Minutemen building Ariz. border fence (broke ground today)

Yahoo by Associated Press ^ | 05/27/2006 | ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN

[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."

[Rick_Michael]

Your fairly new..welcome. It would be interesting to know how many people are joining because of this....

Border
Language
Culture

Absolutely!

[tobyhill]

I agree and hopefully once the oil over there gets pumping we can recoup that cost. It's only 5 billion barrels worth out of their estimated 112-200 billion barrels of proved reserves and maybe they can throw in an extra billion that could pay for the fence, agents and everything needed?

[Rick_Michael]

No problem,...I'll be donating a little each month.

Recently I got mail that the Minutemen have a PAC, and I'm looking into that. Familiar with that?

Anyone?

I'd rather deal with a physical link to their site, because I would like to see what they do with it.

[ForGod'sSake]

More pics...

Chris Simcox kicked things off by introducing some very generous people.

First up, Colin Hanna of WeNeedaFence.com with a donation of $2,500 for materials. Another gent in the crowd who did not give his name added $500 in cash.

Then the jaw-dropper. Jim Campbell, a builder from Phoenix, gave us a check for $100,000. He is also rounding up like-minded friends to make even more donations. This came out of the blue and really rocked the crowd.

Next up, Al Garza, executive director of Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. Al has his own fan club (for lack of a better word) down south as he happily goes head to head with the Mexican media – in Spanish. Univision sent their usual crew to catch Al at his best.

Don Goldwater, with any luck our next governor, promised that if he does make it, Seriff Joe Arpaio up in Maricopa County will not be the only one running a tent city jail – similar facilities will be here on the border and the inmates will be employed doing jobs Americans really don’t want to do.

Congressman Steve King of Iowa’s 5th district gave what must have been a great speech judging from the applause, but I was too far away to hear it. We had a sudden visit from Grupo Beta – a Mexican government organization charged with “trying” to protect migrants from banditos and such while they are still in Mexico. The five reporters who jumped the fence to interview them are breaking the laws of both countries.

Last, in the place of honor, Dr. Alan Keyes. Don’t ever pass up a chance to hear this man speak. He’s like some throw-back to the Age of Enlightenment – real thoughts, real ideas. No spin, no sound bites, no buzz words. I wish we could clone him.

The symbolism in this shot…Chris Simcox, Colin Hanna, Don Goldwater, Steve King, and Alan Keyes raising a fence post…sometimes I do manage to stand at the right place at the right time.

[HiJinx]

Border Fence Ping!

[Brad’s Gramma]

WOW!!!!

Thanks for the pics!!!

[Borax Queen]

There's a big fire burning now off to the west on the other side of the mountains in the vicinity of Parker Canyon Lake. Any bets on how it got started since there's been no lightning? Hmmmmm.........?

I was wondering the very same thing!

[mafree]

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.

Methinks a wall is needed instead of a fence. Still, good job Minutemen!

[Borax Queen]

Are the wealthy all one-worlders?

Appears that way.

[Leatherneck_MT]

Funny, I had the same thought 3 days ago, must be a cosmic thought wave :)

[ArcadeQuarters]

How can we donate to this project?

https://secure.responseenterprises.com/mmfence/?a=571

[ForGod'sSake]

Yer welcome Gramma.

[the mo]

A Big BTT

[Libloather]

Border pics...

[Peach]

IF that is a real picture of a fence, it's part of a triple fence that isn't shown in the picture.

Here's an article about it.

http://www.laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/february06-04/fence.htm

[stopem]

10 miles for $100,000 and it will take them 3 weeks to complete. It has barbed wire and razor wire.

Hope they will come on down to Texas and build one on our border.

They don't just talk about it or debate it they do it.

[Dante3]

Ditto.

[jslade]

bttt

[Churchillspirit]

Possibly a lot of folks regard this project as an American version of the Maginot Line - too easy to go around it, or even under it.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

The fence in the picture is not a fence built by minutemen. They use the photo to garner money, the "New" Judicial Watch.

On the news the showed them unrolling barb wire on fence posts I use around my tomato garden. Heck, my black lab crosses it. $150/ft? Yea right. And that sketch on their site is not what they are going to build either.

The main issue to call these people into question is there regard of President Bush, referring to him as "Interim President Bush" on their website. They hate him, they hate Government in general.