Thread: Congressman promotes anti-illegal immigrant film

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Mar 01, 2007

Congressman promotes anti-illegal immigrant film



By GIL KLEIN
Media General News Service

WASHINGTON - Following the trail of "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "An Inconvenient Truth," Rep. Virgil Goode of Virginia promoted a new political documentary on Capitol Hill Wednesday that slams the government for failing to stop illegal immigration.

The film, shown in a congressional meeting room, lauded the work of a controversial group known as The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps that has set up checkpoints along the U.S.-Mexico border. Critics call them vigilantes.

The Minutemen's leader, Chris Wilcox, was one of about 30 people who watched the first of two showings of the film, "Border." He was applauded by the audience of congressional staffers and opponents of illegal immigration.

"If we don't control our borders and control immigration, we are going to be sunk as a nation," Goode said in his opening remarks. "My ideas are very simple ... to draw the line in the sand and hold back."

The film was directed by Chris Burgard, a former ballet dancer and rodeo bull rider who acted in Hollywood films and television shows before turning to writing and directing.

He said he financed the low-budget film himself after a Hollywood producer backed out of the deal. He wouldn't say how much it cost. And don't expect to see it in theaters soon. Burgard said he is still searching for a distributor.

Much of the film documents the work of the Minutemen. Wilcox rides with Burgard and his wife, Lisa Turner Burgard, the film's executive producer, on a big blue bus along the Southwest border.

Lisa Burgard grew up in Chatham, Va., in Goode's district, and the film was shown in Danville, Va. last July.

It documents crimes committed by "coyotes," men who bring illegal immigrants across the border. It also criticizes the federal government for harassing the Minutemen, who have chapters throughout the nation to thwart illegal immigrants.

"There will be women raped in the desert; their panties will be hung up in trees," Burgard said in introducing the film. "There will be armed men in uniforms that are not U.S. service uniforms carrying automatic weapons coming across our border. That's just the way it is."

Burgard said when he filmed part of the movie in the same congressional office building in which it was shown, congressmen ducked away to avoid being interviewed.

"This film doesn't hold back in its criticism of the government, and I hope you don't take too much heat for showing it," Burgard said to Goode.

Goode screened the film on the same day the immigration debate began anew in Congress.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to promote President Bush's guest worker program. Goode opposes the president's plan.

WASHINGTON - Following the trail of "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "An Inconvenient Truth," Rep. Virgil Goode of Virginia promoted a new political documentary on Capitol Hill Wednesday that slams the government for failing to stop illegal immigration.

Rep. Goode impresses me more each time I read about his stance on illegal immigration.

"There will be women raped in the desert; their panties will be hung up in trees," Burgard said in introducing the film. "There will be armed men in uniforms that are not U.S. service uniforms carrying automatic weapons coming across our border. That's just the way it is."

This could be avoided if we shut these people out by building fences and having our military scatttered all along the borders.
If Bush has his way, his "Comprehensive" immigration policy would leave our borders wide open to rapists, murderers, drug smugglers, and other seedy criminals, to roam freely throughout our country.