Mexican government hires lawyers to study legal challenges to Minutemen
A group known as the Minuteman Project is organizing volunteers to conduct surveillance along a twenty-mile stretch of U.S.-Mexican border. The The Minuteman Project's website states:
The Mexico edition of the Herald reports that, according to the Mexican Foreign Minister, the Mexican Government intends to use the U.S. court system to oppose volunteer border surveillance groups:
Notice that the author of this article, one Natalia Gómez, chose to spin passive observation of illegal infiltration of our country by her countrymen as vigilantism. Is this word, vigilantism, a good fit? From Wikipedia:
The members of the Minuteman Project fail both parts of this description. They are neither operating in secret nor are they attempting to “take the law into their own hands”. They only intend to alert Homeland Security to any observed infiltration across our southern border. Yes, the Minuteman Project is a type of militia but a militia must also “take the law into their own hands” before they can be considered vigilantes.
The Herald article continues:
Trouble? What sort of trouble might that be? Inconveniencing illegal immigrants, drug smugglers, and the occasional al Qaeda death squad by ratting them out to Homeland Security? Creating news that embarrasses Homeland Security officials? I can deal with that sort of trouble.
Note well that Gómez is citing anonymous sources when she quotes unnamed “Officials on both sides of the border”. Is there any sensible reason why such an official would need the protection of anonymity to express such as “discordant” opinion? Or was Gómez just interviewing voices inside her head?
Evidently Gómez thinks Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights as a contingency against criminal assault by illegal immigrants or drug smugglers is troubling or something. Memo to Gómez: stuff it. If I were participating in the Minuteman Project I would be armed. Why? I’m so glad you asked! Because the illegal infiltrators at the U.S.-Mexican border have earned a reputation for violence, that’s why.
This is just more of Gómez’s vigilante spin. The Minuteman Project has already explicitly stated that they intended to avoid any confrontation.
What is this? The Mexican government is hiring U.S. lawyers to facilitate illegal infiltration into the U.S. from Mexico? [Boom! My head explodes as the absurdity reaches critical mass.] This is not logic but a cry of desperation.
Also, I would just love to see the “report” those LA attorneys come up with. What can they say? That Americans plan to lurk on American soil observing any interesting activities that might or might not occur on the American side of the Mexican border? Please.
And what will be the Mexican government’s official complaint about the Minuteman Project? My guess is that it is going to sound like the backseat of a family car around hour nine of driving toward a vacation spot: “Mommy! Johnny’s looking at me again!”
BU WHA HAHAHAHAHA!
Postscript:
all emphasis, except in the quote from Wikipedia, is mine.
Update:
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Our policy of passive activity will be to OBSERVE with the aid of binoculars - telescopes - night vision scopes, and inform the U.S. Border Patrol of the location of illegal activity so that border patrol agents can investigate.
We will not be confrontational with anyone. The tentative area of observation will be a 20-mile stretch of lowlands across the San Pedro Valley in southeast Arizona.
The Mexico edition of the Herald reports that, according to the Mexican Foreign Minister, the Mexican Government intends to use the U.S. court system to oppose volunteer border surveillance groups:
The government of Mexico will use all legal channels to fight the formation of vigilante patrol groups along the U.S-Mexico border, Foreign Minister Luis Derbez said on Monday.
Notice that the author of this article, one Natalia Gómez, chose to spin passive observation of illegal infiltration of our country by her countrymen as vigilantism. Is this word, vigilantism, a good fit? From Wikipedia:
In modern terms, vigilantes are militias or police which attempt law enforcement, in the usual phrase, "by taking the law into their own hands". Vigilantes often operate in secret.
The members of the Minuteman Project fail both parts of this description. They are neither operating in secret nor are they attempting to “take the law into their own hands”. They only intend to alert Homeland Security to any observed infiltration across our southern border. Yes, the Minuteman Project is a type of militia but a militia must also “take the law into their own hands” before they can be considered vigilantes.
The Herald article continues:
In addition, Derbez said that the issue would be broached with U.S. Secretary of State Condolezza Rice during her March 10 official visit to Mexico.
Derbez was speaking specifically to the formation of the Minuteman Project: a 500 strong volunteer group that plans to patrol a 40-mile stretch of the Arizona border throughout April.
Officials on both sides of the border fear the Minuteman patrols could cause more trouble than they prevent.
Trouble? What sort of trouble might that be? Inconveniencing illegal immigrants, drug smugglers, and the occasional al Qaeda death squad by ratting them out to Homeland Security? Creating news that embarrasses Homeland Security officials? I can deal with that sort of trouble.
Note well that Gómez is citing anonymous sources when she quotes unnamed “Officials on both sides of the border”. Is there any sensible reason why such an official would need the protection of anonymity to express such as “discordant” opinion? Or was Gómez just interviewing voices inside her head?
At least some of the volunteers plan to arm themselves during the 24-hour desert patrols.
Evidently Gómez thinks Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights as a contingency against criminal assault by illegal immigrants or drug smugglers is troubling or something. Memo to Gómez: stuff it. If I were participating in the Minuteman Project I would be armed. Why? I’m so glad you asked! Because the illegal infiltrators at the U.S.-Mexican border have earned a reputation for violence, that’s why.
Many are untrained and have little or no experience in confronting illegal border crossings.
This is just more of Gómez’s vigilante spin. The Minuteman Project has already explicitly stated that they intended to avoid any confrontation.
The Mexican government has already hired a Los Angeles based legal firm to prepare a report on possible legal actions to challenge such vigilante groups, Derbez said Monday.
What is this? The Mexican government is hiring U.S. lawyers to facilitate illegal infiltration into the U.S. from Mexico? [Boom! My head explodes as the absurdity reaches critical mass.] This is not logic but a cry of desperation.
Also, I would just love to see the “report” those LA attorneys come up with. What can they say? That Americans plan to lurk on American soil observing any interesting activities that might or might not occur on the American side of the Mexican border? Please.
And what will be the Mexican government’s official complaint about the Minuteman Project? My guess is that it is going to sound like the backseat of a family car around hour nine of driving toward a vacation spot: “Mommy! Johnny’s looking at me again!”
BU WHA HAHAHAHAHA!
Postscript:
all emphasis, except in the quote from Wikipedia, is mine.
Update:
Welcome visitors from Modern Tribalist! Look around and enjoy your visit!
posted by johnh | 6:50 AM
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