Thread: Volatile Situation Building on U.S.-Mexico Border(op/ed)

http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/ne ... p?id=22000

The view from the "other side."

Volatile Situation Building on U.S.-Mexico Border
March 31, 2005
Mary Sanchez

The battle lines are forming for an unfortunate showdown at the U.S./Mexico border.

A retired California accountant began this fiasco-in-the-making by organizing The Minuteman Project. James Gilchrist envisioned a month-long publicity stunt. He asked people to patrol for illegal immigrants during April, near Tombstone, Ariz.

Now, a very vocal response to Gilchrist is organizing as well. Armando Navarro, a University of California at Riverside ethnic studies professor, recently announced plans for counter demonstrations at the border.

Gilchrist's goal was to bring needed attention to illegal immigration's costs, the problem of migrants trekking across private land, the medical expenses they tally, and fears of terrorists slipping in along with Mexicans in search of work. Gilchrist insists his more than 1,000 volunteers will only monitor the migrants, like a neighborhood watch. He says he is not encouraging violence.

But by recruiting people through the Internet using war terms; that may exactly what he is courting.

Gilchrist is especially interesting in pilots with their own aircraft, law enforcement and military veterans with long range reconnaissance backgrounds.

As a reply, Navarro states, "for every action, there is a reaction."

OK. But what is not needed is a reaction that buys into the fervor Gilchrist created. Even worse is a reaction that ratchets the situation up another notch.

Navarro, just by showing up, may provide the not-needed tinder. Navarro has long been the scourge of Minuteman supporters. He has organized protests in the past against citizen patrols at the border.

Gilchrist's plot is nothing new. It just involves more people than past efforts.

Navarro's tone and word choices often make him an easy target. The professor's fervent stands to organize Latinos politically are often misconstrued as separatist. Navarro wants Latinos to gain the power and influence their numbers convey. He understands the present is a critical juncture for the Latino population, accurately noting there are too few true national leaders for Latinos.

Many of Navarro's prolific writings deal with the history of Latino political leadership; how efforts have been undermined.

The irony is Gilchrist and Navarro actually have some things in common. Both men are right to lay blame for the continuing problems of illegal immigration with both the U.S. and the Mexican governments. Both are being threatened for their beliefs.

Gilchrist said he has received threats from some of the drug dealers who operate at the border. This should come as no surprise. The Mexican drug-dealers see the border as their turf.

Navarro is also receiving threats through e-mails and phone calls, but from supporters of the Minutemen. One group of protesters even showed up at the university demanding the University of California system fire Navarro.

And both men are lashing out in part because of frustration. People protest when they feel there is no other choice, when they feel pitted against a rock and a hard place.

Remember trapped animals bite.

Both Gilchrist and Navarro at times fit this scenario. Gilchrist says he has tried to strip the trigger-happy sorts out of his volunteers, some of whom will be armed. And Navarro says none of his followers, which include people from both sides of the border, will be armed. Both men say they are limiting their numbers, an attempt to keep some sort of control.

But hotheads can be hard to detect.

And the pack journalism congregating at the border won't help. People on both sides will be tempted to play to the cameras like children acting out when guests arrive.

Gilchrist feels he stands for the rights of North Americans. Navarro doesn't want the migrants to be scapegoats.

Both men make valid points.

But both are also playing incendiary roles in what could easily turn into a horrific Volatile Situation Building on U.S.-Mexico Border

Source: (c) 2005, The Kansas City Star. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.

Navarro almost got Newton's Third Law of Motion right.
Navarro running his mouth in full forward with out cranking his brain is what may create the problems. Gilchrist is not the one running his mouth.

Mr. Gilchrist and the majority of the Minutemen have training in situations of this type. Mr Navarro's training seems to be from Nitwit University.

If problems are created, you can be sure that they weren't started by the Minutemen.

Originally Posted by dataman

Mr. Gilchrist and the majority of the Minutemen have training in situations of this type. Mr Navarro's training seems to be from Nitwit University.

If problems are created, you can be sure that they weren't started by the Minutemen.

Navarro = agitator

Wanna bet he's a card-carrying member of La Raza?

" Navarro = agitator

Wanna bet he's a card-carrying member of La Raza?"


I expect you are right

All is quiet right now. We heard Armando decided not to show as he is worried about losing his job. We will see.

CA has very restrictive privacy laws. If, in the scope and couse of his employment, gave our Jim's personal info, his employer can liable. I got an email from Jim that they are going to deal with Navarro after 4/30.

I am here in AZ. When I was leaving this morning, I stopped at the gas station at 4:30am.The guy next to me saw my "osama loves open borders" sign and said "Hey have you heard about the Mintute Man Project?" I told him I was on my way there! I took that as a good sign.

Tombstone is filling with people. It is a tourist town so they can accomodate visitors. I went by the Tombstone Tumbleweed and there is press EVERYWHERE. Print reporters, cameras, two satilite trucks, FOX news, a Spanish station and local TV stations. A pushy lady reporter form the San Jose Mercury News was demanding to see Jim but he is at the Bible college today.

It took 8 hours to get here from Orange County. I met one woman who came from GA.

occutegirl,
keep the posts coming, believe me we all are sitting here waiting for any info.
Be careful out there.
Good luck

occutegirl,

It's great to have our own ALIPAC correspondent in the field. Keep us posted.

The mood is funny...there are all these people, and everyone is sort of looking at each other wondering who is with the MMP and who is not.

We went to a Wild West Show and there was a joke about shooting an audience member and they said "how about the guy from the media?" since there was a reporter with a camera and the audience started clapping.

There is a reporter in my hotel accross the hall in my hotel.There are a lot of guys from the military in this hotel.

Active Military ??