Rally for militarized border set (Calling all Arizona FReepers)

Tucson Citizen ^ | 4 March 2004 | Luke Turf

[Spiff]

A state representative and a retired Border Patrol chief are among expected speakers Saturday at a rally to support militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border. American Border Patrol, a Sierra Vista-based group that documents suspected illegal immigration in Arizona and broadcasts it on the Internet, organized the rally.

[Spiff]

I will be there and I hope to see many FReepers there. I already know a number have said they will be there. This is certainly the place for any Arizona FReepers to be Saturday afternoon. So, who else is planning on coming? Let's get a roll call and then we can see about where to meet up.

[Spiff]

Border Security PING!

[Spiff]

Border Petition Rally -- March 6 -- Tucson

NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN - PETITION GOOD IN ALL STATES
100,000 Petitions for Troops on Border To Be Delivered to Federal Building

Plan to be there! Lots of parking! (Many coming from outside Arizona) [See larger map]	Americans to Gather at Tucson Park to Rally for Control of the Border (See Petition). El Presidio Plaza Park near the Federal Building Reserved by American Border Patrol - Event starts at 2 pm. Rally will conclude at 4 pm following a short march to the Federal Bldg. to deliver 100,000 petitions. Mexican President Vicente Fox will be at the Bush Ranch on the same day. To be broadcast on the internet using the ABP satellite van. For Information, Call 1-800-600-8642
GET YOUR PETITIONS HERE Download a full-size copy
El Presidio Park - Tucson Join us at Tucson's El Presidio Park on March 6 to demand that the government defend the sovereignty of the United States by putting the military on the border. Plenty of low cost parking at street level, and in a spacious parking garage under the park itself.	Special Guest Speakers....... Terry 'If You Ain't Mad, You Ain't Paying Attention' Anderson Former Chief Border Patrol Agent Bill King Arizona Assemblyman Randy Graf Author and Host of the Voice of Freedom Radio Show Brent Johnson Yeh Ling Ling, Director, Diversity Alliance for a Sustainable America More Being Added
	Official Rally Logo Available This is the official logo for the rally in Tucson. Click here to see a larger copy. Download a copy and make T-shirts, signs, etc. Click here for pdf version.

[rbmillerjr]

Good luck from the East Coast.

[lakey]

Tucson is too far for us. But, we wish you well.

One of our neighbors is getting petition signatures for "Protect Arizona Now." Judging from the response he is receiving, I predict you will have a good turnout.

[yonif]

bump for security

[umgud]

I am not opposed to the military on the border, but the problem will never go away unless we comit to deporting those we find in the interior. Right now, if you can get past the border, you are home-free. This is wrong.

[DumpsterDiver]

Good luck, Spiff. I'll be looking forward for your report after the rally.

[Poohbah]

OK, one more time: What capability would be gained by putting a soldier on the border that could not be gained by putting a civilian law enforcement officer on the same stretch of border?

[JackelopeBreeder]

Uh-oh...

The Muse has descended and someone has been artistically inspired. Saturday is going to be good.

[uglybiker]

I'll be in the wrong half of the state. Be with you in spirit, though.

[CWOJackson]

"What capability would be gained by putting a soldier on the border that could not be gained by putting a civilian law enforcement officer on the same stretch of border?"

None, it would be a net loss.

[Spiff]

OK, one more time: What capability would be gained by putting a soldier on the border that could not be gained by putting a civilian law enforcement officer on the same stretch of border?

The point of putting military on the border is to do something about border security now! There is not enough civilian law enforcement trained, equipped, and ready to guard a border. We've got troops guarding borders in other nations right now that could be here instead. Do we really need troops in Germany guarding the Fulda Gap from invasion by the Soviets? The military stays until civilian law enforcement and National Guard can be ramped up to take over. Military should still offer some assistance after that as necessary.

This is truly the role of the National Guard. We should NOT be deploying National Guard units to foreign operations. Their design is to guard the homeland and its borders, not to be deployed elsewhere.

[Spiff]

None, it would be a net loss.

In your opinion. And you're free to hold that opinion.

However, I've spoken to retired military commanders and Border Patrol agents who disagree with you. Former Chief Border Patrol Agent Bill King will speak at the rally in favor putting the military on the border.

Can I ask you, do you live near the border? Have you visited the border area to see the current invasion? There are people who are far more familiar with the current situation who may know a bit more than you do about it. Some of these people support putting troops on the border.

[hedgetrimmer]

God speed to you.

[CWOJackson]

I'm sure you have spoken to retired military "commanders" who would agree...there are more then a couple out there who still don't seem to understand role and capability of the military. Heck, there's more then a couple who would like to see the nation under a military dictatorship.

Oh, as a military officer I was activiely involved in border problems...the Coast Guard being the only military service with the legal authority and training to be involved with it.

I even had planning experience with our so-called allies on the other side of the border...the northern border where the greatest terrorist entrance threat exists. But you all have fun any way.

[Poohbah]

The point of putting military on the border is to do something about border security now!

Ah. It's not about actually doing something effective--it's just about looking like something is being done.

There is not enough civilian law enforcement trained, equipped, and ready to guard a border.

Actually, there is. It's just horrendously misallocated.

Do we really need troops in Germany guarding the Fulda Gap from invasion by the Soviets?

No, which is why we're moving them to Eastern Europe.

The military stays until civilian law enforcement and National Guard can be ramped up to take over. Military should still offer some assistance after that as necessary.

1. If that's your proposed CONOPS, they will always somehow be "necessary."

2. If you make an army into a border patrol, you will discover that, when a war breaks out, that you will have to send a border patrol to do an army's job.

[JackelopeBreeder]

But you all have fun any way.

We will, I promise. It's not like we have a lot of choice.

Cochise County, where Spiff and I live, has only 120,000 residents. Last year the Border Patrol caught just over 180,000 illegal aliens here. They figure they caught maybe one in five. So something in the vicinity of 700,000 made it through here scot free.

Us locals did not get off scot free.

Home invasions, car-jackings, muggings, etc.

Our national park lands are now controlled by Mexican smugglers of drugs and humans.

The Mexican military is here on the border -- but they actively assist the smugglers. Very actively, as in laying down suppressive fire against our Border Patrol and local law enforcement to aid smugglers in their escapes.

Do we need tanks and artillery here? Not really, though it would give me a big woodie to call in the fire missions.

What we do need is the support troops:

UAVs and operators to fill in the gaps in the line.

Intel analysts to identify all the avenues of approach.

Linguists to bust up their communications.

MPs to handle detainees.

Clerks to process all the officially blessed paperwork.

Mechanics to keep the Border Patrol's vehicles functional.

Fort Huachuca, just eight miles north of the border, could provide all these resources. Think of it as a live environment training exercise with no need for any simulations. The troops would eat this sh!t up with a big silver spoon and beg for more.

Oh, while I'm at it, that little slur about military "commanders" won't cut it here. A very large slice of the population is retired Army -- from NCOs to general officers -- and our patience has disappeared.

[CWOJackson]

"Oh, while I'm at it, that little slur about military "commanders" won't cut it here."

Slur? Not a slur at all. If you have some so-called ex-commanders there who have no true concept of the role of the military and their capability, and not to mention the fact that they are already over stretched...it's not a slur, just pointing out the obvious.

But like I said, you all intertain yourselves to your hearts content.