Vigilantism By Minutemen Revealed

Could published reports be wrong?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2006
Full contact info at end

by Alan Korwin
Bloomfield Press

Dear Editor,

I'm back from two days at the Arizona border with the Minutemen, and there is no vigilantism evident anywhere. None. Observe and report -- that's all they do.

With thousands of people from around the world illegally sneaking into America from Mexico every day, all these people do is watch!

News reports of vigilantes operating on the border are not backed up by any charges or arrests. The ACLU's recent national report that Minutemen are present to "interdict illegals" is not supported by any activity observed by authorities. The ACLU has not responded to my requests for a correction or clarification.

The Minutemen have exercised the right to assemble, on land they can legally stand upon, and when they observe illegals making entry, they talk into cell phones to the special contact numbers the Border Patrol gives them.

It is a pure exercise of the First Amendment. Assemble, and speak. It's all part of a redress of grievances. The ACLU, normally vigorous in defense of the First Amendment, seems to have dropped the ball on this one.

The fact that some volunteers have legally armed themselves in these dangerous neighborhoods has upset many hoplophobes (people with morbid fear of weapons), including numerous reporters I've met. Otherwise it seems quite rational (and irrelevant to the central story of massive illegal immigration). Official Minuteman policy requires that sidearms remain holstered at all times.

The Minutemen have a 100% no-contact rule -- no waving, no talking, no contact of any kind. If illegals approach you, you must abandon your beach chair and leave (but they will provide water if they find people incapacitated by desert heat, rolling video cameras for protection from false claims, while awaiting Border Patrol agents; Minutemen have been credited with the rescue of more than 200 people in distress and, sadly, discovery of several dozen who died attempting illegal entry.)

President Bush and the Dept. of Homeland Security have asked Americans for vigilance, and to report suspicious activity. That's what these volunteers are doing. Their stated goal of alerting America to the scope of the problem appears to be working.

Why do so many people believe Minutemen are detaining and capturing illegals? Simple. It's the portrayal they see and hear from nearly every mainstream "news" outlet. It is flat wrong, defies the evidence, contradicts the published policies, and yet it continues.

The biggest threat to this country may be gross inaccuracies or slants routinely portrayed as factual by "news" outlets. Are the majority abiding by the official SPJ Code of Ethics? No. Do they correct their errors? No. Do some people take this as a credibility problem? Yes.

It's not what the public doesn't know that hurts us. It's what they know that isn't so, and our own Fourth Estate is a root cause. It desperately needs fixing. Evidence shows the Minutemen are good neighbors, not vigilantes as the media casts them. Changing anchors at a network, or jazzing up the graphics won't do it. We need ethical, honest behavior by reporters and editors, and we're not getting it.

Sincerely,
Alan Korwin, Co-Author
Supreme Court Gun Cases

P.S. The Memorial Day plan to begin constructing a fence on private border lands has received much coverage (details at http://www.minutemanhq.com). Less attention has been given to the plan for repairing gaping holes in the existing fence, starting this Saturday, April 29. The Border Patrol has repeatedly complained about lack of supplies, staff and approval to simply repair the holes illegals have cut. Now, private enterprise and funds will attempt what the government has refused to do. Will authorities block the Minutemen from the sorely needed repairs on government land? Will the news media cover it? I will. Volunteers for this historic activity should visit minutemanhq.com for details.

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Alan Korwin
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