Border Militia Divides Arizona Residents

yahoo ^ | 4-6-05

[LouAvul]

BISBEE, Arizona (Reuters) - A right-wing militia patrolling the Mexican border to catch illegal immigrants is pitting some residents in favor of old-style frontier justice against critics who say the militiamen are the real threat.

Between 300 and 400 "Minuteman" project volunteers, some of them armed, have come to Arizona to stake out a 23-mile section of the border throughout April.

They say it is a peaceful political protest, although some are armed with pistols, and a number of local residents have joined the patrols or turned out to support them.

Others, however, have held protests and watch with suspicion the volunteers' arrival in camper vans and four-wheel drive vehicles, some decked out with gun racks.

In the old copper mining town of Bisbee, which reinvented itself as a refuge for writers and painters after the mine closed in the 1970s, many eye the vigilantes with suspicion.

"I had a Salvadoran work for me for six months, and it's not uncommon for people here to drive a migrant north in their car rather than hand them over to the U.S. Border Patrol," said cafe owner Charles Lewis.

[sheana]

And while the Minutemen patrol our borders another shamnesty is in the works.

http://capwiz.com/fair/issues/bills/?bill=7071376

Urgent Action Needed to Fight AgJOBS Amnesty
Senate Poised to Attach AgJOBS to Emergency War Supplemental
Your help is needed to defeat Sen. Larry Craig's (R-ID) AgJOBS amnesty for illegal aliens engaged in farm work and their spouses and children!

The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that debate over an AgJOBS amendment will be allowed on the pending emergency war supplemental spending bill.

As mentioned, the AgJOBS bill would provide amnesty to illegal aliens engaged in farm work and their spouses and children, even those who have worked in agriculture and left the United States. It would also forgive agricultural employers who unlawfully employ illegal aliens and vastly expand and liberalize the H-2A agricultural guestworker program.

Help fight anticipated efforts to attach AgJOBS to the emergency war supplemental bill by taking action today!
Action Needed:

1. Urge Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) to keep AgJOBS off the Senate floor by sending a FREE fax today. Click on the take action button to send this prewritten, editable fax.

2. Urge your senators to oppose AgJOBS in any form. Click here then type your zip code into the take action now box to send a FREE faxed message. (These messages are pre-written based on cosponsorship of Sen. Craig's AgJOBS bill, S. 359.)
3. Follow up your faxes with phone calls. Call Sen. Frist at 202-224-3135. Find your senators phone numbers here on our web site or call the senate switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask to be connected.

Sample Message for Sen. Frist's Office: (If you live in Tennessee, be sure to mention so when calling.)

"I'm calling to urge Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) to keep Sen. Larry Craig's (R-ID) AgJOBS amnesty off the Senate floor. Do not allow this legislation on the Senate floor in any form. Specifically, do not allow it to be considered as an amendment to the emergency war supplemental bill.

The American people oppose rewarding illegal aliens with amnesty. AgJOBS would provide amnesty to illegal aliens engaged in farm work and their spouses and children. In addition to rewarding illegal aliens for violating our immigration laws, this bill forgives employers who have violated laws against hiring illegal aliens. Rewarding such behavior is unfair to those who play by the rules and will encourage further disregard for our laws.

This bill also vastly expands and liberalizes the H-2A agricultural guestworker program, which will further depress wages and working conditions for American workers in this industry.

Please uphold your oath of office by protecting the laws of this nation. Do not allow them to be sacrificed or modified for the benefit of greedy employers."

Sample Message for Senate Cosponsors of AgJOBS, S. 359:

"As your constituent, I strongly urge you to reconsider your support for Sen. Craig's AgJOBS amnesty legislation. AgJOBS would provide amnesty to illegal aliens engaged in farm work and their spouse and children. In addition to rewarding illegal aliens who have violated our immigration laws, this bill forgives employers who have violated laws against hiring illegal aliens. Rewarding such behavior is unfair to those who play by the rules and will encourage further disregard for our laws. Even President Bush regards this bill as an amnesty. Please reconsider your support and oppose AgJOBS in any form."

Sample Message for all other Senators:

"As your constituent, I strongly urge you to oppose Sen. Larry Craig's AgJOBS amnesty in any form. AgJOBS would provide amnesty to illegal aliens engaged in farm work and their spouses and children.

In addition to rewarding illegal aliens who have violated our immigration laws, this bill forgives employers who have broken laws against hiring illegal aliens. Rewarding such behavior is unfair to those who play by the rules and will encourage further disregard for our laws.

This bill also vastly expands and liberalizes the H-2A agricultural guestworker program, which will further depress wages and working conditions for American workers in this industry.

Even President Bush regards this legislation as an amnesty.

Please oppose this legislation in any form, whether offered as an amendment to the emergency war supplemental bill soon to be considered or brought to the floor as stand alone legislation, S. 359."

[kellynla]

exposure, exposure, exposure...

[Texas_Jarhead]

"A right-wing militia patrolling the Mexican border to catch illegal immigrants is pitting some residents in favor of old-style frontier justice against critics who say the militiamen are the real threat."

How does Rooters know that it is a "right-wing militia"? Did they canvas all the members for political orientation? Is this seriously supposed to be news reporting?

[Czar]

Another nice "hit piece" from the left wingers at Reuters. They have about the same level of credibility as the federal government--zero.

[Irontank]

Some of these Minutemen are armed with pistols and gun racks?....clearly they cannot be "peaceful"

Must be some sort of right wing militia group...yep...there is it is...in the first line...the article confirms it...probably racist, divisive and opposed to diversity as well

[Spiff]

Even some liberal Democrats are coming around and embracing the Minuteman Project but you won't read that in the paper.

The female homeowner mentioned in this story has allowed the Minuteman Project volunteers to set up right on her front lawn. I went there last night to help the volunteers out. This liberal Democrat woman had cooked the best-tasting lasagna for the Minuteman folks and had them sit down for dinner.

I talked to her a bit about her impressions of the Minuteman Project and she related that she supports it. She said that she's met so many great people from so many areas of the country and so many different walks of life. She was impressed to see that it wasn't just a bunch of militia-types, but real, down-to-earth, good people who have become concerned by the lack of border security. She utterly rejected the media portrayal that these people are racist, gun-toting vigilantes forming a militia to hunt the poor Mexican migrant. She's seen it with her own two eyes and she knows that the media has been lying about the Minuteman Project all along.

I'll bet her story has been repeated across Cochise County as the volunteers stand out there, day and night, guarding our border and calling national and international attention to the border problem. Jim Gilchrist reminded all of the volunteers on day one that they are ambassadors from their states and ambassadors from the Minuteman Project to the local community. These good people have certainly taken that advice to heart and are making fast friends all over the San Pedro River Valley - well, except they're not too fondly thought of by the border intruders, human traffickers, drug smugglers, and their leftist enablers.

[Cboldt]

No bias in that article. Nope. Not a bit.

I am pleased that the Minutemen are making the politicians uneasy.

[kstewskis]

What many people don't realize, the tiny hilltop town of Bisbee is an island of socialistic artsy-fartsy libs amongst of sea of some of the most conservative, down to earth "residents" in the state.

Reuters usually has to dig through enough manure to make a story. As usual they foul the real truth about the majority of "Arizona residents".

[Czar]

Might even be opposed to multiculturalism, too...

[TheForceOfOne]

When polling residents in AZ. on what they think about the Minuteman Project, make sure you get to see their green cards first.

[NRA1995]

Source: Reuters.....that says it all.....

[DumpsterDiver]

As a public service, I will attempt to document the euphemisms for the minutemen.

Minutemen, aka

• right-wing militia
• vigilantes
• renegades
• armed and dangerous
• will provoke violence
• racists
  
  and last, but not least

• undocumented border patrol agents

[TheDon]

A right-wing militia...

A "right-wing" "militia"? I think the author needs a dictionary.

[TheDon]

vigilantes

Vigilantes? Would these be the people the BP encourages to call in observations of suspected illegal aliens?

[HiJinx]

Good ol' Roiters. Y'know, that sound almost nasty...

[DoctorMichael]

Leftist Propaganda Bump.

[HiJinx]

I was going to say that Bisbee is stuck in the Sixties. I know half a dozen families who used to live there and are loathe to let it be known...they don't want to be associated with 'those crazy people'!

[jackbenimble]

A right-wing militia

I've seen quite a few pictures from the MM Project and it appears that a good proportion of this dangerous right-wing gun toting, racist, vigilante militia is overweight senior citizen women. They don't look to threatening.

[munin]

Right wing militia? all they are are neighborhood watch!
Left wing opposition is that they are not unionized government employees