Gary Williams
Steven L. Robinson wrote:
> LEADERS OF MINUTEMAN PROJECT
> TAKE UP DIFFERENT TACTICS, GOALS
>
> By Alex Meneses Miyashita, Hispanic Link News Service June 22, 2005
>
> <http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=LATINOS-MINUTE-06-22-05&cat=II
> <http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=LATINOS-MINUTE-06-22-05&cat=II>>
>
> - Following its initial demonstration in April along the Arizona border,
> three of the leaders of the Minuteman Project have parted ways, with each
> staking out new turf.
>
> Founder James Gilchrist, of California, now heads Minuteman Project, Inc.,
> which he says will concentrate on internal U.S. immigration issues and will
> target employers who hire undocumented immigrants.
>
> Arizona-based newspaper publisher Chris Simcox, co-founder of the original
> group, now runs the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. He says his group has
> chapters in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas, and it plans weekend
> and holiday patrols in New Mexico.
>
> He says it will launch longer-term efforts in California on Sept. 16,
> followed in October with actions elsewhere.
>
> Former Minuteman volunteer James Chase has created the United States Border
> Patrol Auxiliary, which is based in California. Its chapters have adopted
> the names Arizona Minutemen, California Minutemen, New Mexico Minutemen and
> Texas Minutemen.
>
> One of his groups, the 40-member New Mexico Minutemen, has taken the lead,
> starting patrols June 12 along a portion of the state's border with Mexico.
>
> Chase identifies his missions as ensuring national security. He says his
> organization's priorities are to prevent terrorists, drug smugglers and
> felons from coming into the country.
>
> Chase says his border patrol auxiliary will report immigrants crossing the
> border without documents, but would distinguish itself from Simcox's group
> and the original Minuteman Project in that "if people come across the
> border, we will give them water, food and blankets."
>
> But Mike Gaddy, director of the New Mexico chapter of the group headed by
> Simcox, said members of the New Mexico Minutemen could end up joining his
> group of about 950 members in an effort to reconcile conflicts between the
> two leaders.
>
> Paul Martinez, director of the League of United Latin American Citizens
> Council in Las Cruces, New Mexico, says that regardless of their
> differences, both groups are going to exacerbate racial tensions in the
> state.
>
> Martinez emphasizes that his organization is particularly concerned about
> civil rights violations committed by any of the citizen militia groups. It
> is trying to identify provisions in the state law that could be used to
> prevent these groups from engaging in further activities. He adds that he is
> also encouraging immigrants to report abuses.
>
> New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has expressed strong opposition to the
> groups. Similarly, 11 state senators in Texas have come out against civilian
> border patrols.
>
> In spite of criticism from a number of groups in his state, California Gov.
> Arnold Schwarzenegger has declined to back away from his public praise of
> the efforts of the original Arizona Minuteman Project.
>
>
> Alex Meneses Miyashita is a reporter with Hispanic Link News Service. He may
> be contacted by e-mail at alex at hispaniclink.org
> <mailto:alex at hispaniclink.org>.
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
--
Gary Williams
Todays Iraq Body Count
Min Max
22434 25426