article are fighting to avoid having to pay it for illegals. Why do you have a beef with that?
yea, and American taxpayers paid for the wall in Israel too!
ping
I have a beef with socialism and it's apologists. I don't scapegoat immigrants for the costs of socialism. I'd rather the Minutemen were fighting for liberty and against socialism instead of against immigrants. My ancestors aren't Indians, and they didn't get anyone's permission to come into this country and forge a living. All they wanted was liberty, and the Minutemen seem intent on denying furure generations that same opportunity under the guise of defending socialism.
You are the one saying they are defending socialism. They say they are demanding that the government carry out its responsibility to protect them from invasion, ensure the rule of law and oversee immigration policy. They have legitimate Constitutional complaints on all counts.
There are 6 billion people in the world that are poorer than Mexicans and I'm certain that a great many of them would like to come here. I personally think that our liberties and freedom will be best protected by keeping the vast majority of them out. When they come, they will be poor and most of them will stay poor. The ones coming now (and it is just a trickle) are already overwhelming our ability to educate them which insures continued poverty for them and declining wealth and opportunity for our own children as their educations suffer along with the immigrants.
You may think that freedom will best be served by free and open borders and allowing unlimited numbers of people to come because that was the experience of your ancestors. I think that when you overwhelm America with poor people what you are going to get is a bunch of poor people voting for socialism and they are not going to give a damn about the fine words written in the Constitution. Most poor people vote for Democrats and you have probably noticed that they have little respect for the things you say you care about.
You don't like the socialism that has already crept into our system and I agree with you but you are advocating a policy that guarantees that it will get far worse. Mass immigration is going to destroy the middle class and when it goes so does freedom and liberty.
That's just it, we subsidize a wall and border security elsewhere (Israel, Iraq, South Korea, and previously in "Western" Europe) yet our politicians whistle Dixie here at home.
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Minutemen Patriots ~ Bump!
That's the mantra the Antis have been trained to say but the truth comes out as soon as they start saying why they dislike illegals and all the reason apply equally as well to legal immigrants.
The only difference is that one group is legal and the other group isn't. But when you ask them if they will love the illegals once they have become legal guest workers they always crawfish into an indefensible hole and start screaming personal insults.
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