Thread: Civilian militia proposed along Texas-Mexico border

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 356806.htm

Posted on Thu, Aug. 11, 2005


Civilian militia proposed along Texas-Mexico border

BY TODD J. GILLMAN

The Dallas Morning News

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - There's been no shortage of ideas to stem the flow of illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexican border: Build a long wall. Send the Marines. Double the number of federal agents.

A Texas congressman has added another: Deputize armed civilians and deploy them as a militia to serve alongside the Border Patrol.

"We always relied on each other in frontier days in Texas," said Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas. "We relied on neighbors and friends to arm themselves and ... protect the neighborhood against bandits. I'm fed up."

His plan to create a Border Protection Corps has drawn support from four dozen House colleagues - and warnings from immigrants' advocates.

While Culberson said that Texas Gov. Rick Perry is looking closely at his proposal, the governor's aides say he's more interested in a "neighborhood watch" approach. In that model, civilians would serve as eyes and ears for law enforcement rather than actively guarding rivers and checkpoints.

The state's director of homeland security, Steven McCraw, is developing a strategic plan and has discussed Culberson's approach with the congressman.

The current draft doesn't address the issue of armed volunteers. It says that for Texans living near Mexico, "the border is their neighborhood, and they can be organized to protect that neighborhood. The state will support efforts to enlist local citizens for well-coordinated neighborhood watch programs under the aegis of local law enforcement."

Perry spokeswoman Kathy Walt said the governor's emphasis isn't on putting armed civilians along the Rio Grande.

"What Steve McCraw talked with Culberson about was more along the lines of the neighborhood watch-type program, but certainly not the militia aspect that Culberson has in his bill," she said.

Two weeks ago, the head of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol floated an idea similar to Culberson's. Within a day, superiors in the Homeland Security Department rejected the approach.

"The border is a very dangerous place, and the work of enforcing the border should be left to highly trained professional law enforcement agents," said department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse.

Immigrants' advocates predicted bloodshed if armed civilians are encouraged to help guard the border.

"You can do your background checks, but you're going to get some racists and trigger-happy people, and now they're thinking they have a license to kill," said Roger Rocha, Texas director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "The border needs to be patrolled by the federal government, not militias or anyone else."

Rep. Henry Bonilla, co-chairman of the Congressional Border Caucus, supports the Culberson plan, as does another Texas Republican, Rep. Lamar Smith, a key player on immigration.

The other co-chairman of the border caucus, Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Texas - a former sheriff - worries about vigilante justice. "He understands the frustration," said spokeswoman Cathy Travis. "But you're introducing armed groups of people into an already inflamed situation."

The Culberson plan strikes many critics as an attempt to put a government stamp of approval on the controversial patrols begun in Arizona four months ago by the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. The group, based in Tombstone, Ariz., says it will start Texas patrols in October.

About half the Minutemen carry firearms, said spokeswoman Connie Hair, but rather than confront border-crossers, they watch through binoculars and alert authorities when they spot something.

Under Culberson's $6.8 billion plan, militia members would report to governors or sheriffs. Volunteers would have to be citizens without criminal records.

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© 2005, The Dallas Morning News.

Visit The Dallas Morning News on the World Wide Web at http://www.dallasnews.com

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

Here is another idea that might help. Every time we catch an illegal, we charge them a fine. Say $50,000 each time they are caught. Any monies they have are confiscated. If they don’t have enough to pay the bill, we use them as labor to build the new "Patriot Border Wall� until they have paid off their debt. If they cross back over again, the fine increases each time by $25,000. If they do have the money, we accept payment and send them home and use the monies to help cover the expenses for the wall.

After the wall is completed, we send them to the other side and then begin working on the rest that are still here.


Just a thought........

Immigrants' advocates predicted bloodshed if armed civilians are encouraged to help guard the border.

Excuse me....but hasn't there already been "bloodshed" with the Border Patrol? How many Border Patrol Agents do we lose a year? How many police officers? How many civilians? Give me a break, Sissies!!

"You can do your background checks, but you're going to get some racists and trigger-happy people, and now they're thinking they have a license to kill," said Roger Rocha, Texas director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "The border needs to be patrolled by the federal government, not militias or anyone else."

Oh, and this poor idiot thinks there aren't any "racists" or "trigger-happy people" in the federal government? Get Real LULAC!! They are just playing you, LULAC!! Your future and the future of your members is the same as Any American's and that starts with sealing up these borders and stopping this nonsense NOW.

The other co-chairman of the border caucus, Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Texas - a former sheriff - worries about vigilante justice. "He understands the frustration," said spokeswoman Cathy Travis. "But you're introducing armed groups of people into an already inflamed situation."

Right. The situation is "already inflamed" and Americans didn't cause it. But it is Americans' responsiblity to END IT NOW....Whatever It Takes. The objective is to stop it. INS couldn't or chose not to. ICE can't or is choosing not to. DHS hasn't or is choosing not to. Local Law Enforcement says--"we're not doing the feds job for 'em".

So...who is left?

Americans with the 2nd Amendment in their Pocket and all that legally allows them to carry with them!

AMERICANS are a Fearful Foe!!

PUSH 'EM BACK, PUSH 'EM BACK, Waaaay BACK!!

GO TEAM!!

Aaaaarrrgh!!

A Texas congressman has added another: Deputize armed civilians and deploy them as a militia to serve alongside the Border Patrol.

"We always relied on each other in frontier days in Texas," said Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas. "We relied on neighbors and friends to arm themselves and ... protect the neighborhood against bandits. I'm fed up."

Ah, the frontier days in TEXAS When we take our Republic back and boot the U.S., along with the Shelia Jackson-Lee's of this state, we will have the new frontier days. I can't wait. I am fed up with these ILLEGAL ALIEN BANDITS. We are going to be neighbors and friends and arm ourselves against this insurrection. How is this different from what is going on in Iraq? Our military should be protecting this nation, not making fools out of ourselves halfway around the WORLD. These kids don't see themselves as "protecting" this nation. Protecting us from what, Iraqi OIL?
The threat posed by these ILLEGAL VERMIN is SIXX times as great as any posed by Iraq. Iraqi are not killing our cops. They are not raping our women and children. They are not bringing TB, MRSA, and other diseases into our nation. They are not flooding our schools. They are not getting free medical care and droping "anchor babies" on the steps of our medical instituions. Feel Me?

His plan to create a Border Protection Corps has drawn support from four dozen House colleagues - and warnings from immigrants' advocates.

a Congressman for the United States doesn't answer to "immigrants" that have no right to petition the government for grievances, the only grievances he has the authority to entertain are the ones of "the people" of the United States and the citizens of his state -- he has been warned and his re-election depends on it.

Right on SIXX AND MAMIE!!

And SIXX--I can feeeeel you all the way to NC!!

And MAMIE--I can only add that they are also hereby on "notice" that their "freedom" may depend on it.

Some of us are taking a very close look at the Treason Clauses of our Constitution and American Laws and taking a very DIM VIEW of this catering and colluding and aiding and abettng and sponsoring and facilitating and collorabating and underwriting and financing and supporting ILLEGAL ALIENS at the expense of American Citizens in violation of our US Immigration US Labor and US Civil Rights Laws including Constitutional Law.

Some of us are looking forward to holding Treason Trials for all these Traitors...Some of us are growing tomatoes to toss at the Glass Cell we dream of penning these Traitors in....Some of us are Shutter Bugs ready to shoot pics to post on the Internet of these Traitors in ther Undies pacing their cells mumbling as they pace, "BUT WHERE DID WE GO WRONG MAN...Jorge and Dickey said they had us COVERED?"

Some of us are looking forward with great anticipation to the day when Traitors are arrested; hauled down in handcuffs; their shoelaces removed; their MUG SHOTS taken and blasted all over the WORLD PRESS and FINGERPRINTING EXERCISES.

Some of us are just plain ready for some JUSTICE....AMERICAN STYLE!!

we'd have to have a "justice" department that cares about justice and upholding the laws of the United States . . .

We'd get the jury verdicts in the lower courts; the Traitors would appeal to the Supreme Court; the Supreme Court will set them free...but by that time the world will know everything they did; civilian lawsuits will keep them busy and broke, and their lives will be like OJ's!!

It's not perfect, but I can live with that!!

Originally Posted by Judy

We'd get the jury verdicts in the lower courts; the Traitors would appeal to the Supreme Court; the Supreme Court will set them free...but by that time the world will know everything they did; civilian lawsuits will keep them busy and broke, and their lives will be like OJ's!!

It's not perfect, but I can live with that!!

the district court would probably dismiss the case or grant summary judgement

Originally Posted by Mamie

Originally Posted by Judy

We'd get the jury verdicts in the lower courts; the Traitors would appeal to the Supreme Court; the Supreme Court will set them free...but by that time the world will know everything they did; civilian lawsuits will keep them busy and broke, and their lives will be like OJ's!!

It's not perfect, but I can live with that!!

the district court would probably dismiss the case or grant summary judgement

That may be, but the district courts are closer to the real people of this nation than the "supremes" ever will be.