Minutemen Oppose Illegal Immigration

I'm glad that some Americans are starting to take the illegal immigration problem seriously... too bad they aren't in the government.

WASHINGTON – James Gilchrist, a retired accountant who is organizing volunteers from across the country to patrol the border in Arizona, views his project as a patriotic Neighborhood Watch in the desert.

"I believe in the rule of law," said Gilchrist, who lives in Aliso Viejo.

He blasts what he says is the wholesale flouting of laws by illegal immigrants and those who employ them. He said he wants to restore "a cohesive society and an orderly way of life" by insisting that the federal government enforce its laws.

Order is just what the mayor of Douglas, an Arizona border town, fears could be up for grabs in two weeks. That is when Gilchrist's Minuteman Project plans to have 1,000 volunteers in southeastern Arizona, just as the flow of undocumented immigrants reaches its annual peak.

"I'm frustrated with the government, too," said Mayor Ray Borane. "But Gilchrist needs to understand that this isn't a game when he says he's coming down here and showing his patriotism. He's on the verge of creating an international incident."

Apparently all the criminal illegal aliens pouring into our country aren't an "international incident", but if we try to stem the tide we might make Mexico mad. Oh no!

It should be clear by now that wanting to stop illegal immigration has nothing to do with "racism", but is rather based on nationalism and patriotism -- both of which terms carry their own baggage in our Politically Correct age. Nevertheless, Americans of Hispanic descent seem to approve of the effort.

Last year, Arizonans passed the controversial Proposition 200, an effort to cut off non-emergency services to illegal immigrants that has spawned similar initiatives in half a dozen states.

While critics condemned it as racist or anti-Mexican, exit polls found that nearly half the Latino electorate joined in the majority vote. It was seen as a call for Washington to bring order to the border and to neighborhoods roiled by shootouts between rival smuggling bands.

Yes, hello President Bush, hello Congress, get a freaking clue. Find a way to solve the problem. Do it.