The Minutemen, a group of five-hundred volunteers concerned about illegal immigration, will spring into action along the Arizona/Mexico border. In April, the citizens will alert law enforcement about anyone they spot crossing into America illegally. Some people are angry about this.

"The Border Patrol does this every day, and they are qualified and very well-trained to handle the situation," Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner explained to CNN. "Ordinary Americans are not." Is the Border Patrol well-trained to handle the situation? Under their watch, millions of immigrants have ignored U.S. law and poured into this country. They seem unable to enforce the law. Why not welcome the extra help? "We've been repeatedly accused of being people who are taking the law into our own hands," Minuteman Jim Gilchrist, a 56-year-old Vietnam vet of Aliso Viejo, California, told CNN. "That is an outright bogus statement. We are going down there to assist law enforcement."

Rather than citizens ensuring the enforcement of the laws instituted through the democratic process, aren't the ones guilty of taking the law into their own hands government officials who refuse to enforce immigration laws ?

The argument is not about vigilantes, but about whether they're "endangering themselves". Excuse me, but F-you. I'm tired of the government protecting me from myself. I would like to be free (in America, no less) to do whatever the hell I feel like. And, if I get myself hurt, that's my problem. Of course, the courts have to see it that way too, I can't decide to sue after I got myself in some mess of my own choosing.

And that's the real issue: Lawyers, baby. It's all about the lawyers. There's no common sense governing personal injury or professional negligence/malpractice cases anymore. Therefore everyone, from the corner store to Immigration and Border Patrol, are terrified of being sued out the wazoo and who can blame them? Until we have real tort reform in America, we are operating under "strict liability" standards, meaning that you're basically liable for anything that happens in your sphere of influence. And it also means that if you've got deep pockets, you're going to pay.

A little off the originally posted topic but relevant to this whole government protecting us from ourselves issue, yesterday some little kid in my Northeastern neck of the woods hit a rock whilst snow sledding down a hill and hurt himself pretty badly.

Now, everyone is up in arms to have laws formed to govern snow sledding, require helmets and have police monitor the areas where these activities are going on.

Are we as a citizenship going insane?! Don’t we have plenty of government mandates and laws to contend with without requiring that our every move be subject to some municipal or governmental control?

I guess it works hand in hand that the less people think for themselves; the more they need to be taken care of. Sick.

ASDF,

Interesting story and comment, you got me to thinking. I think there are 2 major social trends that go rather far back historically that explain such inclinations towards a nannying government.

First, the decline in the birthrate through increased contraception, abortion, and general hostility towards having a large family for economic reasons (read greed, vanity or desire for comfort).

Second, the modern development of atheism or secular humanism (in outright disbelief or just practically speaking in hedonism).

What I am thinking is that once a belief in the afterlife and an eternal soul disappears then you are left with the belief that death equals annihilation, that is, when someone dies they are completely obliterated, their is no soul left over freed from the body. This makes modern liberals take death to be much *more* serious (of course it IS serious) than it actually is. I think this is also helps explain modern liberalism's hatred of the death penalty.

When this fear or misunderstanding of death (and thus the misunderstanding of the meaning and value of life as well) is combined with declining birthrates then that one child a woman has becomes that much more consuming for her and all proportionality is abandoned. Therefore, the nanny state steps in to protect little Johnny from himself.

Been reading the Stoics lately and they are great on expanding the Socratic idea that "all philosophy is a preparation for death" to an understanding that philosophy prepares us for the deaths of others as well, particularly our family and friends.

Since we misunderstand (or deny) immortality as a society we then misunderstand mortality and think that everything must be done to keep everyone alive at all costs: ban smoking; sue McDonald's; warning labels on everything; regulating sledding; etc.

Interesting reasons Brian and I don’t doubt that both of those observations and more contribute to today’s tendency to believe that government, or at least some government mandated intervention, will protect us from ourselves.

Truth is that every time we expect more from government, they expect more from us in terms of us having to give up more of our freedoms. It seems that the pioneer spirit of self reliance is all but dead in most parts of this country and our politicians are more than happy to allow us to be reliant on them in the form of more and ever smothering laws and policies. It’s all about control.

The more our society becomes dumbed down and the less people have to think for themselves, the more dependent they will become and continue to feel the need to be taken care of.

Sad.

Brian, re atheism:

Good point. That's also what is behind the sacredness of civil liberties in today's society. If you only go around once in life and you got to grab all the gusto you can get, then people who stand in your way must be removed by the court guaranteed freedoms.

The idea that nobody has to wait for social reforms or a thawing of public opinion has the scent of atheism all over it. And is really what is behind the liberal contempt for process, as well--any process that does not provide instant liberty by court order, that is. After all gay marriages can't grow to be accepted. Even a wait-and-see stance on civil unions is increasingly viewed as intolerant.

This is why Marx considered the revolutionary greater than the philosopher. Because the revolutionary delivers things while you are still alive--if you survive the revolution.

I am a volunteer of the Minuteman Project and I refuse to apologise or justify why I signed up. The will call us "racists" or "xenophobes" or "vigilantes". These terms are completely unfounded and they are arrogant attempts to demonize us in the mind of the public. Is it us who disregard our laws? Is it us who take the side of lawbreakers while hurling disparaging names at those who wish to support the laws of the land? As a combat veteran I am apparently good enough to defend borders halfway across the world but not good enough to look out after my own borders. They call us "anti-immigrant" but I have noticed how they convieniently leave out the word ILLEGAL! If it makes them feel good to call me a racist then go ahead. Call me whatever you want. You will never change my mind. You will never get me to believe criminal activity is wrong.

I salute those who would join the project and wish them the best of luck. Hopefully the media coverage will shed some light on this massive problem and maybe people will wake up and realize their tax dollars are supporting millions of ILLEGAL immigrants, and making scumbag tort lawyers rich.

All this lip service about starting trouble along the Mexican border I've been reading and hearing about is just an attempt to shed an unfavorable light on the attempt of patriotic Americans to expose the covert invasion of our country by hordes of CRIMINAL ALIENS and produce a smoke screen to obscure the flagrant disregard for our laws by the CRIMINAL ALIENS and those in our own government who wish to short circuit the same. While some of the CRIMINAL ALIENS maybe looking for a better life, others have another agenda ranging from small crime to a declared war against America in an attempt to reclaim certain western states. Remember, not all terrorists wear turbans.

If these CRIMINAL ALIENS had any respect for America and it's principles they would follow the laws of our land beginning with step one of immigration. The fact that they don't demonstrates their intent to deceive and abuse our country and its benefits. As a result, they are a detriment to our society destroying its ability to provide and protect its own. These CRIMINAL ALIENS are neither needed nor desired residents of the United States of America.

Allowing these CRIMINAL ALIENS to enter our country without arrest, prosecution, and deportation is also a crime which should be enforced all the way to the presidency. Each and every individual who knowingly allows a CRIMINAL ALIEN to proceed unreported is guilty of at least aiding and abetting. Those in sworn offices who ignore this crime are also in violation of their oaths of office warranting discharge and jail time. And those who deliberately draft or pass laws, which facilitate these crimes, are treasonous, deserved of all the punishment that high crime reserves. By lay each and every individual must be prosecuted accordingly.

Not only are these CRIMINAL ALIENS committing crimes but, they are also creating an unjustified burden on the legitimate citizenry of our country, those who have the legal right to be here and enjoy the freedoms, liberties, and protections granted by honoring our Constitution. Giving these CRIMINAL ALIENS Tax based free medical, financial, or educational assistance is a slap in the face of every American citizen and detracts from the same. Insuring BASIC HUMAN rights long enough to dump them back across the boarder is one issue but, issuing identification cards and driver licenses to ensuring mobility of these CRIMINAL ALIENS so they can get about their illegal lives is outrageous. Even printing public information in multiple languages is ridiculous. ALL a CRIMINAL ALIEN needs to know is that s/he has broken our laws and that they will find their law-breaking butt back on the other side of the boarder ASAP. What the hell is so difficult about that?

A natural born or naturalized immigrant of the United States of America must follow the laws of our land or suffer the penalties. On the other hand these CRIMINAL ALIENS repeatedly commit a federal offense each time they cross our border. For some reason this fact conveniently escapes the attention of special interest groups, terrorist groups, gangs, and those elected government officials who have a vested interest in toppling the greatest country in the history of the world.

To add insult to injury we have our own government traitor Condolesa Rice attempting to intimidate an honest and well-intentioned citizenry (namely the Minuteman Project) with legal action if we break any laws. Where does this sorry excuse for a civil servant feel she has the right to threaten us, a righteous citizenry, when she and her cohorts in crime continually allow CRIMINAL ALIENS to break federal law without prosecution? She would have been better spoken to compliment the Minuteman Project's responders for their courage to stand out in a land of sheep and condemn the CRIMINAL ALIENS who would trample us were we weak. It seems to me that the standard has been set. America has no strength, no courage, nor might save what its citizens provide. As President Reagan so correctly spoke, our government is not the solution it is the problem. Giving exception in the need for self-defense, the only problems which will arise from this long overdue and well justified example of our REPUBLIC in action will be instigated be the CRIMINAL ALIENS or our govenment itself. Remember WACO!

We may not know now exactly what the events, outcome, or effects April 2005 will be upon us as a people, nation, or world but, one thing is certain, Americans are making a stand for what is right and for this they will be forever heroes. GOD bless America. GOD bless us all.

Can someone answer this? Was there a law passed at some time that Banks, local governments, some stores, etc. must provide instructions and signs in Spanish?
I can understand this NOW in Los Angeles and Southern California , but in OREGON ? ...Where the Mexican Population does not exceed 8%?
Was there a Federal Edict passed in the dead of night? WHAT the *^%#* is going on ?

I just want to say that all members of the minuteman project are true american patriots in the truest sense of the word. Instead of simply going on the internet and complaining about the troubles of illegal immigration, they are making a true attempt to deter it directly.

Of course the left and Mexican Nationalists detest what is about to happen in a couple of days, but then again these people have no interest in the preservation of this nation.

What I find interesting is how the minuteman project is not a "pseudo white nationalist movement" in disguise, which is what the media would have you believe. A good proportion of the volunteers are minorities and LEGAL immigrants, in addition to handicapped people. My advice to all patriots going out there is to bring a gun, you may need it against the worthless gangbangers..people the left would portray as "heros".