http://www.azstarnet.com/star/thu/21121editborder.html
Tucson, Arizona Thursday, 21 November 2002
The last thing Cochise County needs is another citizen militia.
The specter of violence and mayhem on the Arizona-Mexico border is growing as the publisher of a weekly newspaper recently issued a call for a citizen militia - vigilantes, in fact - to guard against illegal immigration.
Chris Simcox, the publisher of the Tombstone Tumbleweed, urged that "citizens unite and assemble organized citizen groups to patrol our southern border and to do it actually on the border not 25 to 50 miles from the border. Our goal should be to staff the border each and every day until the issue of the invasion is resolved."
Simcox contends the "government is not doing their (sic) job to effectively protect our borders." He also contends that his vigilante movement "is not about the Mexican people specifically, they just happen to be right next door."
Simcox is completely mistaken. It has everything to do with the Mexican people, and arrogant assertions to the contrary will not controvert that fact. Simcox's call to action is replete with semi-hysterical and emotionally jumbled patriotic pleas and comments on treason, the Constitution and the responsibility of government.
In calling for a citizen militia, Simcox noted the activities of the American Border Patrol and Ranch Rescue, two other similar citizen groups campaigning against illegal immigration. Simcox argued everyone ought to work together to stem the "invasion." Simcox said he agreed with Ranch Rescue's warning to keep illegal immigrants off rancher property or Ranch Rescue would do the job.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, however, has identified the American Border Patrol and Ranch Rescue as hate groups.
Ranch Rescue aided Cochise County rancher Roger Barnett, who has made armed arrests of illegal immigrants. Texan Jack Foote, says the law center, organized Ranch Rescue. The center says that when accused by a Mexican-American in an e-mail of being racist, Foote replied:
"You and the vast majority of your fellow dog turds are ignorant, uneducated and desperate for a life in a decent nation because the one you live in is nothing but a pile of dog s--- made up of millions of worthless little dog turds like yourself."
Glen Spencer, who leads the American Border Patrol group based in Cochise County, also headed a group called Voices of Citizens Together (VCT). It produced a videotape that says illegal immigration by Mexicans is spreading over the nation "like wildfire." The poverty law center said: "VCT blames Mexicans for drugs in Iowa, gang takeovers in Nevada, and 'traitors' in the Democratic Party and the Catholic Church. It claims Mexicans bring squalor and 'immigration via the birth canal.' " Spencer sent video copies to members of Congress, reports the law center.
More than 40 volunteers reportedly have joined Simcox's Citizen Border Patrol. While Simcox's group is trying to distance itself from Ranch Rescue and the American Border Patrol, it will appeal nonetheless to racists. It will also appeal to those who believe that violence is a legitimate tool for battling illegal immigration.
Fear of violence provoked the Douglas mayor and council this week to pass a resolution condemning Simcox's vigilante movement. Douglas Mayor Ray Borane stated the case succinctly: "Douglas is a Hispanic community. If you've got militia types running around claiming to be enforcing immigration laws, how are they going to tell who's who? I think we need to leave that up to the Border Patrol and INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service), people trained to do that."
Simcox told Star reporter Ignacio Ibarra that he was disappointed that the Douglas mayor and council were fearful of his border militia. He said, "It makes me suspect their American patriotism."
It is difficult to understand what patriotism has to do with Simcox's militia. A patriot does not take the law into his own hands as Simcox advocates. He obeys it. A patriot does not instill fear in his fellow citizens as Simcox's militia has done. He seeks to honor his country, not to flame prejudice and rancor that could cause harm.
Simcox's volunteers would do well to back away from his citizen militia. The stakes are high. This no time for Cochise County citizens - however well-meaning - to be playing potentially bloody patriot games.