First 10 Days of Legal Observing for Minuteman Project : AZ IMC

As I begin to write I am sitting approximately twenty-five yards from two Minutemen volunteers on Border Road between the cities of Douglas and Naco Arizona. It is day 11 of the Minuteman Project and I imagine today will be like the previous ten.

The peace, tranquility, and beauty of this patch of desert is amazing. The rolling brown mountains seem to be encircling Border Road as if it is the center of a giant Roman Coliseum. The dry, green mesquite bushes serve as the audience to the painful drama that plays out each day.

It is hard to believe this beautiful land is super-saturated with the blood, sweat, and tears of those in search of work they easily can acquire. Some might say the Minuteman Project has cast aside the needless suffering that occurs in this area and now a group of disgruntled United States Citizens are whom the mesquite trees pay to see.

Despite the media’s focus on the Minutemen we must not forget that this arena is still the sight of an almost unbelievable human tragedy. Legal Observers were reminded of this late last night.

At approximately 10:45 p.m. on Sunday the 10th of April a group of five legal observers came upon a group of men who were shouting, “we got two of them.” As soon as they knew legal observers were on the scene they yelled to each other, “Don’t touch them, make sure you don’t touch them,” referring to the migrants.

About seven white males were standing ten feet from two individuals who were sitting on the west side of Highway 92 near Hunter Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains.

I was wearing two large jackets and was still freezing cold while the man from Puebla and the other from Mexico City were wearing a light jacket and a light sweatshirt.

After identifying ourselves and asking questions about their encounter with the Minutemen we learned that they had been walking for four days and had decided to turn themselves in because they were exhausted and in pain.

The gentleman from Mexico City said he could no longer walk because his feet were swollen and the pains in his stomach were overwhelming. Neither individual had food or water and were never offered any by Minutemen volunteers. Instead the Minutemen volunteers stayed huddled in a group as if they were about to give a post-game locker room victory interview and douse each other with champagne.

Even Minutemen organizer James Gilchrist was on scene with an ‘embedded’ radio journalist from Fox Radio. Gilchrist, who uses the code name, ‘Whiskey Golf,’ got back into his car and drove away, never having expressed any interest in the migrants stories or offering them food or a blanket.

Thankfully not all days have had as much excitement. The weather has varied, from the sun blackening my skin to the harsh winds that almost make it unbearable to be outside. Perhaps it is simply the masochist in me, but each small amount of suffering is both a tool for education and an act of asking forgiveness.

When the sunrays hit the skin and I take another drink of water I have a miniscule taste of what it must be like to walk through the desert for four days. When the wind blows over vacant lawn chairs and makes it so cold I have to put a jacket on at 3 p.m. I have a small understanding of what it must be like to be wearing only a light jacket at 2 a.m. hiking through the Huachuca Mountains.

No one will ever know if any of the actions of Legal Observers actually make a ‘difference.’ But outside of a few moments of solidarity and suffering to ask for forgiveness for living in a world which allows such useless suffering there might also be ‘practical’ value to our actions.

I have seen distinguished activists from the Latino Community sit behind white males dressed in camouflage armed with a sidearm strapped to their leg and eating Meals Ready to Eat when they were not busy looking through a periscope across the border. Young Prescott college students sitting behind Vietnam Veteran’s trying to re-live the search for the enemy.

Our presence in the desert changes the climate. Sitting behind the Minutemen sends a non-violent, non-confrontational message that speaks louder then any press conference or letter ever could.

In addition to being in the desert, Legal Observers have also patrolled in front of protests that took place in front of the Border Patrol stations on April 2nd and 3rd. While we were there to ensure that all parties had the opportunity to express their First Amendment Rights free from government interference, we were the targets of many of the Minutemen comments.

Some of our volunteers reported they were the targets of racial slurs, such as being called a ‘chink’ or told, “Mexican go home!” Volunteers also received threats such as, “Are your doors locked at night, are your windows locked at night, and do you know how easy it is to get into your home.”

Legal Observers have thus far done an excellent job in taking the moral high ground and not responding back negatively to angry Minutemen. We are sticking to our plan of treating our fellow human being with respect and dignity while not engaging in political dialogue with Minutemen.

A lot of the Minutemen seem to be filled with a great deal of hate and anger. They are mad that ‘illegals’ are destroying their country, and their way of life. While legal observers do not enjoy being a target of some of this anger, I think the consensus has been that if they need to enact their rage it is better to do it to us then to migrants.

It is a great test of personal restraint to allow an individual to yell at you while you smile at them and tell them it is a beautiful day. Remaining humble and swallowing your pride is not easy, but it is the right thing to do. Repeating the cycle of hate will not solve the problem.

For the past ten days we have had people of varied ages, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds get together to put themselves in an uncomfortable and unbelievingly boring situation to express a love fro their fellow human being and a showing of solidarity for those who are needlessly suffering.

I have seen jackrabbits, butterflies, and birds freely cross the seven strands of barbed-wire, thankfully none were met with any violence. Hopefully the rest of the month will be as boring.

I opened a fortune cookie today and it said, “Ask a friend to join you on your next voyage.” If you have bothered to read through this unedited rambling you must certainly be a friend, and of course you have an open invitation to a different voyage that begins every day and will last the entire month of April.

I would simply like to conclude by thanking all of those who have served as legal observes so far (over 60 different individuals all of whom have gotten out more then once). I would love to print your names but you would probably start getting hate mail. Also a special thanks to those from American Friends Service Committee who continue to work so hard. I would also mention your name but imagine you have had enough death threats for the week.

May we all continue to remain strong enough to maintain the moral high ground and put the emphasize on the needless suffering of our fellow human beings.