Posted on 05/27/2006 6:09:37 PM PDT by faq
PALOMINAS, Ariz. - Scores of volunteers gathered at a remote ranch Saturday to help a civilian border-patrol group start building a short security fence in hopes of reducing illegal immigration from Mexico.
The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps plans to install a combination of barbed wire, razor wire, and in some spots, steel rail barriers along the 10-mile stretch of private land in southeastern Arizona.
They hope it prompts the federal government to do the same along the entire Arizona border.
President Bush has pledged to deploy as many as 6,000 National Guard troops to strengthen enforcement at the border. The guardsmen would fill in on some behind-the-lines Border Patrol jobs while that agency's force is expanded.
But the Minutemen have said it's not enough. The group's founder, Chris Simcox, said they want a secure fence and they're starting at the site where his first patrols began in November 2002.
Rancher John Ladd and his son, Jack, were hopeful the effort would limit the illegal immigrants and drug runners who have cut the small fence along the property or just driven over it to cross into the U.S.
"We've been fighting this thing for 10 years with the fence, and nobody will do anything," Jack Ladd said.
Most of the day was dedicated to speeches from politicians and Minutemen leaders and celebrating large donations the Minutemen group has been receiving. As of midweek, the group had raised about $225,000 for fence materials and signed up about 1,000 volunteers to work on the project, organizers said.
"We're not going to stop. We're going to stay here with a group and keep building," said Timothy Schwartz of Glendale, Ariz., who was among at least 200 volunteers gathered. He said he wants a fence along the border from California to Texas.
Quetzal Doty of Sun Lakes, Ariz., a retired U.S. diplomatic consular officer, brought his wife, Sandy, to the event.
He said he's convinced the Minutemen and most Americans aren't anti-immigrant.
"They're just anti-illegal," said Doty. "The Minutemen walk the extra mile to avoid being anti-immigrant and that's what we like about the organization and what got us interested."
You ought to put together an email to Minutemen HQ.
L
Done!
L
Surveillance cameras on the fencing will be monitored via computer by registered Minutemen across the country.Read more here: http://www.minutemanhq.com/bf/
Amazing what private enterprise can do.
Here in NY, a a quarter mil wouldn't even pay for the engineering studies, let alone the environmental impact statements and archaeological assessments.
Here, we spend millions on public works projects and never get a shovel in the ground.
I hope they're going to put up more than barbed wire. That won't stop anybody.
ANSWER: May be released this week when the fire is under control
L
"As of midweek, the group had raised about $225,000 for fence materials"
I support the Minutemen and know that most of this money came in small donations from patriots, many who don't have a lot, but...
Where are the wealthy conservatives? If this was a liberal cause Soros and his ilk would have donated millions. Aren't their wealthy consrvatives anymore? Are they too afraid of offending someone? I would think that a billionaire could go down in history by dropping $10 million or more in the cause of securing our border.
Are the wealthy all one-worlders?
Stay safe.
L
bttt
"Good to hear. American individualism and independence still lives."
Yep!!!
"How long before Mexican soldiers from Grupo Beta come across at night and wreck the fence?"
Private property can be defended. And if they did that, it would rebound to our benefit anyway.
Thanks for posting the pics!
"The key is this: we need a website where thousands of volunteers would sign up to monitor the cameras. When someone sees movement, they just click a mouse button. Of course a second (and perhaps third) confirmation would be needed- and after that, the location automatically gets reported to local police or border patrol."
Good idea. To add on a bit---there is now some prety good software that can do the "1st cut" monitoring. The software could flag "suspicious" situations. The humans could weed out the false positives. Many less humans needed.
When they pronounce it.
great pic w- the flags!---a keeper, though a wide-angle would be better. That could make a poster.
Did they "consult" with the Mexican government first?
Now if we were in DC, this would be an embarrassment....most of the current crowd won't get it.
Bless the volunteers for this project.
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