Posted on 04/08/2005 1:10:09 PM PDT by Spiff
After incident, man asked to leave Minuteman Project
By BILL HESS
Friday, April 8, 2005 12:58 PM MDT
Herald/Review
TOMBSTONE - A Minuteman Project volunteer who was investigated for potentially detaining an illegal immigrant by force has been asked to leave the volunteer group.
Bryan Barton, who reportedly is a possible Republican candidate for one of the California congressional seats, reportedly came upon an illegal immigrant and forced the man to hold a T-shirt that read: "Bryan Barton caught an illegal and all I got was this lousy T-shirt."
An investigation by Cochise County Sheriff's Department and the Mexican Consul in Douglas determined the illegal immigrant was not forcefully detained earlier this week.
However, there was an outcry over Barton's actions which led the leadership of the volunteer group to ask the Californian to leave the monthlong project, a program seeking to stop the flow of illegal activities from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into Arizona.
"We asked him to leave and he is," said Bill Bennett, who works for one of the group's co-organizers, Chris Simcox.
The problem started slightly after noon on Wednesday when Barton came upon the illegal immigrant, who then videotaped the incident, including the unidentified Mexican national holding up the T-shirt.
Sheriff investigators and the Mexican Consul agreed the 26-year-old illegal immigrant was not held against his will.
The illegal immigrant was taken to the Border Patrol's Naco Station after agents took custody of him. The Border Patrol informed the sheriff, consul, FBI and U.S. Attorney of the situation, leaving the investigation to the sheriff's department and the consul.
Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever said Barton acted foolishly, much like a clown.
Barton was seeking publicity for his campaign, which was something the sheriff's department was not going to engage in, Dever said.
On Saturday, Barton was at a Border Patrol support rally outside the Naco Station.
Using a bullhorn he tried to get some of the 150 volunteers to follow him up and down the road while shouting chants. A few joined a couple of his attempts.
More than once he called the volunteers "boys and girls," many probably old enough to be his parents.
"Come on boys and girls, let's march," he said once, causing at least one of the older volunteers to express his displeasure at Barton by using a series of expletives.
SENIOR REPORTER Bill Hess can be reached at 515-4615 or by e-mail at bill.hess@svherald.com.
Bryan Barton claims to be running for Congress. A careful look at his congressional campaign website (www.votebarton.com) gives you the impression that his run for Congress is a joke. The alleged campaign commercial on the site makes it pretty obvious.
Given that he was the editor of the vile filth called The Koala - an obscene student magazine published at University of California San Diego (see www.thekoala.org - look at some of the back issues. The "race issue" is Barton's finest work) one can easily surmise that he's spoofing conservatives and border security advocates with his campaign and his involvement with the Minuteman Project.
A quick check of the Federal Election Commission databases at www.fec.gov does not show a Bryan Barton registered as a congressional candidate. A quick check of the California Secretary of State databases (http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Campaign/Candidates/) doesn't show him registered as any sort of candidate in that state either. Yet, he's accapting donations on his website as if he's running for office. That's likely a violation of state and federal campaign laws. Something none of us wants to be associated with.
He claims to be running in District 53. The address he used when he registered his votebarton.com domain is 3423 Cowley Way in San Diego is not even in District 53.
The premeditated actions he took in giving the border intruder the prepared T-shirt makes it obvious that Barton has another agenda than what the Minuteman Project is trying to accomplish. This stunt was planned ahead of time. His agenda is the sale of a "reality show" called Vote Barton. He explains this on his "campaign" website - that he is actually filming a reality show about his campaign and activities surrounding it. That explains why he had his own camera crew in Tombstone on Friday, in Naco and Douglas on Saturday, and apparently on the trail with him when he pulled his idiotic stunt. It also explains the odd signs he pulled out halfway through the Naco rally. The signs were simply huge blow-ups of Barton's face with his website's URL on the bottom. Nothing about the border, just self-promotion. He leaned these up against the barricades set up in front of the Border Patrol Station. Just where the news cameras could not easily miss them.
My impression of him the first time I saw him in Tombstone on Friday has only been reinforced by this stunt. In addition, Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever said that he acted like an absolute clown while he was being interviewed by law enforcement. This is NOT the kind of behavior exhibited by someone who is truly serious about this effort. I'll bet he had his camera crew filming the entire incident. He's already been interviewed by a California radio talk show and promises to release the self-promoting video on his website later.
But, besides all of this, Barton clearly violated the Minuteman Project S.O.P. He encountered illegal aliens and instead of following the S.O.P. he put himself, his team, and the entire effort at risk. Excusing this egregious violation will only serve to tempt others to cross the line and similary endanger themselves, their team, and the entire Project. We certainly do not need that.
Barton should be sent home despite his apparent popularity. He's a con man - a sham - he's suckered many people apparently. But the bottom line is that he has demonstrated that he is a liability to the Minuteman Project and should be sent away.
Good the guy is an idiot.
ping
Ya just have to love "journalists" nowadays.
The problem started slightly after noon on Wednesday when Barton came upon the illegal immigrant, who then videotaped the incident,
What? The illegal was carrying a video camera???
"In addition, Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever said that he acted like an absolute clown while he was being interviewed by law enforcement. This is NOT the kind of behavior exhibited by someone who is truly serious about this effort."
Border Clown Bump
VERY well-written! ::applause::
ping
Good work, Spiff.
Thanks for the info the MSM won't report!
OK, so the guy isn't helping, but I really appreciate his sense of humor....8>)
Where did that Ping! go??
Hey, if he'd done this any other time I would be laughing my butt off. But in this case he pulled his stunt at the expense of a very important event. The Minuteman Project really has to walk a fine line to further their effort without doing anything that would damage it. It is a delicate situation between the Project's organizers, the individual volunteers, the media, the ACLU, public opinion, the illegal aliens, the violent gangs, the violent drug traffickers, the local law enforcement, the government of the state of Arizona, the local property owners and residents, the infiltrators, Grupo Beta, the Mexican Army, the Border Patrol, and the Federal Government. There is not room for the kind of crap that Barton pulled. Hilarious, but dangerous. He needed to go to serve as an example to anyone else who might step out of line. This is not a joke - he can joke on his own time somewhere else - but not here, not now.
Thanks for posting this as you pledged and putting all in the open and on the record. ..... My salute to you and all the patriots manning our border there.
Nam Vet
Good job! Great research and presentation! Again, thanks for providing the current updates.
If the guy was really serious, the shirt would have read, "I could have been Atta's brother."
I get the feeling that this guy was trying to spoof the project and generate publicity for himself. I'm not too fond of shock-jock measures.
I agree with you Spiff. The Minutemen Project is not to be taken lightly.
Well, evidently Barton was carrying the shirt and lunch.... fair's fair.
I figured he would get the boot regardless of the outcome with the legal authorities. The details in your email certainly make giving him the boot all the more important. Good researching!
You are absolutely correct. When the MMP is about being a group effort this character is self absorbed in his own illusion of grandure. The concept of team work is beyond this guy.
There will be more screened out I am sure before this is over.
Funny, the ACLU hasnt returned my many emails telling them retract their false story.
He won't be the last.
Don't you love farce?
My fault I fear.
I thought that you'd want what I want.
Sorry, my dear.
But where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns.
Don't bother, they're here.
I suppose he was trying to raise the illegal immigrant issue as a campaign issue, but this was a dumb way to do it.
Good work getting rid of him.
Sounds a liberal using, or abusing, his fellow citizens for his personal gain ala Mikey Moore.
Excellent, the clowns are eating their own.
That's how I read that too.
I don't think he's even running. I think the whole thing is a con to spoof on conservatives, Republicans, and others all for a "reality show" he's filming. Everything I've seen leads me to that conclusion. You'd have to see the guy in action and the smarmy smirk he's got on his face to really get it.
This article points out something he did that I mentioned in my report of Day 2 - the rallies. He got his big bullhorn and convinced everyone to line up for a "march" up to the Border Patrol driveway. Yeah, the march was supposed to go about 50 feet. Stupid. Then he turned us to march up the street to a spot on the side of the road. Again, we felt stupid. I really had the sense that he was doing it on purpose. Luckily, Jim Gilchrist came over and used the area where we bunched up to make his speech. Barton, who I called "suit-guy" in my earlier report, stood there holding the bullhorn for Jim and he had the fakest serious look on his face. If you've watched "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart and seen some of the reports his "correspondants" do, you know what I mean.
His chanting was equally ridiculous. "1..2..3..4...We support Border Patrol!" ????? It sounds even more ridiculous than it reads. Luckily I was there with my bullhorn to lead the group in legitimate chanting, not the stuff that apparently was intended to make us look like fools.
He's gone, he had his fun, and he may have gathered enough video footage of him spoofing on us to make his "reality show" but hopefully not.
Yup! All us fat old drunkard ex-supply sergeant Timothy McVeighs take off our white hoods each night, reveal our clown faces, put on our bibs, and fire up the BBQ. You should come down and join the party sometime. We'd be glad to have you.
How come you are not there right now.
Oh BTW, where's your heroine hillary to give you all support?
She's nowhere to be found.
Be patient. We'll get around to you soon enough...
The guy was a faker to begin with, Dane. But don't let the facts start getting in the way of your attempts to slime those you disagree with.
JMO, you all on FR(minuteman supporters) are acting more like your political heroine hillary, with each post.
I.E: with the subtle threats ad nauseum.
Ain't going to work with me.
What's Barton's freeper name?
A leftist plant, for sure!
I'm new here but wanted to throw in my 2 cents...
Even if they guy is a con man what's the big deal about how he treated the illegal? These people are ILLEGALLY crossing our borders!!! They should be tackled and hog tied til they are put back in mexico, they might be just looking for work or they might be terrorists I say play it safe and incapacitate them til they are safely out!
Spiff - before we even knew this guy was a clown you had him pegged in your first report - good job.
I must admit to lauging out loud...I thought it funny as well...realize it doesn't help the cause, however.
Regarding your "incapacitation" comment, under Arizona law, the Minutemen don't have the authority to perform a legal citizens arrest on suspected illegals, let along tackling and hog-tying them, which would lead to felony assault and kidnapping charges. So it's best to leave the strategizing to those who are have studied this issue extensively.
It seems that to some on this board that anyone in favor of enforcing immigration law is a racist, a clown, a Hillary fan(?),etc. I would like these people (ClintonBeGone, Ben Ficklin, or anyone who would like to respond) to explain exactly what their view of illegal immigration is and what if anything we should do about it.
Congratulations---you are just making the MSM and the liberals madder and madder by running an honest above board organization!!!
Kudos to ya'll for the work you are doing!!! Keep safe!
It is illegal in most states to assault someone, regardless of their status in this country. You also can't shoot illegals either, FYI. Just wanted to make sure you knew that...
Sounds like a Michael Moore want-a-be.
I don't know the law much but it seems that if you see a criminal performing a crime, you need to act and not just sit on the sidelines pointing and waiting for some else to do something...no wonder why mexico is walking all over us.
I have updated Wikipedia with recent Minuteman Project info using parts of your email.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minuteman_Project
Sure it will. Just like the rest of the SOILs, your disdain for American sovereignty and the preservation of American culture, language and customs, is on open display here for all to see. Sooner or later, it will do you in along with the rest of your tiny little pack of Put-America-Lasters.
I've got you pegged as a "go along to get along" country club "Big Tent" Republican. You probably like to think of yourself as a "moderate" or "centrist".
Let me be clear. With your soft-on-illegals attitude, you have disqualified yourself as a conservative.
What are you?
Hey, I sent a note in an empty RNC return envelope last week....No More $$$ until the border is secure and a million go back... I will keep doing it to....will pay down my NRA Lifetime Membership in the meantime.
Things are heating up for Vicente Fox down there in Mexico, if he arrests the Mexico City Mayor to take him out of the election, I predict a revolution....
Of course, you know where people will flee to.
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.