[amc] [Fwd: ARIZONA: Watching the Watchers]
- From: Micheal McEvoy <chewy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Joel Douglas Harrison <joeldouglasharrison@xxxxxxxxx>, AMC List <amc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 09 Apr 2005 23:16:44 -0500
-----Forwarded Message-----
From: "CPTnet Editor, Winnipeg, MB" <CPTnet.Editor.guest.662997@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: menno.org.cpt.news@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: ARIZONA: Watching the Watchers
Date: 09 Apr 2005 21:53:28 -0500
CPTnet
9 April 2005
ARIZONA: Watching the Watchers
Two CPT Arizona members, both grandparents, spent a
day watching "Minuteman Project" personnel. The
Minutemen, a vigilante group, were watching for
migrants to cross from Mexico into the United States
west of Douglas, Arizona.
CPT members have been trained as "Legal Observers" by
Ray Ibarra, law student and representative of the
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). During training
Ray said, "the problem to be addressed is not the
Minutemen themselves, but the fear and
misunderstanding among the U.S. people that is
allowing hundreds of migrants to die in the desert
while they seek available work and the American dream
in the U.S."
The CPT members and three other observers, in T-shirts
labeled "Legal Observer" and "observadores legales"
and carrying video cameras, deployed themselves to
high points above the broken barbed wire fence that
represents the U.S.-Mexico border. East and West as
far as the eye could see along the hilly road,
Minuteman pickups, vans and SUV's with California,
Texas and other registrations were parked at
quarter-mile intervals. About two hundred minutemen
sat in camp chairs and peered south through their binoculars.
Who are the Minutemen? They are women and men, many
grandmothers and grandfathers, who believe that the
U.S. government is not doing enough to stop thousands
of migrants from entering the U.S. Some of them
believe that these migrants are "diluting" American
culture. A few Minutemen carry side arms, which is
legal in Arizona, and state that they intend to stop
any migrants they encounter and turn them over to the
Border Patrol. Ray Ibarra said, "stopping and /or
confining anyone except for a breach of the peace is
illegal under U.S. law." The planned actions of the
Minutemen make them vigilantes.
Despite rumours to the contrary, no migrants appeared.
During the afternoon, Mexican authorities on four
wheelers were seen to be scouring their frontier
making sure that migrants were moved to less
confrontational areas of the border.
The CPT members suffered no ill treatment apart from
some dehydration and sun burn. Two senior citizen men
passed the time of day with the CPTers, and two
sheriffs invited the CPTers to call on them for
assistance, if needed, as well as warning them of
sharp bushes, rattlesnakes and wildcats. Cochise
County Sheriff Larry Dever said, "I am very pleased
that there has been no violence and no arrests so far,
despite several Minuteman demonstrations on the
weekend."
Hearing of Dever's words, Ray Ibarra commented, "there
was no violence because local law enforcement have
allowed the Minutemen a free hand to operate in
Cochise County." In some California and Texas
counties, law enforcement has shut down vigilante activity.
In light of recent abuses that have been perpetrated
by Minutemen Project personnel and the lack of
response by local and federal officials, it promises
to be another long, hot summer for undocumented
migrants in the Sonoran desert.
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--
Micheal McEvoy St. Brigid's Gate Farm
chewy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Mahomet, Texas
Beautiful Brown Eggs from Free-Range Chickens,
Free-Range Broilers, Ducks, Geese & Turkeys,
Grass-fed, Pastured Dairy from Dexters and Nubians
Support your Farmers and Ranchers, Buy Locally Grown Food
-------
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