Illegal immigration is out of control. As a result, our nation’s security is at risk. A group of Americans has decided to do what George Bush refuses to do: protect Americans from the scourge of illegal immigration.
This is the first part of an interview with John Smallberries, a former Marine and a volunteer pilot for the Minuteman Project. The mythmaking and urban legends about the group have already begun, so I wanted to set the record straight and let you hear a firsthand account of what the project is and more importantly, why it is. Later this week I’ll interview the project’s founder, Jim Gilchrist.
For background on the Minuteman Project, see Mexico Wants Minuteman Project Gone, Modern Day Minutemen, Liberals and the Will of the People of Arizona and Proposition 200 is Now Arizona State Law.
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Me: What is the Minuteman Project?
John Smallberries: For me – the project is simply a “stunt” — like a march or a sit-in. The situation at the border is 100% out of control — but who knows that? Very few people, simply because the border is far away, there is a huge “somebody else’s problem” issue.
What we hope to show is the lack of security, plus the HUGE numbers of people crossing the border every day IS a problem. Forget the illegal immigration issue, forget the tons and tons of dope, how about just one backpack nuke? Or a canister of nerve gas? No matter where you live — those things could ruin your whole day! This is something that matters to all of us who enjoy breathing, and prefer not to glow in the dark. Who cares where you live? We want to help everyone understand this a problem they need to be concerned about.
Me: Tell us a little about yourself and why you volunteered.
JS: I’m a former US Marine — many people in the project are — but I’m not very special. I’m 38, I’ve been to Iraq twice — once as a Marine, the second time as a “contractor” doing training and (irony alert) border control.
A few weekends a month, I work on a ranch in San Diego that is on the US/Mexico border and help with security. There is a small group of us, and between the 10 of us, we’ve turned several thousand (yes — thousand) folks over to the Border Patrol in 5 years. So I’m a little more in tune with the issue than most.
I volunteered for this operation for number of reasons. First — Jim Gilchrist. He is an upstanding man, and this is the first “non kooky” action I’ve seen to address the border issue. While others have tried similar efforts — Jim is calm (mostly) , and someone I can respect. Other folks have just been too unprofessional, or reeked of “yahoo” thrill seeker, or just plain ugly racist. He appealed to me as someone worth working for, and I would not be embarrassed to be associated with.
As to the larger issue: I believe it is practically inevitable there is going to be another 9/11 if we don’t do something at the border. Between loose nukes, and homemade WMD’s — there are lots of ways to hurt us, and no lack of crazies who would enjoy exactly that. I think we owe the people that died last 9/11 two things: 1) avenge their deaths, and 2) prevent this from EVER happening again.
Now — while I cannot personally handle #2 — I can do a little. Shutting the border down, even if it’s just a little piece, makes it that much harder to get by. With the project calling attention to this subject — maybe we can get some real security down there.
If there is another 9/11 — I just want to be able to look the survivors in the eye and say, “I did everything I could to prevent this day.” My hope is there are other people like me, and once they see the problem — they’ll stop sitting on their duff, and get some attention down at the border. Or not. Whatever happens, the only non-solution is to do nothing and expect things to change. The time for pleading with Washington to “please protect us” has passed. It’s too important to blow off and hope they eventually get clued in.
Me: A few people on my blog wondered if the volunteers were going to shoot Mexicans coming across the border. Is that true?
JS: Well — that would be murder, and that’s a crime, even in Arizona. Yipes — do you really think people believe that? At any rate — we have a strict “no contact” policy. Our volunteers are only there to observe and report. If you think of a neighborhood watch program, spread out along 20 miles of border — that is how we are operating. So if the block watch folks would not do it — neither will we.
To be 100% straight up with you and your readers, some of our folks are going to be armed. This is something that is really hard to understand if you have not worked near the border. Having a weapon is not only legal, it’s stupid not to have one. Most of the ranchers don’t go out without a pistol on their belt.
Again — using only words — it’s hard to communicate how totally out of control the situation has gotten. Think back to the LA riots. If you were out in the street when all hell was breaking loose — would you have felt safe? The border area is less dynamic, but still very dangerous. Automatic gunfire is a common sound. Seeing dope mules with Ak47′s work drug loads over the border is a common sight. [W]hile I realize that the idea of wearing a weapon just to walk around sounds kooky, and even dangerous, your readers have to understand how totally out of control this place is. I can honestly say — it is as dangerous as the Iraq/Iran border — minus the landmines.
Bottom line on the weapons issue — if someone tries to murder one of our volunteers while they sit on a hill and call for help, that person has a right to use deadly force to protect themselves. Anything other then that is a crime, and they will get prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Period.
Me: I assume you live in or near Arizona. It’s hard for some of us to understand the extent of the border crossing problem. Tell us what effect it’s had on that state.
I live in San Clemente…as I said before…I have spent plenty of time down in San Diego, which is similar. However — the problem in Arizona is insane! It’s been years since we had a daylight drive through in San Diego (this is where a stolen truck is used to ram the border fence, then charge though to the nearest road, where dope and people are transferred to another vehicle) in Arizona — it happens every day…[L]et me assure you and your readers of this: Come out to Arizona — you and anyone that wants to see this with their own eyes. If you are not totally flipped out by the unbelievable chaos that is taking place — dinner is on me.
Most folks I’ve taken down to San Diego (also open for you or your readers to see) can’t get their head around the total lack of control and lawlessness — and it’s tame compared to AZ! Total insanity. Right here in the USA. No kidding.
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John Smallberries can be reached at berryhunter@gmail.com. In Part II, John talks about the extent of the national security breach in Arizona. Stay tuned.
Update: Fausta has a post about the Mexican gang targeting the Minuteman volunteers.
