‘Minutemen’ gear up for mainstream

What’s in a name?
Minuteman groups and Minuteman-type groups are springing up all over, some without official endorsement. 

“Nobody is using 'Minuteman Project.' They are using ‘Minuteman’ in the name of their group.  You can’t stop people from using the word ‘minuteman,’” Hair said, noting that the original Minuteman Project has not endorsed any of the independent off-shoots, but that Simcox will be assessing several possibilities in coming weeks. 

“Endorsing an effort means we have to give them training and have assurances that they are going to stick to a no contact policy, a reporting policy, a no confrontation policy,” Hair said.

That "non-confrontation" policy, which Simcox says he developed as the guiding blueprint for the Minuteman operations, has been met with skepticism by critics leery of citizens patroling an increasingly hostile and dangerous border. Nevertheless, the Arizona patrols went off without a hitch.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner told the House Government Reform Committee last month during a hearing on border security that although patrols are better left to professionals, "there were no incidents (in Arizona), there were no acts of vigilantism, and that’s a tribute to the organizers and leaders of the Minuteman Project."

Off-shoots, disputes and dust-ups
But not everyone wearing the Minuteman moniker is waiting for Simcox or even seeking his blessing.

An Arlington, Texas group calling itself the “Texas Minutemen,” were upbraided by Simcox in an e-mail in which he disavowed any connection with the group. Simcox told them that a press release would be sent out “refuting your claims to be the official Minuteman group of Texas.”

Shannon McGauley, co-founder of the Texas Minutemen said her group has the “blessing, endorsement and support” of Gilchrist.  “I never met Mr. Simcox when I was in Arizona,” McGauley said.  “The Minuteman or Minutemen name doesn’t belong to Mr. Simcox.”

The dustup over name usage and endorsement “is an internal argument,” said James Chase, founder of  the southern California-based United States Border Patrol Auxiliary, which will begin border watch operations July 18. “Frankly, it’s taking away from the mission of watching and protecting the borders,”  he said. “I don’t’ need it... I’m one of the original Minutemen with Jim Gilchrist,” Chase said, noting his friendship with Gilchrist goes back to when they served in the same unit during Vietnam.

Simcox, however, says he's concerned that group’s like Chase’s and McGauley’s are going to “step over the line” and do something that would violate the no confrontation policy he developed.  “I’m pretty nervous that it will taint everything."

Chase said he has “verbals from about 1,000” people that they will come join his border watch, which is planned for a 30-mile stretch along the California-Mexico border.  “But talk is cheap,” he said, “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Another California based group called Friends of the Border Patrol, just postponed its own Minuteman-style border watch that was to begin Aug. 1.  The new date is now slated for Sept. 16, which happens to coincide with Mexican Independence Day. 

FBP founder Andy Ramirez, a U.S. citizen whose grandfather immigrated to the U.S., said the delay was needed to better prepare for what could be an onslaught of volunteers.  Currently there are 775 people signed up for FBP’s project, officially called “Border Watch,” which Ramirez says is going to be “the ultimate neighborhood watch.” 

“We needed to make sure there was going to be support for all the people,” Ramirez said, everything from portable toilets to food and shelter and law enforcement cooperation. 

“We’re going to work with federal, state and local law enforcement.  I’ve already met with the top ranking brass at the San Diego County Sheriff’s department,” Ramirez said.   He noted that some FBP volunteers will be armed, “but only former or off-duty law enforcement persons,”

Despite such pre-planning, Ramirez’s group doesn’t have Simcox’s endorsement, though his efforts have been endorsed by Gilchrist.  “Jim  jumped the gun and endorsed [FBP] too quickly,” Simcox said.

“We’re not telling people we’re Minuteman; we’re not a variation of Minuteman.  We’re Friends of the Border Patrol,” Ramirez said.  “That’s why we’re not calling ourselves “Minuteman California” or anything like that.”

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