It's kinda like the Bird Flu...
Posted on 11/11/2005 8:42:31 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
SAN JUAN — Nearing the end of a two-day hunger strike to protest the Minuteman Civil Defense Corp’s patrols along the Rio Grande, Laura Sutherland said, strangely, she didn’t feel hungry.
"I eat a lot, more than that big guy over there probably, but when you think of what you’re doing it for you don’t really feel hungry," she said. "I’ve always been open minded, but I’m against hatred, so it’s hard for me to understand what (the Minutemen are) doing out there … they’re trying to stop families from coming here to make better lives for themselves."
Sutherland, a manager with a local nonprofit, is the latest in a line of local figures to take part in La Union del Pueblo Entero’s Fast for Life, which began a week ago. Participants so far include Edinburg school district Superintendent J.L. Salinas and former state district judge Fernando Mancias. J.D. Salinas, the former county clerk presently running for county judge, is slated to begin a 48-hour fast Saturday.
While LUPE is calling the fast a protest against any person or group that propagates "hatred" against the illegal immigrant community, their protest closely follows the Minutemen’s arrival in the Rio Grande Valley.
"People were asking what we were going to do about the Minutemen, but this is for all the hatred felt by the immigrant community," said LUPE Director Juanita Valdez-Cox. "One of those instances is the Minutemen and their hatred-fueled patrols of late."
Kim Fromme, director of the Minutemen’s operations in Texas, disagreed with that assessment of his organization.
"I suggest that anyone who labels us hateful or racist check with the Border Patrol about how many people’s lives we’ve saved since we started patrolling," he said. "They need to understand what we’re about. We’re sending a message to our government that our borders are porous… it’s not about one race or another."
Since the Minutemen’s public arrival in Falfurrias last month — though the volunteer border patrol group recently disclosed it has been secretly patrolling along the Rio Grande since August — they have been the targets of frequent criticism from local civil rights groups. But the LUPE effort represents the first organized protest of the Minutemen, who promote themselves as defenders of the nation’s borders against terrorists and illegal immigrants, who they say act as a drain on social services.
To some degree, their efforts seem to be working.
LUPE member Martin Lozano, a Mexican national by birth who arrived in Texas 27 years ago, said many of his friends still living in Mexico are having second thoughts about illegally crossing the border after hearing stories about the Minutemen.
"I’ve never had any problems here. I just work and take care of my family, but the situation is Mexico is a little more difficult," he said in Spanish. "My friends, they want to come, but they’re scared of being caught by the Minutemen."
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James Osborne covers PSJA and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4428.
How about the illegal coyotes, illegal drug smugglers, illegal slavers, illegal rapists, illegal murderers and illegal terrorists who come here, Laura?
My experience is that Minutemen hate to fast so this won't work :)
Clueless, brainwashed Laura Sutherland gives me a warm fuzzy.
Needs a barf alert.
I was against illegals until some fools decided to change my empty mind with their fasting.
Yea, right!
Moonbat alert!
". . .any of his friends still living in Mexico are having second thoughts about illegally crossing the border after hearing stories about the Minutemen."
Looks like it's working.
It's kinda like the Bird Flu...
She may be against hatred but she is an active supporter and promoter of stupidity.
I hope more liberals starve themselves to death to protest conservative causes.... man now that is funny.
Is it really possible to be this stupid?
"Sutherland, a manager with a local nonprofit..."
And WHAT "local non-profit" is this witless moron affiliated with?
Methinks I smell a liberal church group.
The Minutemen should have a cookout upwind of the fasters.
A two day hunger strike.
Now THAT'S commitment.
how about filling out some paper work?. How about following the law? How about opening your open mind to the concerns of your fellow CITIZENS?
Doogle
Sounds like Laura has been taking talking points lessons from Cindy She-had-di. Cindy was in a ditch and now Laura's starving herself.
Ya know why? 'Cause Liberalism is a mental disease and it's contagious.
There, I fixed it.
Take a look at that list. All we have are people who live in the dreamland of subsidies and easy money.
Hate has nothing to do with it. Every country has a right to control its own borders. These people have every opportunity to enter the country legally.
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