Arizona Minutemen - Good or Bad?

[Kirby]

What do you think about the movement? Good or bad? Patriotic citizens or vigilantes? Nuts with guns or responsible tax payers?

If you have not heard of them:

I'm referring to the group in Arizona that has organized hundreds of volunteers to watch the Arizona/Mexico border. Their stated goal is to passively watch the border and notifiy INS if/when they see any illegal aliens, and not confront or detain suspects.

More info

 

[manuel]

personally thatll be one less person on welfare. ooops

 

[Big Daddy]

I read all about their cause on their website months ago and was impressed at the professionalism they portrayed. Seems to be involved you have to submit an application and be accepted. A lot of retired police officers are involved. Seems like a good proactive protest and from what I have heard on the news it is going well thus far.

 

[Steve176]

We need to have better security on our boarders, so I think it is just fine.

 

[Kirby]

Big D, I also was impressed with the level of organization and professionalism that seems to be involved. I think it's interesting that the governmernt has been talking about securing the borders for years, but now that the people are taking action, all of a sudden there are 500 new border patrol agents, new funding, etc. It looks like a bunch of politicians have egg on their face.

I think it's very ironic and hypocritical that while this country was defended in the early years by the minutemen, militias, volunteer army, etc. doing exactly this type of function, and the government urges people to participate and volunteer, our president and other politicians are criticizing this group's efforts.

I saw an interview on TV with a minuteman applicant - a recent Italian immigrant. He said that he spent 7 years following the laws and procedures to become a US citizen, and he simply wants to protect his new homeland from people who don't want to follow the laws.

 

[Big Daddy]

Well said Kirby and right on the money, this is one of my beefs with the current administration of this country.

 

[Section_8]

I'm all for it, private citizens interested in doing something for the country?? How could we deny them? Especially since they are the folks living closest to the border and feeling the repercussions of illegal alliens the most anyhow.

Floridians did something similar along the Keys and Miami back in the early 80's when so many folks were leaving Cuba. Flotilla's of boats looking out for low riding Cuban boats full of people, then calling coast guard.

 

[BMW Punk]

Hello from sunny Arizona!
Hail to the patriots protecting our border, our economy, and our streets.
Unless you live here and see the effect the illegals have its hard to understand, and since Texas and Cali got tough and tightend up we are getting the overflow. It's really bad especially for the folks in southern AZ

 

[tool fan]

It is a great idea........think about this. Why won't any other country invade the US. You got it..every Tom, Dick and Harry has a gun or 10. So foriegn invaders not only have to worry about our military, but they have to be worried about Joe Citizen who is also quite proficient with his 30.06. God Bless the Patriots.

 

[aNoodle]

I suppose if they're not engaged in vigilantism, then it's hard to quibble. I'm just wondering where this is going. Why can't the government protect the border with professionals? It seems odd to me that so many illegal aliens are allowed to slip across the border at known places, while in the last election this government courted a certain vote with promises of temporary work permits and proposals to legalize the illegals.

Georgia, believe it or not, has had the highest growth rate of illegal aliens in the past decade. Rural places like Athens have changed dramitically with the lower classes (largely black) enjoying higher qualities of life on the backs of the new Mexican underclass. Many people are against migrants, but at the same time participate in the enjoyment of cheap labor and it seems so difficult for the government to upset the laws of supply and demand.

All politics aside, I think these complicated issues will be among the most difficult to solve for the next generation.

 

[Kirby]

...

Georgia, believe it or not, has had the highest growth rate of illegal aliens in the past decade. Rural places like Athens have changed dramitically with the lower classes (largely black) enjoying higher qualities of life on the backs of the new Mexican underclass. Many people are against migrants, but at the same time participate in the enjoyment of cheap labor and it seems so difficult for the government to upset the laws of supply and demand.

All politics aside, I think these complicated issues will be among the most difficult to solve for the next generation.

I'm not against immigrants or migrants at all, just illegal immigrants. In fact, studies have shown that the US economy would be seriously hurting (more that it is now) if we did not have immigrants and migrant workers. For better or for worse, there are, and will always be, jobs that "established" citizens will refuse to take because it is "beneath their dignity". But these jobs are a vital part of the economic engine, and are typically filled by immigrants. It's no really not much different from 100 years ago, except for the illegal issue.

 

[aNoodle]

I'm not against immigrants or migrants at all, just illegal immigrants. In fact, studies have shown that the US economy would be seriously hurting (more that it is now) if we did not have immigrants and migrant workers. For better or for worse, there are, and will always be, jobs that "established" citizens will refuse to take because it is "beneath their dignity". But these jobs are a vital part of the economic engine, and are typically filled by immigrants. It's no really not much different from 100 years ago, except for the illegal issue.

True, except we've tightened legal immigration and, with a wink and a nod, allowed massive migrations of people across the southern border.

I would imagine you're right about the economy being hurt. But can we just say anyone here is now a citizen or should we cart them out and have them file the proper paperwork before they can come back? Don't allow any more in, while the existing lower classes refuse these kinds of labor?

Speaking of winks and nods, we collect billions in taxes for social security on illegal immigrants who will never get benefits. This administration, in calculating their social security crisis, determed it's $7 billion a year! Free extra money to pay the crybaby boomers. Taxes collected on bad social security numbers is getting close to a total of $200 billion!! http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/05immigration.html

We need to sort this mess out...and I don't have any easy answers. I suspect the minutemen musket squads don't either.

 

[BMW Punk]

Heres some thing to chew on,
Ok we get money from bogus SS numbers, what they fail to tell you is the amonut of money illegals are taking out of the system I.E.; unemployment compensation, food stamps, welfare, and social security by using the very same bogus SS numbers.
Oh and one other thing, a huge number of illegals are criminals, thats why they cant get papers in the first place. There was a police officer who pulled over a car the driver was iedentfied as a illegal, the driver shot and killed the cop and went back over the border. WE know who this person is and the mexican govt. wont extridite him because we have the death penalty.
The Mexican govt. prints and distributes panplets to its citisens on how to cross the border and defraud our system.
Chew on that for a while.

 

[mrferg]

They are just a bunch of rednecks, sorry but it's true. Lets get us some Mexicanz, yeeee haw!

 

[Big Daddy]

No they are not a bunch of "red necks" I know a few of them. They are American citizens staging a protest about border security. Everyone there who actually represent the "minutemen" had a background check and agreed to abide by a set of rules and principles.

 

[BMW Punk]

Red necks, hehe, thats funny. So then the freedom fighters who won the independence for this country were rednecks to I suppose? Come to Arizona, see for your self. These patriots are staging a legitimate action and protest against the government. Their leader has gone to washington to let the government know that it is their responsibility to use the military to protect our borders. Oh and the mexicans, well there getting scared, you see our border, Arizona's border, is really the last place they can get across relativly easy and if we close it up then the mexicans are going to have to go through the proper channels to get into the country. That means that all the criminals wont be able to get in like they do now.
Heres a little known fact for you people on the east coast. The mexicans believe that we stole the land from them 200 years ago and they plan on taking it back, what better way than to flood the southern states with people?

 

[Average Jae]

They are just a bunch of rednecks, sorry but it's true. Lets get us some Mexicanz, yeeee haw!

well that maybe the case in michigan you know our famous militia.. the one that was on bowling for columbine? gotta love this place.. ....

but i honestly think that such movements are good. its just few numbskulls that comes up in the extreme and give them the black eye. and boy do our media guys love covering them..

 

[aNoodle]

well that maybe the case in michigan you know our famous militia.. the one that was on bowling for columbine? gotta love this place.. ....

but i honestly think that such movements are good. its just few numbskulls that comes up in the extreme and give them the black eye. and boy do our media guys love covering them..

So true. The 2000's are shaping up as the decade of extremism. Whether it's the terrorists, special interest pedlars, or screaming media-hoarding mobs, they'll never give it a rest until they realize most Americans are pretty moderate, and we don't have an unsatiable appetite for divisiveness. Until the pendulum swings back to center, I try to listen less to the screaming heads on cable and radio.

 

[gizzy]

I think the minutemen are a good idea. Granted, just like the "profesionals", there will be a rotten egg somewhere in the bunch every now and then and the media and polititions will have a hay day with the stories and rumors. For now, they are just working as security gaurds - observe and report. The firearms they carry are their for exactly what ccw is all about - "Just in case I need to protect myself".

I personally think this needs to happen more often to protect our freedoms. If we only really on the government to protect our freedoms, be prepared for this on a semi-regular basis -- "Your papers please -- schnell!!!" all while having an m-16 pointed at your head.

The govenment can only do so much without becoming a militant nation which none of like. In the end, we are still responsible for our own safety and hopefully the government can assits once in a while.

 

[epj3]

"Dey drrrk urrr jrrbs!!!"

(anyone who's seen the episode of south park will laugh at this)