Minuteman Project in Texas...

[stevie_d_64]

This looked like the best place to post these thoughts...

As some of you may know, Chris Simcox is taking his show on the road, and scheduling one of the next gatherings of his group here in Texas in the month of October...From what I understand that is still tentative...

If this groups agenda agrees with you, I highly advise reading and learning up on their SOP's and daily logs and experiences on their website...Its not too hard to find...

One of the big booger-boos that will not garner a warm and fuzzy from him and his core group is the discussion of firearms...period...

I know that might fly in the face of some, but the intent of the group is obvious...Non-violent and non-confrontational...

They of course recognize the fact that there are people like us who are licenced to carry in our State...And who may be interested in participating/volunteering...

I would like to participate in a discussion that gets the whole firearm type and how to carry issue, put to bed quickly, that way we can get on to who may want to go and in what capacity they wish to participate in the project tenatively set for October...

My purpose in this is to try and get everyone on the same page, and learn from the minor mistakes some others made when this project was worked in Arizona...I wasn't able to participate in the first project, but am doing what I can to wrap around doing my part here in Texas...

My philosophy in participating is this...

- The mission and intent of the organizations agenda is #1...

- Firearms are for personal protection and nothing else, the State laws governing their use or non-use are paramount...Its probably best to not to make a big deal out of their presence...

There's probably a lot more some would probably want to talk about, so we'll leave it to discuss after this...

Anyway, I felt it was good to at least kick the thread off, and let it develop from here...

I look forward to seeing how this goes...

[Chris]

it's a neighborhood border watch. in a crime watch program, you get people to go around and be visible to deter the criminal activity. if that's what you intend on doing, then you won't need a weapon. if your objective is to conceal yourself in hopes of catching someone in the act, i wouldn't leave the house without one.

i would love to go down to the border and watch for illegals. a colleague and i at work were discussing this. we'd both love to work in a border town for that very reason. if i had the opportunity, i'd be a part of the minuteman project.

i really look at it like a neighborhood watch group. the government should be supportive of this effort. i think we should have a military branch like the US Border Guard, similar to the US Coast Guard, but i doubt that will ever happen; particularly with NAFTA. if you try and enter the US on a boat, you'll get attention from helicopters and gun boats with .50 M2s. i don't see why a land border should be any different.

as far as carrying a gun while participating in the minuteman project...if you carry a gun with you to a shopping mall, why would you perceive a higher level of safety on the US border where illegal activity is prominent? hell yes i'd carry a gun. i'd probably get an AK pistol and a big holster for it.

[jimlongley]

I can't imagine there would be any problem for CHLs carrying concealed, after all, nobody knows they are carrying, right?

As far as arming with long guns, that's a different matter and I would venture that there would be some who would see it as a threat.

[anygunanywhere]

I watched closely to the Minutemen when in Arizona. Plenty open carried in the desert, and the group acknowledged the Arizona open carry law.

I too would like to participate here in Texas. Most of the property along the border is private property, and the landowner can obviously bar you from arming on their property. Having hunted South Texas, and had illegals walk through my hunting area and scare away the big bucks, and waking up snoozing illegals in my stand, I can not see where the landowners would not want to keep the illegals off their property and allow armed help on their land. If I am in the boonies, I want to pack.

We often had them knock on the camp door asking for food and water. This was many years ago, since I was priced out of the South Texas area.

I believe there are more violent, militant types crossing now. I spoke with the Border Patrol at the NRA convention in Houston while Ted Nugent was broadcasting the radio show. I asked the agents their opinion on the Minutemen. Both of them looked at each other , grinned, and gave me the official response. Then they told me that after the show and out of uniform, they would tell me their true belief, and that was they wanted more participation by the Minutemen and that they believed the project was taking back America.

[stevie_d_64]

Good commentary...

I'm all for carrying for my protection down there...I will certainly not make a big deal out of it because it is personal...

Arizona was the perfect test bed for this project, adn a lot of good people participated and followed the intent of the project...

Those who didn't, were asked to leave and their credentials invalidated...

Some had their applications denied...

All of these incidents were documented, and stand as a good guidline for those interested in these future projects...

Texas and California will be different venues in that the opposition to the Minuteman organization will be ready, willing and able to cajole, coerce, lie, antagonize and do anything possible to draw out a reaction from those who participate...Never mind that the reaction is determined to be a negative or a positive reaction...

Like "Anygun" said...There are a lot of violent border violators that look for an opportunity to draw that kind of reaction from patriots like ourselves...We just got to be able to react accordingly...

I think the same "private" landowners that were helpful in the past to us, will participate again...

And the weather during that time of the year should be incredible...

[Chris]

the only problem was the ACLU.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/artic ... E_ID=43867

[ghentry]

Is anyone here planning on joining them in October?

[stevie_d_64]

Is anyone here planning on joining them in October?

I'm kinda on the fence for any operations here in Houston...

I have a slight problem with paying $50 to join an organization who's agenda I really believe in...That $50 is for a background check...

My quandry being that I have already passed a State and Federal background check to do what I do...

And the organizations' "under the radar" policy regarding firearms is to not make a big deal out of that fact...And I actually agree with that...

And to make a big stink about that issue, to the "people" running the show has incurred some action on their part to discourage those people who do talk about firearms and permits to carry, and what to carry for that matter too much, to be asked to not participate, or dissmissed after the fact...

I am only relating this because that is what I have seen in the past when they were ramping up in Arizona recently...

Bottom line it just sounds really namby-pamby to make a big deal out of it, so Iam waiting for the right moment to make a final decision on whether I am going to participate...

If Chris Simcox (or one of his minions) were to contact me on this personally, and clear up any ambiguities, I would be absolutely pleased to affiliate with their organization...But my coorespondence so-far has been unanswered...

So I believe I have been black-listed...Already...

I guess I am such a really bad person that its not worth their time to clear this up...

[ghentry]

I agree that if you already have a current CHL, there is no reason for them to run any other checks. From what I've read lately, there are some splinter groups that are forming and it will be interesting to see how all of this pans out.

[ghentry]

Hey Stevie... I just read that they are waving the $50 fee for CHL holders since they have already undergone the background check.

[anygunanywhere]

The wench Sheila Jackson Lee is after you. Seems illegals have rights but you don't. She don't want you packing when you are taking care of the Fed's work.

[HighVelocity]

I have serious doubts about the effectiveness of a handgun in this situation. I would feel much more comfortable with a carbine or lever gun.
Of course being that a concealed handgun is the only option then it's better than nothing.

[stevie_d_64]

Hey Stevie... I just read that they are waving the $50 fee for CHL holders since they have already undergone the background check.

Right...Now if we can just get a hold of the guy here in Houston and get with the program...I might just participate...

Funny, the news this morning said that someone announced that it was "ok" for the minuteman volunteers to carry "guns"...

Like we needed permission???

[gigag04]

So wait - now people can't carry long guns? Since when is that illegal?

[anygunanywhere]

There needs to be LOUD and serious discussion on several points in all of this.

1. We have a RIGHT to Keep and BEAR arms.

2. The Feds responsibility, under the Constitution, is to protect the borders.

3. The persons who the Minutemen are after are ILLEGAL aliens.

Hey Wench Lee, they are ILLEGALS, and we have the RKBA!!!! And you, Ms Lee, are where you are because a certain number af voters see fit to put you where you are. Maybe one day, the number of intelligent voters will actually equal the number of legal, registered voters.

There! I feel better.

Pretty simple.