Posted on 08/14/2005 1:37:55 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Some people might describe Roy Lasley as an exclusionist, a racist or a term even less printable.
But the way the retired Midland, Texas truck driver sees it, his volunteer activity with the Minuteman Civil Protection Corps is the obligation of a patriot.
Lasley is the president of the Midland/Odessa chapter of the controversial Minuteman organization. He and another member of the group, Tony Faller, were in Del Rio Friday.
Lasley said his trip is part of an evaluation the Minuteman group is undertaking to scout locations for an October border watch event in Texas.
In an interview Friday, Lasley explained that the objective of the Minuteman group is “to assist the Border Patrol in apprehending illegal entrants.”
“What we do is that we set up stations, and usually we sit in lawn chairs or pickup trucks with binoculars, walkie-talkies and cell phones, and watch for anybody that’s crossing into the U.S. illegally. Then we call the Border Patrol and let them do the apprehensions,” Lasley said.
“We do not approach the illegal entrants in any way – verbally or physically,” Lasley said, and it is a point he emphasized repeatedly.
He said the only circumstances under which members of his organization will even speak to the illegal entrants are “if they look real sick or down, we offer them water.”
Lasley said the group hopes to recreate an event held on the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona in April 2005.
“For 23 miles, we shut down the border,” Lasley said of the month-long Arizona effort.
Asked why he joined the group, Lasley said, “I feel that we are being overrun.”
“I feel like it’s my patriotic duty to our country,” said Faller.
Lasley said he and Faller have received favorable responses from a number of Del Rio residents.
“We have scouted out several areas where we can patrol,” Lasley said.
He said the event will begin with a local rally Oct. 1.
Lasley and Faller on Friday also visited with Val Verde County Sheriff A. D’Wayne Jernigan and planned to speak with Border Patrol officials here.
Jernigan Friday said he has no problem with the group being in Del Rio, as long as its members obey the law.
“I didn’t encourage them, and I didn’t discourage them,” Jernigan said. “I explained to them that I expect them to follow the law. I told them that if they come in here as law-abiding citizens, we won’t have any problems, but I also told them that if you do violate the law, you will suffer the consequences.”
Jernigan said Lasley agreed to a later meeting between the group and local law enforcement officials, including the district attorney and county attorney.
“I told him that we need to explain to him what the rules are, that we need to explain trespass laws in Texas, because here you don’t have a lot of public land like you do in Arizona,” Jernigan said.
He added that he has also asked Lasley to provide him with the names and identifiers for all of the participants in the group’s planned October event here so that the sheriff’s office can run criminal history checks on them.
Jernigan said he has asked Lasley to let him know where the volunteer border watchers will be located and has asked that every group of volunteers has a method of instant communication with law enforcement.
“I told him, ‘I want to be able to find you and your people immediately if I need to,’ and he said he didn’t have a problem with that,” Jernigan said.
Paul Berg, chief patrol agent for the Del Rio Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, on Friday issued the following statement about the activities of the Minuteman group: “The Border Patrol appreciates the efforts of local citizens that report suspicious activity. Their eyes and ears are extremely helpful. However, deterring and apprehending individuals illegally entering the United States requires highly trained law enforcement personnel – the U.S. Border Patrol.”
Anyone who wants to learn more about the Minuteman organization can research the group on the Internet or visit its Web site at www.minutemanhq.com.
The Fox News Channel’s “Hannity and Colmes” show also will be broadcasting from the group’s “Texas Tour” on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Roy Lasley is a patriot. And the Minutemen, all, are heroes.
Roy Lasley is a patriot. And the Minutemen, all, are heroes.
God bless this fine man. The cowardly politicians won't do anything to guard the borders, so I'm thrilled about the American people talking charge. This is a great thing happening in this country.
Texas Minutemen Ping!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
Woo Hoo! one more on the side of the good guys.
Is Midland, TX, Bush's hometown?
the sheriff wants "identifiers" on all participants???? screww him and his one eyed mammy too!!!
Why the heck isn't he trying to get "identifiers" on the illegals?? why are "civilians" out there trying to do his job (or border patrol jobs)???
Why isn't he trying to get "identifiers" on the border patrol agents that aren't doing their job??
Shoot his horse, salt his well, burn his house!!!
That bothered me too. Not just that he wanted a list but is going to do criminal histories also.
supposedly, you don't do criminal background checks on persons in the U. S. A. unless you have reason to believe they committed a crime.
The Illegals, you know have committed a crime!!! This world has gone completely mad.
law enforcement is protecting their own minimum wage arses and their terribly inflated egos.
Roscoe, Enos and Boss were at least honest in their dealings (minus Enos)...but at least you knew what they were up to...now all you have is some shaved head, egotistical manaiacs that either want to tase someone or shoot someone.
I'm sorry, but i have no respect for them anymore...I try to stay away from them completely...I drive an 18 wheeler and i have seen state troopers, deputies and locals drive right past elderly people broke down on sid eof the highway and a couple of miles down the road, have an entire family standing outside the car while they dug thru everything trying to find money and drugs to steal.
ping
I've been wondering something. The Minutemen groups are routinely described in the MSM as "vigilantes," which we know isn't true. The things they do are exactly analogous to the various Neighborhood Watches across the country that act as eyes and ears for their local police but don't try to usurp the police's functions. Maybe it would be useful to start referring to the Minutemen as a "National Watch," like a Neighborhood Watch but at a higher level. The eyes and ears of the American people. I like it.
I understand where you're coming from, however, the Minutemen thing is fairly new and I've seen a big turnaround from Border Patrol and Law Enforcement. They used to scream about the Minutemen, now they're saying "alright, it's ok, we want to know who they are, don't mess with anyone, call us instead". Shoot, it wasn't that many months ago you couldn't mention the word "minuteman" without JimRob coming in and saying "we don't support it", now there are tons of articles on it.
It's only because the Minutemen have been willing to give up personal freedoms and followed the absolute letter of the law that they have convinced so many that they truly are the "good guys" and not "vigilantes" (thank you Mr. President...still waiting for that apology).
And I think it's pretty neat that when you join the Minutemen (out of your own money if I understand correctly), you must be willing to pay $50 for an FBI background check. If any of the Minutemen screw up, the MSM will come down hard and ruin the entire project. They must be vewy, vewy careful (Elmer Fudd)
good enuff...but if you for k out $50.00 for FBI check, why does Roscoe P. Coletrain need "identifiers" on all participants?? Won't the feds pony up the info for him??
Or better yet, if the feds find no fault with the participant, why does Roscoe care?? Just another minimum intelligence local politician trying to get in the news and sound important.
I've noticed that, which is why I said maybe it will be like Arizona. I just don't know here if it's police issues or LE does not want changes.
#17
Can't argue with that. I suppose it falls under "it just is the way it is".
Probably the feds will not give any information to the local police, it's a long standing problem that needs to be fixed.
I suspect both LE and BP want changes, but when it's "on the record", they tend to be more careful. I would too, I'd be extremely careful about what I said (note to self, smile, shake head, don't say a word!!).
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