Photo Summary of Minuteman Project: Part 2 : AZ IMC

Hundreds of “vigilantes” swarmed to defend small stretch of the Arizona-Mexico border on April 2, picking up the slack where they say the government is failing to stop the so-called “invasion of mobs of illegal aliens and terrorists.” The month-long gathering, dubbed the Minuteman Project, has attracted volunteers from all of the country to come camp in the desert and monitor the border.

Morales, who owns a range in Texas, says she is tired of the undocumented migrants who cause property damage on her land. She said she was disappointed that President Bush called the Minuteman Project "vigilantes."

The Minuteman Project began in Tombstone, Arizona, the wild west town that prides itself by its "take the law into your own hands" history. Although the Minuteman Project denounces that they are racist, the project has attracted members of the white-supremist group the National Alliance. The Confederate flag was flying along the main street along with several other flags.

The media has also swarmed into Southern Arizona, at times outnumbering the amount of Minuteman volunteers and protestors. In the photo, volunteers and media wait in separate lines to get into Schieffelin Hall to hear opening remarks from project leaders on April 1.

Simcox moved to Southern Arizona after 9/11 because he felt that something had to be done to "close the border." Simcox has tried to organize such grassroots vigilante project before, but they failed to bring in a large volunteer force.

Gilchrist, from California, helped Simcox organize the project. Gilchrist believes that "the invasion of illegal aliens" is eroding the fabric of American culture and society.

I agree with the actions being taken by the Minutemen along the US Mexican border. I regret that I am unable to be one of the troops – and I use the correct term, “troops”, because we are at war with an unrelenting enemy - Mexican Illegals and our own government.

We are under assault from the Mexican government because that country cannot take care of its own and its people continue to breed indiscriminately. And, we cannot ignore the complicity of our international business leaders and our elected representatives in Washington who deliberately choose to close their eyes to the danger and expense created by millions of illegals who casually enter this country each year.

It is very unfortunate that our president has chosen to attach those brave men and women who have volunteered to guard out border while we have 150,000 American soldiers trapped in a foreign country that did nothing wrong to us. Although we probably can’t expect more of a coward that elected to hide behind a bunch of elementary children in Sarasota, Florida while his Saudi friends and associates were attacking New York City and our nation’s capital.

are constitution, way of life, and freedom are under attack. its time we Arizonans step up and end this. I send my best wishes to soldiers on the border, wish I could be there. GOD BLESS ALL defending our homeland!

A Little less than two hundred years ago, from the state of California to the lower tip of Mexico, was one country which was Mexico. This land was prosperus and rich in culture and religious pride. Its people were an awsome people with a long history of Spainiard and Native decent, the Mestizo people who spoke the beautiful romance language of Spanish. For many years before America was a country, these people were run by Spain and then too, like now, my people were mistreated and treated as second class citizens in their own country. Although I am proud of, and do not forsake my American Heritage,I am through culture and blood still connected to Mexico and the Spanish culture by my surname and language. When the New Mexico territory purchase was made, along with the land, Me and preceding Vásquez's were purchased along with it as if some kind of item or service. It was in that part of history my family became "American". Regardless,when New Mexico became a state, or province of the United States the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was to be followed allowing permeable borders for the Mestizo people of my culture as well as legal documentaion in English AND Spanish. As I grew up in Peñasco, New Mexico, a small town in the northern part of the state, I was indoctrinated into believeing I was an "American" and to be thankful for all the rights and abilities I have, yet i could see this wasnt true. In the formerly all Hispanic/Mexicano Capital "La Villarreal de Santa Fe" (translated, "The Royal City of Holy Faith" known to Americans as simply Santa Fe) my people and I arent welcome. We are the janitors, the field hands, the road laborers the McDonald employees and most lower class or "Poorer" people. We are the bad guys portrayed in news and media everynight on local channels as the killers, theives, gang bangers, and the immoral. When in all reality these instances happen in every culture but why arent anglo Americans exploited as much as me and my people? because its your system you know how to manipulate in ways most of the Hispanic/Mexicano people do not. Now, not only are we second class citizens in our own country forced to realate to your protastant foundings in the east coast, of which I have NO ancestral connection to, chastized for speaking our native language, and now, you want to completly alienate me from my Aztlan and the birth place of my beautiful heritage. This "southwest", is to my people, El Norte, a predominantly Hispano/Mexicano Spanish speaking country that America has eroded and exploited not the other way around. To create a militia type force to gaurd our borders against Mexican people only saying there taking American jobs is ignorance, for many reasons. This was, by culture and birthright, and is still their (our) land and no border has or ever will stop "the invasion". Do not fear my people for their willingness to work hard and do labor most Americans wouldn't even consider doing. In the very near future Latinos will no longer be a minority and these obstacles you put before us to slow down our rise is ludacris, especially in Arizona which was also a predominantly Hispanic/Native Indian state. GILCHRIST....it is not the "illegal Mexicans" who are erroding the fabric of American Culture and society...it is you who are against my people, and you who have already erroded and destroyed our fabric of culture and society of the Mestizo People.
Now to all who read this article, please try to understand that not all Americans condone hostility toward our Mexican neighbors. If the National Alliance group can wave their rebel flag high above Tombstone, Arizona it is only right that we the Mexicano/Hispano people/nation can speak our piece and be heard in this American democratic system.

Simón Enoch Vásquez

"If we were to wake up one morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed and color, we would find some other cause for prejadice by noon"
-George Aiken

To the Minutemen, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!THANK YOU!!!!!!!!THANK YOU!!!!!!!!THANK YOU!!THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THANK YOU!!!!!!!!THANK YOU!!!!!!!!