The Minutemen

[vidcc]

For anyone that doesn't know "the Minutemen" are a private group of volunteers that plan patrolling the Mexico Arizona border from spring.
They have no official training and some may carry guns. About 500 have volunteered to do this.

Is this a good thing or is it too open to abuse from "fanatics" that just wish to use a few illegal immigrants for target practice?

There are already civilian groups that help border patrols however so far they have tended to be small groups that monitor rather than enforce.

[MagicNakor]

That sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.

[ruthie]

That's all we need..a couple of nut jobs running around playing cowboy.

[Busyman]

I agree with the border patrolling part but eliminate the guns.
I wish we would erect a 25 foot high Great Wall Of USA and totally shut our borders off.

WTF right do they have to carry guns outside their home anyway? Were they given special permission to do this as frigging volunteers?

[vidcc]

I agree with the border patrolling part but eliminate the guns.

WTF right do they have to carry guns outside their home anyway? Were they given special permission to do this as frigging volunteers?

Arizona is a right to carry state, and as private citizens they don't need special permission....as far as i have been able to find

I found this on the cnn website.
a link about the story i had posted the thread after seeing the story on TV this morning

[hobbes]

Sounds like a bunch of highschool drop outs mouthing the concept of "maintaining the integrity of our borders", but really wanting nothing more than to harrass and abuse Mexicans and feel morally justified about it.

If people really actually cared, we would stop giving jobs to illegal immigrants. But we do because they are dirt cheap. My apartment complex has an army of Mexicans that swarm the place every Monday and they takr care of the yardwork. New flowers every week. I doubt there is a green card among those green thumbs. I don't notify the authorities because I kind of feel sorry for them and what they do does me no harm. Many of my friends can hire the women as "nannies" for their children, a luxury they couldn't afford otherwise. Certainly keeps the wife happy, not having her pinned down with a screaming child 24/7.

I bet the very people who want to "protect our borders" are the very people who employee illegal immigrants to do menial tasks. Hypocrites, through and through.

In case I have come off as vague, I think it is a horrible idea.

edit: added a clever dan quip.

[Everose]

Tucson, AZ

The above is a link with information/opinions on Border Patrols in the Tucson area, which I understand to be the area the Minutemen have targeted.

Volunteers would be great, if training were given by the US Border Patrol, and according to this article, it is offered. Local laws would be followed, I would hope. ;-)

I have known first hand of at least one incident in my area where a local sheriff stopped a van full of immigrants. They were released due to the INS office in my state not having the manpower or funds to travel across the state to retreive them, and local government not having a large enough jail to house them in or the funds to house them in an adjoining county. This was before 9/11, though, so I imagine things have changed.

[ilw]

I wish we would erect a 25 foot high Great Wall Of USA and totally shut our borders off.

Old joke

3 guys, 1 Irish, 1 English and 1 Scottish, are walking along the beach one day and come across a lantern and a Genie pops out of it. "I give you each one wish, that's three wishes in total" says the Genie. The Irish guy says "I am a fisherman, my Dad's a fisherman, his Dad was a fisherman and my son will be one too. I want all the oceans full of fish for all eternity." So, with a blink of the Genie's eye "AlKaZoom" the oceans were teaming with fish. The English guy was amazed, so he said, "I want a wall around England, protecting her, so that nothing will get in for all eternity". Again, with a blink of the Genie's eye "AlkaZoom - POOF" there was a huge wall around England. The Scot asks, "I'm very curious. Please tell me more about this wall. "The Genie explains "Well, it's about 150 feet high, 50 feet thick, protecting England so that nothing can get in or out." The Scot says, "Ach, fill it up with water."

[Busyman]

Old joke

3 guys, 1 Irish, 1 English and 1 Scottish, are walking along the beach one day and come across a lantern and a Genie pops out of it. "I give you each one wish, that's three wishes in total" says the Genie. The Irish guy says "I am a fisherman, my Dad's a fisherman, his Dad was a fisherman and my son will be one too. I want all the oceans full of fish for all eternity." So, with a blink of the Genie's eye "AlKaZoom" the oceans were teaming with fish. The English guy was amazed, so he said, "I want a wall around England, protecting her, so that nothing will get in for all eternity". Again, with a blink of the Genie's eye "AlkaZoom - POOF" there was a huge wall around England. The Scot asks, "I'm very curious. Please tell me more about this wall. "The Genie explains "Well, it's about 150 feet high, 50 feet thick, protecting England so that nothing can get in or out." The Scot says, "Ach, fill it up with water."

Very good one.

@hobbes- That's the problem with our system.
We need to get America straight without outsiders helping to clog the system.

Big business is the biggest blame as most workers cleaning their buildings (Verizon's in DC spring to mind), doing their yardwork, and being their children's nannies come from Mexico and Central America. Also add that everytime I go into a newly constructed building they are the one's painting, hanging drying wall and so forth further undercutting labor.

Politicians are actually trying to appease this demographic for as they become citizens, that's a potential voter. Hispanics are the biggest minority due to immigration, but for instance, black's minority numbers are mostly due to something more native which is.....fucking.

I don't blame those for trying to come over but at the same time I can blame the hypocrites allowing them to come here.

IT ALL SCREAMS BULLSHIT!!!

I would love to see the politician that points this out and love to hear a valid argument against him/her.

[Illuminati]

Hmm - I wonder if these people about protecting the borders are the same ones that go on about "wooping dem damn towelheads".

Though I dunno why they can't be used to protect against a bigger threat

@ ilw: Even I had to snigger at that joke