"A Citizens' Border Patrol"? -- Read this!!!

[ahenry]

Oh by the way, don't the private patrol organizations have the support of the rank & file border patrol agents? But seem to be villified by USBP management? What does that say?

Well I’ll go ahead and make a broad statement that I know can be incorrect when applied to specifics but; yes to the first question and no to the second. As to the last one, I dunno, whats it tell you?

 

[hammer4nc]

Here are the data points I'm working from: apparently the private border patrol groups have among their members former USBP agents; seem to be working closely with current USBP units (phone and radio communications).

Ahenry, your comewhat couched criticism of of my question is well taken...villified is perhaps too strong a term. However, I'd think that Mario Villarreal would welcome volunteer support with open arms. Instead, we hear "no comment" from USBP management on this issue, along with a veiled caution against people "taking matters into their own hands"... Not quite endorsing the concept, eh? What am I missing?

Villareal won't be the first career bureaucrat playing the political game, instead of creatively using volunteer support toward a common goal. Coronado National park welcomes and organizes private volunteers to pick up trash left by illegals on their land (they can't "afford" to pick it up on their budget); yet selectively prosecutes volunteers who seek to discourage illegal crossing. I sense a logical disconnect here...

ahenry said:

That said I’d encourage you look carefully at the existing organizations. A man is known by the company he keeps...

At risk of reading between the lines, the implication is that the organizations members' are somehow suspect. Ahenry, if you have some inside information in this regard, please share it...otherwise, statements of the principles are taken at face value. In this case, the private organizations seem to make a pretty good case. Although I'd listen to opposing views, if expressed directly, rather than through innuendo.

 

[ahenry]

I'd think that Mario Villarreal would welcome volunteer support with open arms. Instead, we hear "no comment" from USBP management on this issue, along with a veiled caution against people "taking matters into their own hands"... Not quite endorsing the concept, eh? What am I missing?

When has any management of any law enforcement organization welcomed volunteer support (of this nature) with open arms? At best you get encouragement for things like “ride-alongs†or toleration for neighborhood watch programs. Both those programs are vastly different than what these border groups are doing. I suspect that you will never get some spokesman for a PD or other form of LE to come right out and say that they are overjoyed for “regular Joe Blow’s†to actively search out evil-doers and detain them, no matter what their private views are. Besides that, how many people that are “USBP management†have you talked to, or heard pontificate about this? You are basing your view of an organization that has roughly 10,000 members on what one national spokesman obliquely implies?! I suppose you’re free to do so, but you really do yourself a disservice.

Coronado National park welcomes and organizes private volunteers to pick up trash left by illegals on their land (they can't "afford" to pick it up on their budget); yet selectively prosecutes volunteers who seek to discourage illegal crossing. I sense a logical disconnect here.

No, what you see is one park ranger that “apparently†decided to do a little of her own sort of vigilante work. Have you asked other park rangers what they though of the action? Have you asked any BP agents? Have you asked anybody at all, or just read Simcox’s account of the incident and used it to justify your views?

At risk of reading between the lines, the implication is that the organizations members' are somehow suspect...Although I'd listen to opposing views, if expressed directly, rather than through innuendo.

I’m not trying to be obscure at all. I think that for the most part the general membership of these groups is made up of fine upstanding members of society. I also think that there are several people “at the top†of some of the organizations that do their membership a disservice and are in fact a blight to their objective. As I said, if say my younger brother asked me what I thought of his joining some of the organizations, I would caution him against it. Like it or not, the leadership of these groups are going to become very well known and if I wanted to participate in one of these groups, I'd make sure my leaders were men that could stand up to public scrutiny. A man’s gotta choose who he’s gonna tie his name to, and I wouldn’t tie my name to some of these groups (even though I think their objectives are worthwhile).

 

[Sergeant Bob]

Ron L

We've already got enough Canadian trash in Michigan. (residents will understand)

I'd have been happy if they only stopped the trash truck she rode in on!!

 

[Ted Bell]

I've been in touch with my good friend Vice-Admiral Jay Santos over at the Citizen's Auxiliary Patrol. He and Major Elvis Newton would be glad to assist with a Citizen's Border Patrol. Just takin' a peek over the shoulder of the Border Patrol.

 

[David]

Based on what have read, these "citizen patrols" just seem to be good US Citizens trying to do the right thing!


Here is a link to an article about this topic:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-immi10.html

 

[clem]

For those of you who want to REALLY find out what is going on in Southern Arizona, check out this:

http://www.co.pima.az.us/legaldef/ld.html

http://www.americanpatrol.com/REFERENCE/derechoshumanos.html

http://www.americanpatrol.com/MECHA/MEChAindex.html