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Speakout: Project's border patrols effective
By Kent Lazo
November 13, 2005

It seems to me that a reply to Rocky Mountain News media critic Jason Salzman's Oct. 15 On the Media column, "Playing the media like a fish on a line," and the equally off-base letter to the editor by Ethan Hemming printed the same date ("Lawmakers' border visit embarrassing") is now overdue.

Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist could very capably answer the misrepresentation of the interview Salzman conducted with him but, since he has until recently been busily engaged in a congressional campaign in California, let me comment on behalf of him and the whole Minuteman Project.

This ongoing effort by ordinary citizens like me and my wife to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border is by no means bogus, as stated, but rather the outgrowth of an effort now years old by Arizona border residents trying to find some relief from the invasion of illegal immigrants.

Of course the Minuteman Project's patrols are not about "catching illegals" and never has been. Minuteman organizers have always stressed, out loud, the protocol of not engaging illegals unless they require humanitarian assistance, but allowing them to pass and reporting by phone or radio to the Border Patrol which can then do the job of intercepting them.

The goals have been, since last winter's beginnings, to publicize the border problems, the social and financial costs to the country of the invasion by illegals and to bring media and public pressure to bear on Congress and the administration to do their constitutional duty of protecting the country from this invasion.

We must, it seems, put up with the bad-mouthing that comes from letters or commentaries such as those referenced above. At least we are encouraged that our project is succeeding by the increasing level of government attention to this ma- laise.

It's encouraging to see rising levels of local and state concern - Arizona and New Mexico declared states of emergency - and even, finally, national concern as evidenced by recent announcements by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Cher- toff, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, and, yes, President Bush that they will take worthwhile, tougher actions.

It has been this year's effort by the minutemen, in support of the earlier work by Arizona border residents, that has proven that an increased number of, not vigilantes, but citizen volunteers can slow, if not stop completely, the illegal invasion of our country by illegal drug traffickers, terrorists and human traffickers.

Think what we could accomplish in social, financial and health and educational benefits if our federal government were to seriously improve the capabilities of the Border Patrol and, within the country, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Maybe then, and only then, can we address the problems presented by the hordes of illegals already here.