Alamogordo Daily News
The New Mexico statewide meeting of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps was held in Alamogordo on July 22 and attended by 48 members and prospective members.
Bob Wright, National Deputy Director of MCDC was the principal speaker.
New Mexico MCDC leaders Bill Norris, of Las Cruces, Dennis Jennings, of Silver City, Darrell Olson, of Albuquerque and Lee Robertson, of Hatchita, were on hand at the meeting to visit with Wright.
Wright talked about the need for the organization to stay focused on its goal: to secure the borders of the United States.
Wright said the month-long vigil along the border at Columbus in April 2006, was very successful in spite of bad weather. He claimed the Mexico cartel revenue was reduced by $1 million; 125 felons were kept out of the U.S.; and the traffic across the border in the Columbus area is down.
It is not clear how he came by these figures, which could not be independently verified.
He called on organization members to keep their congressmen's phones "hot" and remind them of the need to secure the borders. He said the government needs to do more to support the Border Patrol.
Asked about the northern border, Wright said MCDC was active there too, but 85 percent of illegals come across at the southern border.
He said public support by the American people is "very good," noting only 3 percent of the population had supported American Revolution at that time.
Wright compared the situation on the border and in the country to being in a political cold war.
Saying the New Mexico MCDC should divide into two chapters, Wright suggested additional recruitment be divided by county. He encouraged the members not to become complacent.
He talked about "phenomenal growth and success," reporting a current national membership of 7,000 with a backlog of 800 applicants to be approved. MCDC has applied for non-profit status and has been waiting for 18 months for approval, he said.
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