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james t kirk · 03-30-2006, 02:19 PM

Getting back to the topic of the thread however, this pretty much sums up what kind of guy is a "minute man"

Despite protests, group works to draw attention to security

JON GAMBRELL
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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THE MINUTEMAN MOVEMENT
The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps first patrolled an otherwise unguarded stretch of the Arizona border last spring, in part to draw attention to their concerns over U.S. border security.

The Washington Minuteman Detachment has held three separate musters over the last three months in Whatcom County. Thus far, the sole arrest attributed to the group was a man who illegally crossed into Canada to call his girlfriend on a cellular phone.

What began as a month-long watch of the U.S.-Canadian border has become a monthly routine for Whatcom County's branch of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

Facing protests, a legislative rebuke by the Bellingham City Council and allegations of racism when it first appeared in October, the group continues to watch the county's northern border.
They are an unusual band of brothers, most of them military veterans entering what should be their golden years. However, all of them express concern over the security of the nation's borders.
Tom Williams, a Deming resident who is the chapter leader of the Washington Minuteman Detachment, describes the movement and the U.S. Border Patrol as a similar "warrior subculture."
"The agents love us," Williams says. If you listen to the radio traffic, he says, Border Patrol agents call the Minuteman volunteers "the good guys," "Mike Mikes," or "the friendlies."

To prepare for their two-day muster this weekend, the Minuteman volunteers gather at Camp Standing Bear, which doubles as organizer Claude LeBas' front yard on Valley View Road. American, Canadian and state of Washington flags flap in the wind over the camp's operation center - a camper outfitted with a laptop computer, telephone, fax machine, radio equipment and sought-after coffee machine on a cold morning.

A volunteer taps out a list for the Border Patrol of the day's volunteers, description of their cars and whether or not they are licensed to carry concealed pistols. Vigilante, Williams' shorthaired dachshund, scurries between the legs of the eight people gathered inside the camper.
"We need to get Larry out on the road and we need to get those radios going in here," says Williams, who volunteers refer to as "Skip" or "Skipper."
With Minuteman volunteers so close to the border, their cellular phones often roam to Canadian towers, giving them weaker signals and making it difficult to call U.S. authorities when they spot suspicious activity. Now, armed with ham radios and antennas made out of soldered copper piping, they hope to get better reception.

One new volunteer, Don Jones of Everett, gives Williams his call sign - K07I. It's an acronym, he explains: "Kill Off Seven Iraqis."

http://news.bellinghamherald.com/app...WS03/512180336

03-30-2006, 02:19 PM	#63 (permalink)
james t kirk Junkie Location: Toronto	Getting back to the topic of the thread however, this pretty much sums up what kind of guy is a "minute man" Despite protests, group works to draw attention to security JON GAMBRELL THE BELLINGHAM HERALD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE MINUTEMAN MOVEMENT The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps first patrolled an otherwise unguarded stretch of the Arizona border last spring, in part to draw attention to their concerns over U.S. border security. The Washington Minuteman Detachment has held three separate musters over the last three months in Whatcom County. Thus far, the sole arrest attributed to the group was a man who illegally crossed into Canada to call his girlfriend on a cellular phone. What began as a month-long watch of the U.S.-Canadian border has become a monthly routine for Whatcom County's branch of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. Facing protests, a legislative rebuke by the Bellingham City Council and allegations of racism when it first appeared in October, the group continues to watch the county's northern border. They are an unusual band of brothers, most of them military veterans entering what should be their golden years. However, all of them express concern over the security of the nation's borders. Tom Williams, a Deming resident who is the chapter leader of the Washington Minuteman Detachment, describes the movement and the U.S. Border Patrol as a similar "warrior subculture." "The agents love us," Williams says. If you listen to the radio traffic, he says, Border Patrol agents call the Minuteman volunteers "the good guys," "Mike Mikes," or "the friendlies." To prepare for their two-day muster this weekend, the Minuteman volunteers gather at Camp Standing Bear, which doubles as organizer Claude LeBas' front yard on Valley View Road. American, Canadian and state of Washington flags flap in the wind over the camp's operation center - a camper outfitted with a laptop computer, telephone, fax machine, radio equipment and sought-after coffee machine on a cold morning. A volunteer taps out a list for the Border Patrol of the day's volunteers, description of their cars and whether or not they are licensed to carry concealed pistols. Vigilante, Williams' shorthaired dachshund, scurries between the legs of the eight people gathered inside the camper. "We need to get Larry out on the road and we need to get those radios going in here," says Williams, who volunteers refer to as "Skip" or "Skipper." With Minuteman volunteers so close to the border, their cellular phones often roam to Canadian towers, giving them weaker signals and making it difficult to call U.S. authorities when they spot suspicious activity. Now, armed with ham radios and antennas made out of soldered copper piping, they hope to get better reception. One new volunteer, Don Jones of Everett, gives Williams his call sign - K07I. It's an acronym, he explains: "Kill Off Seven Iraqis." http://news.bellinghamherald.com/app...WS03/512180336 Last edited by james t kirk; 03-30-2006 at 02:21 PM..