Latest Outrage

Vigilantes Move from the Border to the Neighborhood

January 14th, 2008

As if having self-appointed vigilantes “patrolling” the borders with guns weren’t bad enough, the thugs are now moving into our streets and neighborhoods.  They’ve come to stalk people they believe might be here illegally.  According to the Arizona Republic, Lynn Street, a member of a group calling itself Riders USA, showed up in Phoenix at a protest targeting day laborers while armed with a Smith and Wesson.

“We just want to get illegals out of here,” says Street.  “I’m here to run them off.  You turn the light on them and they scatter like roaches.”

Neighborhood groups are understandably concerned.

“They bring terror to the neighborhood,” said Keenan Strand, a business owner who heads the Northeast Phoenix Neighborhood Action Alliance.  “The protestors, visibly armed with guns, have been verbally engaging anyone walking by that seems to look illegal or don’t seem supportive of them.  These are residents, students, businesspeople, neighborhood and spiritual leaders.”

This isn’t an isolated incident.  At the height of their 15 minutes of fame, the Minutemen announced in July 2005 that they would send “observers” to Houston to “patrol” for illegal immigrants, emphasizing that they would be carrying only video cameras.  One month later, according to the Houston Chronicle, they began giving out membership discounts to those with concealed weapons permits.  Minuteman leader Chris Simcox was quoted as saying, “We actually prefer that everyone have a concealed weapons permit.”

They justify being armed by pointing to the potential danger of armed smugglers.  (Never mind that they wouldn’t be facing any danger if they stayed away from the border and let the authorities do their job.)  Now they’re “patrolling” neighborhoods.  (Never mind that they can’t distinguish so-called “illegals” from legal residents or citizens.  A word to the wise:  If you dress casually and “look Latino,” don’t happen to walk by a day labor center.)  So, again, why the need for arms?

These aren’t symbolic protests to draw attention to porous borders.  These aren’t folks with too much time on their hands playing “army” in remote border areas.  These are armed vigilantes walking the streets of Houston and Phoenix, which happen to have very large populations of Hispanics – the vast majority of whom are U.S. citizens.  Accosting people based on their appearance, and trying to “run them off” while brandishing a firearm, is a recipe for violence in our streets and neighborhoods.  It underscores what’s wrong with vigilantism in the first place.

Arizona Republic Article