Thread: Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen clash with Hispanics

http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=3658034

Police breakup Jonesborough rally - Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen clash with Hispanics
Published 07/23/2006
By Staff report -Kingsport Times-News

JONESBOROUGH - What began as a peaceful illegal immigration demonstration turned briefly physical Saturday morning in Jonesborough after one side charged the other over the presence of a Mexican flag.

Carl Twofeathers Whitaker, a Sevierville resident who is running as an independent candidate for governor, was charged by members of a Hispanic group seeking to take the flag away from him.

Whitaker led the Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen, an organization dedicated to ensuring aliens immigrate to this country legally, in what he said was to be a silent response to a group of Hispanic protesters in front of the Washington County Courthouse.

The Hispanic group of 12 members was speaking out about immigration rights while the group of six Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen watched.

The Hispanic group, led by Azul Christian Caravaggio, is walking to Washington, stopping off in various locations along the way. Group members were holding signs saying "Are We Really Illegal?," "Minute Men + Hatred = Evil" and "We Don't Choose Our Race, 1 Race, The Human Race."

The Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen had signs, too, but group members mainly held American flags and chanted "U.S.A, U.S.A, U.S.A."

"We are doing this because we don't think we are illegal," Caravaggio said. "We don't think the human body can be illegal."

Caravaggio said her group expects to enlist 40 more marchers when it reaches Abingdon, Va.

"We were only three when we started," she said.

She said the group's mission is to encourage voters to vote for Democratic candidates.

Caravaggio also thought seeking a better life in the United States is impossible to do legally, for most. She compared illegal immigrants to European settlers, saying European immigrants killed the indigenous population of North America when they arrived.

"I don't know where else we can go," she said. "It's not a crime to come to this country just because you want to work," Caravaggio said.

Jonesborough police and Washington County sheriff's deputies were on hand to keep the peace.

Tensions mounted and things started to get heated when Whitaker and the Hispanic group began exchanging their views on immigration, something Whitaker said he never intended to happen.

"We have laws," Whitaker said to the other group in response to their presence. "There are laws in this country.

"These people have been agitating Minutemen all the way down the line," Whitaker said.

"They're taking advantage of us here."

He said illegal immigrants are not interested in contributing to the society, they just want a free ride. Whitaker said his protest has nothing to do with race and was adamant about the Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen not being a hate group.

"The only color it is is the color green; money," he said of the motivation for illegal immigration.

"When I grew up the word ‘illegal' meant that there was a law made and you're doing something wrong," he said.

The Hispanic group became angry at Whitaker because he had a Mexican flag tucked in his back pocket. They thought it was a deliberate provocation, aimed at disrespecting them.

Whitaker said he couldn't hold his protest sign properly unless he stuck the flag partially in his pants pocket.

As Whitaker was being interviewed by a WCYB-TV reporter, several of the immigrants charged him in an apparent attempt to grab the flag.

Authorities reacted quickly, separating the two sides and breaking up the rally that had been scheduled to last for an hour.

dfenley@timesnews.net <dfenley@timesnews.net>

Kingsport Times News:

Please point out to the person that biased the headline "Police breakup Jonesborough rally - Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen clash with Hispanics" that it does not represent what your article describes.

Should read Illegal Alien Supporters Attack Minutemen. Even better would be Racist illegal alien supporters attack Minutemen.

Thank you for your consideration and I hope you will do a better job in the future.

William Gheen
Americans for Legal Immigration PAC

That is a good point W. I just sent one myself.

added to homepage

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... e&sid=1376

"We don't think the human body can be illegal."

Maybe the human body can't be illegal, but the activity it participates in certainly can!

Ok let’s get real here. It this simple. If you like Mexico so much then go back. No one ever brags about something that they do not support or dislike. Example: If you have a bad family you don’t go to marches and so one to support them and stand up for them. So if the Illegals like and support Mexico so much then they should go back. Have you ever heard of the old saying when in Rome do as the Romans do? You are not in Rome but you are in the United States so do as we do here and support the American flag and not any other. My great great grandfather and great grandfather did not die for you to carry around and support any other flag. This is not about race. This is about what is right. You are illegal. If you are not a citizen of the place where you are then you are illegal. You should not be aloud to work if you are not a citizen. Just because you are only here to work and cause no harm does not mean anything or make it right. Burger King has food, but I can’t just walk in and take it illegally even though I need it. I must order and pay for it. If I do not do these steps it is illegal for me to have it. You should have to pay to work here as well. How do you pay to work here? Well that’s simple. Learn English. Learn our history and get your citizenship and pay taxes like we do. If you will do all of this then you will be considered an American and can have the same rights and will be treated with respect. God has blessed America!

Welcome whywhywhy,
Well put and we understand totally!