I believe a not-stated but deliberate goal of the Minutemen is...

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

...making vigilanteism acceptable for areas OTHER than illegal immigration.

Just a hunch.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. You bet your bippy n/t

[demnan]

2. It's extremely frightening too

I'm also repulsed by guys like Lew Dobbes on CNN who has a very thinly masked prejudice against Latinos.

[Redstone]

3. Oh, yes. Any question that they have a preliminary list?

I don't have any question.

On edit, any further question that they're fully prepared to turn the next Schaivo-like circus bloody? Hell hath no fury like a Fundie / rightwinger / redneck rebuffed.

Redstone

[bryant69]

4. I wouldn't be surprised if the money men had that goal

From one I can see some of the spokesmen, they seem more genuine - genuinely misguided of course. But it wouldn't surprise me at all if some of the backers are testing the waters for other manouvers (whatever those might be).

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Kathy in Cambridge]

Absolutely. It also desensitizes people to vigilante violence

their defenders on DU have no problem with it-they cite 'the law' as their defense. :eyes:

[signmike]

5. Bingo

[ewagner]

6. That thought

DID occur to me.....

I'm extremely uneasy about this.....

[mitchtv]

7. just waiting for them to try challenging Chicanos

and get a healthy ass kicking.

[DinahMoeHum]

10. With any luck, they'll only kill each other. . .or a Border Patrol officer

Thus endeth THAT experiment.

Seriously, this is another example of Republikan pansies being so inept in fighting "bad guys" they have to stand on a brick to kick a duck in the ass - and even then, they miss half the time.


:evilgrin:

[Zuni]

15. excellent point

these soldier of fortune subscribing, armchair general wingnut freaks are going to hurt someone just by being morans.
The odds of a gun cleaning fatality out there? Pretty high if you ask me.
Even better is that one will start shooting at lizards and then accidently cripple one of his comrades

[etherealtruth]

8. Couple that with nitwit Jeb's legislation ...

... We'll have a bunch of fanatics out "enforcing."

[Kerrytravelers]

12. What legislation are your directly refering too?

Just his nitwit policies in general or has he done something I didn't know about? Nothing shocks me anymore, so anything you say, I"ll believe about this family.

[AllegroRondo]

23. New law that allows shooting in 'self defense' in public

you are now allowed to shoot someone in public if you feel threatened by them. Previously you could only shoot someone in your own home or vehicle.

[etherealtruth]

25. This link will help...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=642856

Prepare to be disgusted

[Kerrytravelers]

29. Oh, good God. Are we living in the Wild West?

I know the rethugs want to take us back in time, but this far? Good Heavens!

[Zuni]

13. That is just absurd

Jeb legalizing vigilantism is quite absurd. Under his proposals, if you don't like someone, just provoke them until they strike out, and then you can shoot them in self defense. It is beyond absurd.

FUCK JEB. He is trying to get back on the good side of the wingnuts after he fucked up the whole Schiavo thing

[LisaM]

9. The whole thing is INSANE. I can't believe this is happening

right under our noses, and worse, I can't believe that they take the name Minutemen and are allowed to corrupt it this way.

[Zuni]

11. You know, that is plausible. Like judicial assasination

I personally think they are a bunch of nuts, but it also troubles me that so many people here have a knee jerk reaction to people stopping illegal immigration. There is no doubt the minutemen are wing nuts. I am sure some of them are real racists too. Some of these folks might even be dangerous.

But it disappoints me when people have a knee jerk reaction to opposing illegal immigration, as if the only reason is racism. I am opposed to any people, wether from Germany, Russia, China or Mexico coming into the US undocumented. The Government has a right to know who is in the country and not to let people with long rap sheets and criminal records, infectious diseases and other people who could cause problems in. There are many legal ways to emigrate, and there are hundreds of thousands brought in every year through guest worker programs. But the US does not have a strong enough economy nor enough jobs to absorb all the immigrants.

And it also allows unscrupulous businessmen to hire illegals for a fraction of what they would have to pay for an American or a legal immigrant, hurting the job market.

[doodadem]

26. Yes but, here in Calif.

The state's huge agricultural business is totally dependent on illegal labor. People that say these folks are taking American citizens' jobs are full of crap. You are not going to find your average citizen here spending 12-14 hours a day in the hot sun picking oranges or grapes for less than minimum wage and no benefits. Is it fair to the workers? Of course not! But what's their alternative? The Minutemen scenario will never fly in Calif.--too many Repug businesses that depend on illegals.
The main problem I have is coming up behind one of the farm buses on the road. They're always driving 20 miles under the speed limit because they're afraid of being pulled over.
And I am in no way afraid that any of these folks are terrorists.

[Zuni]

27. Workers with visas and American nationals

would not be allowed to work for less than minimum wage. Allowing undocumented immigrants to work for peanuts deprives legitimate guest workers from jobs that they want

Back in the day many of these farms hired hippies for temporary jobs, and the hippies did them as part of their rootless travels around the west coast. Everyone was happy.

[jonnyblitz]

14. It is very BAD PRECEDENT to overlook their vileness

and condone them just because we feel that illegal immigration is a problem. I don't think there is any excuse for people on a *cough* PROGRESSIVE discussion board to support that SLIME! :puke:

[Zuni]

17. I do not support the minutemen

I think they are a bunch of wingnuts, a bunch of Keystone Kop Vigilantes who aren't doing a damn bit of good.
I wouldn't be surprised if one of them gets killed playing with guns.

[jonnyblitz]

18. yup, and just like the OP of this thread said..

who will be their next target after this? those fuckers don't like ANYBODY...

[Coastie for Truth]

16. I agree. And I distinguish these guys from "True Volunteers"

Volunteer Fire Fighters and Paramedics/EMTs
Coast Guard Auxiliary
Civil Air Patrol
FEMA Citizens Corps (CERT)
Urban Search and Rescue
Mountain Emergency Rescue
Red Cross Disaster Services
Salvation Army
Southern Baptist Emergency Disaster Feeding
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services -Amateur Radio Emergency Services

Until proven otherwise - these guys are vigilantes looking for a cheap thrill.

[ulysses]

19. the "shoot first" thing in Florida, too.

Scary precidents. Good point.

(edit: "predicents"?)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

20. Neither. Try "precedent"

Courtesy from your friendly neighborhood Spelling Nazi Commie.

[ulysses]

24. I knew that. really.

:dunce: Hey, I'm still on spring break...

[Last Lemming]

21. Jesus asketh

From whence cometh the sheckles?

[Speck Tater]

22. Onward Christian Soldiers

The American Republican Army marches on.

Next will come the civilian morality police.

The only thing that will save us from complete theocratic totalitarianism is that peak oil will bring the crash of the global economy and by 50 years from now the only surviving governments will be local governments. If we're licky they won't be too feudal and despotic.

[grumpy old fart]

28. whoa, back up tin man...

we'll all be huddled around fires in the next fifty years?

[Speck Tater]

31. Nah.

Not stone age. Think more like the Amish, or the mid-1800's. With the cheap energy gone, things will be smaller, and more local. You're only likely to actually take the car out for some very special occasion.

[donheld]

30. Total agreement

Welcome back to the "wild west"