Posted on 04/18/2005 2:39:17 PM PDT by Spiff
Minuteman founder leaving border early but volunteers to remain
By Arthur H. Rotstein
ASSOCIATED PRESS
1:32 p.m. April 18, 2005
TUCSON, Ariz. – The chief organizer of civilian volunteers who are spending the month watching for illegal immigrants and smugglers along the Mexican border is pulling out of the Minuteman Project early, a project official said Monday.
Jim Gilchrist, a retired accountant from California, will leave Arizona on Wednesday and plans to appear before the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus next week in Washington. He will be taking the official Minuteman Project name and a group of volunteers.
"He is claiming victory ... so he felt it would be appropriate to wrap up his participation this week and prepare to go to Washington," said Chris Simcox, the project's field operations director.
Simcox, who also plans to be in Washington next week, said Gilchrist isn't severing his ties to the project or with other organizers.
Despite Gilchrist's departure and Simcox's temporary absence, Simcox said patrols will continue as planned until April 30, albeit under the name of Simcox's organization – Civil Homeland Defense.
The volunteers, some of whom are armed, arrived on April 1 and began spreading out a few days later along a 23-mile stretch of desert between the border communities of Naco and Douglas. They alert authorities when they see someone cross the border illegally, but are not allowed to detain anyone.
Law enforcement officials have said they fear the project will lead to vigilante violence, an accidental confrontation between armed volunteers and authorities, or a dangerous encounter with the violent smugglers who use the area.
The volunteers claim their reports have led the Border Patrol to more than 260 illegal immigrants. The Border Patrol has acknowledged receiving more than 300calls from Naco and Douglas, resulting in hundreds of apprehensions, but the agency will not say whether any calls came from project volunteers.
certainly got folks' attention in ol' mechico.
When is the bunch In Yuma due to get to work?
Another incredibly misleading headline. It sounds like he's bailing out on the Minutemen. Instead, he's just leaving to go to represent the group in Washington.
Thank you all for what you have done so far!!!
Will you be going to Washington?
Sean Hannity is supposed to be having his show from down there tonight with J.D. Hayworth---
BTW, what is your take on the veteran that held that group of illegals at gunpoint and then called 911?--got himself arrested for it, I think...
Chris Simcox has been to Yuma to train people there on how to do this. I don't know if the same people are involved with the Yuma Patriots though.
That's why I added the tag at the end. The original headline was garbage but posting guidelines demanded that I leave it intact.
I didn't mean your doings, Spiff. I just meant the way it was originally written in the article you referenced.
You can always depend on the media to lie and distort.
"MM Co-Founder to Testify before Congressional Committee"
is a bit better? Libs make me puke.
Nam Vet
The volunteers, some of whom are armed...
I've noticed this is the ALWAYS the first seven words written when the MSM reports on the minutemen..what a bunch of wahoos!
ping
Sean Hannity needs to get educated a little more. He talks about terrorists as the problem and about legalizing the illegals.
I was on the border yesterday and know that we cannot sustain the influx of any people at the rate they are coming, legally or illegally. It is destroying both cultures to allow this to happen and the the only beneficiaries are the employers.
Maybe Sean is kissing?????????????????
Mr Bush needs to wake up and see that Fox is peeing down his leg and telling him its raining.
Thanks for keeping us all in the loop. I know the Ranchers down there are appreciative.
Should be "must see t.v." in Washington next week.
Maybe Sean is kissing?????? Oh absolutely he is kissing a$$!!!
This negative attitude from LE is in ALL articles I read, not just those written by liberals.
Jealousy, or what?
Leni
This crap has been reported before and it is....crap. Minuteman Project isn't even operating in Douglas. I guess these businesses rely upon drooling morons - yup, gotta protect that drooling moron demographic.
Especially whenever the subject matter demands politically correct handling...
Are you saying that the man that owns the tack shop is a liar, drooler, moron?
Actually, the way that Hannity "phrases" his concern, ie. terrorists after 9/11, is about the only way you will hear Congress talk about this, except for some really smart, brave Republicans---
I predice Jeff Sessions may be one.
The problem is ALL of them are politicians that need votes and none of them would want to offend the Mexican-American vote---therefore, they will frame it as a "terrorism" problem rather than a societal problem (which bothers me a lot).
Law enforcement officials have said they fear the project will lead to vigilante violence, an accidental confrontation between armed volunteers and authorities, or a dangerous encounter with the violent smugglers who use the area.
Arthur Rotstein has concrete evidence that the press' fears were not to be realized, and yet he still parrots the AP's hoped-or outcome.
He must think this is to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
That's probably more Presstitution in action, Leni. I just pinged a WND article that says the BP Union's website is praising the MMP, and goes directly against Andrea Zortman's (Naco BP supervisor) comment in the Houston Chronicle that said the agents were lying.
Also, I'm very much aware of our local Sheriff's feelings and I don't believe Rotstein is portraying him honestly.
Actually, Ben, we're dealing with a non sequitor here. Legal commerce between citizens in border towns is the topic of the article at the link you posted. (That is what you were linking to, right?)
The MMP is about illegal aliens sneaking into the country.
Apples and oranges.
You do see that, don't you?
If his business was pandering to illegals, and it's now decreased, that's what he gets for not being an honest and LEGAL proprieter. Read my tag line and add dishonest, disloyal proprieters. Mexican's don't come here to spend money, the exchange rate is worthless, we go to Mexico to buy cheap goods.
"The volunteers, some of whom are armed..."
LOL
i always imagine these limp wristed presstitute types squirming and breaking out in a cold sweat as they imagine the HORROR of some Americans packing.. maybe even wetting themselves.. lol..
What's your point?
>>the tack shop is a liar, drooler, moron?<<
You are the one who brought the slanderous terminology into the debate.
Is that your opinion of the man?
You know what's really spooky? They do come here, and they do spend tons of money. Our Wal-Mart in Sierra Vista sells boat-loads of electronics, CDs, hardware, clothing, you name it that goes back across the border. One of the questions I've never heard mgmt answer is why do they bypass the Douglas store, 200 yds. from the Port of Entry, and spend their dollars in Sierra Vista, 50 miles away?
That doesn't change the fact that the MMP is about illegal aliens and the article Ben pinged is about legal shoppers.
Its AP
Forget the lunatic left media ~ they are irrelevant!
#22
You can't win for losing.
No, fool. Go read what I said again.
I said his customer are obviously morons because they stupidly think that a.)the Minuteman Project is a bunch of evil, gun-toting vigilantes who might do them harm and b.)the Minuteman Project is even operating in Douglas.
That said, will you move on over to NM when you're through? LOL!
Therefore, it is ok if business is off?
I REALLY had hopes of this just being the beginning for the MMP, just hope it doesn't fizzle out after the hearings.
Apology issued.
As you have amply demonstrated, there's no accounting for the actions of morons. A slight drop in moron traffic to local businesses is a good tradeoff for calling attention to our intolerable border security problems.
Plus, Douglas is a corrupt mess. They could slide off the face of the planet (or at least Cochise County) and we'd all cheer.
You call a 30% drop a slight drop?
For a one month period - yes. Secondly, I don't trust the numbers.
Nam Vet
oops link here ----> http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1384987/posts
Lou Dobbs did a great story on this tonight. Jim is leaving to pursue employers who hire illegal aliens and to get the rest of the border states organized with volunteers to protect both the northern and souther borders. This movement is catching on like wildfire.
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