Thread: Journalist POSITIVE RE: Minutemen

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/ne ... 638343.php

VERY POSITIVE news column on the Minutemen and others in the anti-illegal movement.

Be sure to RATE this column with a YES and leave your comments at the bottom.

Frank is wrong on Minutemen

GORDON DILLOW
Register columnist
GLDillow@aol.com

The word "racist" is probably the most over-used word in America. Just the other day I searched for it on the Internet and got 26,200,000 hits.

No, wait. Thanks to my colleague, Frank Mickadeit, that's now 26,200,001.

As you know, Frank writes a Monday-through-Friday column that appears on page 2 of the Register Local section. It's a fine column, well-written and funny, a must-read for anyone interested in local politics and local mayhem and a television show called "The Real Housewives of Orange County."

True, in the manner of former Register columnist Jeff Kramer, Frank occasionally takes shots at me for being an old, baldheaded, gun-owning, cop-supporting, military-loving conservative throwback – all of which is accurate. But Frank's a good guy, and with five column deadlines a week looming over him, he's also one of the hardest-working men in the newspaper business.

Unfortunately, however, in a column last week about ongoing internal leadership struggles within the Minuteman anti-illegal immigration movement, Frank made an accusation that people who don't believe that our immigration laws should be enforced frequently hurl at people who do.

He called the Minutemen a bunch of "racist vigilantes."

Well, the American Heritage dictionary defines a "vigilante" – interestingly, "vigilante" is originally a Spanish word that simply means "watchman" – as "one who takes or advocates the taking of law enforcement into one's own hands." This would include members of the Old West "vigilance committees," as well as Superman, Batman and the Green Lantern.

Meanwhile, the same dictionary defines a "racist" as someone who believes that "race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others."

Certainly there are people out there of every race who believe that, even though the notion is laughable on its face. For example, anyone who believes in the inherent superiority of the white race need only look at some of the white guys I know – my portly pal Frank, to name just one – to see that theory of superiority dashed into a million blubbery little pieces.

So anyway, by those definitions, are the Minutemen – and others who oppose illegal immigration – "racists" and "vigilantes"?
Sure, some of them may be – as are some members of pro-illegal immigration groups who scream at white people to "go back to Europe" and violently disrupt anti-illegal immigration meetings.

But I've spent some time reporting on Minuteman members and supporters – actually, the Minuteman movement is now so fragmented that it's hard to call them "members" – both on the border and here in Orange County. And most of the ones I know are neither racists nor vigilantes.
Instead, they're guys – and gals – like Bob Shuff.

I've known Bob for several years. He's a 67-year-old retired ironworker and former Marine from Fullerton who with his wife, Pat, has long been concerned about the impacts of illegal immigration – emphasis on "illegal." A self-described "independent Minuteman" who avoids the infighting within the group, Bob has spent a combined total of 165 days in the rough border country east of San Diego – he's there right now – sleeping in his pickup truck and eating Vienna sausages out of a can and watching for people trying to illegally cross the border.

Yes, Bob keeps a firearm nearby when he's out in that wild and often lawless area – as I would, too. But so what? There's a certain Democratic U.S. Senator who's been in the news recently who packs concealed heat when he's walking the streets of Virginia – and nobody calls him a vigilante.

In any event, in all that time on the border, Bob has never shot, hanged, assaulted, detained or even touched an illegal immigrant – not even once. If he or the guys with him see illegal border crossers they notify the Border Patrol and leave it at that. They don't take the law into their own hands. They're simply the border equivalent of a Neighborhood Watch.

"All we do is observe and report," says Bob, a big, gruff guy with a voice that sounds like a garbage disposal grinding up a spoon. "I don't know where they get that vigilante crap. We're just a bunch of old men trying to help protect our country. Sometimes on weekends we'll have grandmothers sitting in lawn chairs down here."

As for the "racist" canard, Bob has heard it a thousand times.
"That's what they always say," Bob told me. "My godson is a Martinez, and my son-in-law is a Trujillo. And I'm a racist?"
Of course, I'm not vouching for every guy who is or calls himself a Minuteman. I've met some who are too strident, too tightly wound, too wrapped up in their own fantasy worlds – just like some journalists I know.
Still, I wish Frank and others would be more careful about applying the "racist" label to people who happen to disagree with them about illegal immigration. It's been overused to the point of being trite, and it substitutes name-calling for argument.

But even if Frank doesn't take my advice, he'll still be my pal. Because Frank has one overwhelming redeeming quality, one aspect of his character and personality that will always endear him to me. And that quality is this:
At least he isn't Kramer.

Contact Dillow at 714-796-7953 or GLDillow@aol.com


Readers' comments
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Gordon sucks.Closet Racists - Apr. 02, 2007 01:25 AMRemove Comment

*Way to go Dillow! At a boy! You show them liberal morons that this be the white mans country! God bless this country. Yeeeee haw! You tell em boy. White power! Herb Johnston - Apr. 02, 2007 01:24 AMRemove Comment

*Oh shut up Gordon. You know deep down you are a conservative racist. Better be a nicer man or you're gonna be victim of bad karma.Jesus - Apr. 02, 2007 01:21 AMRemove Comment

*Glad to see someone slam Frank's bias article from last week. Way to go G. Dillow!Laura - Apr. 01, 2007 11:23 PMRemove Comment

*Freddy, who cleaned your toilets before the illegal aliens? Do you want illegal aliens in this country just because they can be our slaves? Didn t slavery end with the Civil War? Don t you want immigrants who come to this country who become Americans or do you just want toilet cleaners?Clean Toilets - Apr. 01, 2007 10:02 PMRemove Comment

*ok everyone who want to cut my yard and clean my restroom who want to go the field come on we need the imigrants they work very hard for us try loosing your family in other country like this people do freddy - Apr. 01, 2007 09:45 PMRemove Comment

*THANK YOU to Mr. Dillow for telling the TRUTH. The Minutemen are true American heroes and they deserve the support from the rest of America. E Garcia - Apr. 01, 2007 09:28 PMRemove Comment

*I happen to know Bob Shuff. My husband and I have spent quite a bit of time on the border and at demonstrations too along with other really terrific people who have become friends. Bob is a patriot. We need a lot more Bobs if this country is to survive. The illegals feel entiltled to what Bob has worked a lifetime for. They cheat by coming over illegally and continue to steal from hard-working American citizens. Nancy - Apr. 01, 2007 08:00 PMRemove Comment

*Mi yamo, Jose Jimenez.Jose Jimenez - Apr. 01, 2007 07:57 PMRemove Comment

*Viva Deportation!Viva Deportation! - Apr. 01, 2007 05:58 PMRemove Comment

*This was a great article! I usually hesitate to read columns written about Minutemen or our situation with our borders due to the fact that they are typically blown way out of context with facts scrambled. I'm not sure where I fall on the issue and I see pro's and con's on both sides however I really enjoyed this article and the common sense, non-exaggerated approach to the topic. The Register typically runs fabricated stories with a "Hollywood- type" appraoch to them and I really enjoyed this.MS - Apr. 01, 2007 03:34 PMRemove Comment

*Don't make Franks fans mad or they will come here and talk about housewifes and horses.train rider - Apr. 01, 2007 03:06 PMRemove Comment

*Thanks, Gordon, for an informed overview of Mr. Mickadeit's rant. If one has not made himself privy to all the facts, perhaps one should just write about something else, Frank. I have to agree with Common Sense. Especially regaring who might be the racists in this scenario! CA-AZ, I couldn't agree more about the antipunctuation feature on this website! What's up with that, OCR? Sweetcakes - Apr. 01, 2007 01:52 PMRemove Comment

*Right on Gordon! Frank's way off base on this one.Curious - Apr. 01, 2007 11:07 AMRemove Comment

*Independent Minutemen, like Mr. Shuff, must have their reasons why they take the time and effort stand watch for illegal immigrants. Those reasons should be stated. My reason for being a supporter of Mr. Shuff's actions, is that illegal Mexican immigrants have little regard for others. They have little regard for those who enter the United States via the legal process, a lengthy process with no guarantees. Most illegal Mexican immigrants have little skill, little education, and or are criminals, and would not qualify, but that does not stop them. They have little regard for learning English. You don't "lose" your culture by learning another language. It is a great skill to have, and it shows respect. They have little regard for assimilating into the American culture. They fail to realize that it is the American culture that attracts them to the United States. By not assimilating, they harm the culture and cause tension. If pro-immigration groups are so concerned about Mexican immigrants, they should be protesting the conditions IN MEXICO. The same conditions that splits families apart to seek work and refuge outside of Mexico. So, please wave your flags and protest at the Mexican embassy. Finally, Frank should look closely. By having little regard for the folks who are already in the United States, it's the illegal Mexican immigrants, and their supporters, who appears to be the racists. Common Sense - Apr. 01, 2007 10:28 AMRemove Comment

*Gordon, read your column on line from Chula Vista. I'm a former OC resident, born, raised and schooled in the Placentia area. You are right on. One of the traits of liberals almost always, is to name call when their arguments fail. Keep up the good work.Rick - Apr. 01, 2007 09:19 AMRemove Comment

*What the "anti-racists" really mean is that you have to be pro non-white to be right.Pyridine - Apr. 01, 2007 08:55 AMRemove Comment

*Gordon you are always a breath of fresh air. Your analogies and view on issues are what keeps me returning to the Register. From the shoulder and no candy coated BS. All my life I lived in conservative Arizona where some folks swear were still in the late 1800s there. When I was transferred to CA in 2000 the culture shock was immense. Especially when it came to YOUR expertise in police issues guns and military service. You were my life raft in a sea of backwards justice systems nonsensical liberalism and borders so porous that Generalisimo Santa Ana could have marched his army north undetected! Thanks for being our voice of reason! PS. Excuse the writing as we are not allowed to use correct punctuation for some reason in our post. Californian by way of AZ - Apr. 01, 2007 08:41 AMRemove Comment

*Right on Mister Dillow! There it is the truth plain and simple. Along with Corky, you are one of the only reasons I still bother to check out the register. Mickadeit wrote a totaly bogus and lousy article about the Minutemen, never really took him seriously anyway, more of an annoyance than anything. He must have his desk too close to Yvette Cabrera's.juan - Apr. 01, 2007 07:18 AMRemove Comment*

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