[lbo-talk] Minutemen National Campaign Fizzles

[Steven L. Robinson]

(A few days ago I posted an article about a Minutemen sponsored rally in
Denver that drew barely more than a dozen people while the opposition
garnered 200.  The Denver rally was part of a nationally coordinated day of
"Stop the Invasion" rallies that were supposed to be held in 20 cities
nationwide. Unfortunately for the Minutemen, the Denver rally wasn't the
only flop. Typically it seems that the rallies only drew a handful of
supporters and much larger numbers of opponents.  The Minutemen seem to have
miscalculated. While their much hyped patrols of the Arizona desert garnered
a lot of media attention, there doesn't seem to be anywhere near the
groundswell of support that they were counting on. Instead, Minutemen
rallies are looking more and more like those of kindred outfits on the
racist right wing, the Nazis and the Klan. In other words, a half dozen
diehards from hundreds of miles around get all dressed up in full regalia
and parade around on the courthouse steps while local police protect them
from hundreds of angry counter demonstrators.  Perhaps it is because the
more established corporate and right wing interests have failed to provide
support, or perhaps it is because the Minutemen are really creatures of the
fringe, a last gasp of the disillusioned 'folks.' In any event, this
editorial from the Hearst owned Houston Chronicle shows that even in Texas,
the Minutemen are unable to garner many supporters. SR)

Jan. 9, 2006, 10:12PM

False note

A set of rallies protesting illegal immigration fizzled, suggesting
Americans want more nuanced answers.

Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/3576336.html

LAST Saturday, about 20 cities found themselves hosting parties to which few
people came. Municipalities from Danbury, Conn., to Denton, Texas, were
sites for nationally coordinated "Stop the Invasion" protests — a series of
rallies, often at day labor sites, decrying illegal immigration and flawed
border policies. The lukewarm attendance said a lot about how most citizens
view the role of immigration — both legal and illegal — in American culture.

In Danbury, about 50 protesters showed up. Two dozen gathered outside a
home-supply store in Glendale, Calif., but were quickly outnumbered by more
than 100 immigrant-rights activists. In Denton, about a dozen protesters led
by the Lone Star Minutemen ran into three dozen counter-protesters, among
them members of the Denton County Democratic Party, Anti-Racist Action and
the League of United Latin American Citizens.

Considering many Americans' growing resentment of illegal immigration, the
demonstrations' feeble turnout was surprising. Their concerns echo widely in
Washington, where Congress is considering numerous proposals on how to
reform immigration policy.

On a symbolic level, the protesters were accurate in focusing their
attention on day labor sites and home-improvement stores, where employers
often find undocumented workers. Immigrants stream illegally into this
country because almost all of them find work. While existing laws prohibit
both the workers' illegal entry and the employers' hiring, in reality this
legislation is largely ignored. As protest organizer Paul Streitz told the
Bergen Country Record, "Additional laws will help, but what good would they
be if there's no enforcement?"

What the Minutemen and other Stop the Invasion devotees got wrong was the
practical side: the tone and scope of many Americans' view of illegal
immigration. Recent studies consistently show that most Americans are indeed
concerned about border security and illegal immigration. Last month, a
Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 56 percent of Americans think
illegal immigrants have done more to hurt the country than help it. But
surveys and other evidence also show that Americans have mixed feelings
about how to enforce existing law, particularly as it applies to
undocumented workers already here. A Scripps Howard poll last month showed
that by a 50-40 margin, Americans favor a guest worker program for laborers
now in the country. The Tarrance Group, a Republican polling firm, found
that 78 percent of potential Republican voters backed the idea of earned
legalization with possible citizenship.

The surveys on attitudes about illegal immigration are appearing thick and
fast — and are full of contradictions. But the drowsy rallies that were
meant to be national uprisings seem to translate all these numbers into at
least two truths. Most Americans don't seem interested in bullying ordinary
workers to protest U.S. policies. Instead, they seem to be weighing
compassion, common sense and economics, and demanding action from the proper
source — their lawmakers.

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