Politics Information |
Bill OReilly: You Got This One Wrong!
I like Bill O'Reilly. I do. I have read two of the man's books, all his columns, and when I lived in the United States, I listened to the "O'Reilly Factor." I agree with him on many issues. I do so not because of his political worldview but because he makes sense, most of the time, and challenges me with the facts-he makes me think. Nevertheless, I am afraid we have to part company regarding his stance and support of the Minuteman Project. In O'Reilly's April 8th, Foxnews Talking Points, he says the following, "And the concept is very simple - bringing attention to the chaotic border situation by launching a media attractive protest. And the Minutemen are getting a lot of attention." I wish I could say Bill was right here: "The concept is very simple." Perhaps he is referring to the Minuteman's mantra to just "Observe and Report?" I think there is more to it. A lot more. I wonder if Mr. O'Reilly was aware that Chris Simcox, co-founder of the Minuteman project, is probably not the best candidate to be leading a group which claims to just "Observe and Report" at the Mexican-American border. Miroslava Flores, reporting for the La Voz de Aztlan, writes in December 2002, "Chris Simcox, the vigilante who recently called for an armed militia and an uprising against Mexican immigrants in Arizona, left Los Angeles two years ago because his life here had become intolerable. Ask anyone who knew him about the kind of person he is, including his former wife, and their faces cringe. His neighbors at 3855 Inglewood Boulevard did not like him and avoided him like "the plague." They expressed worry that Simcox could soon "crack" and go on a rampage. His colleagues at Wildwood School, where he worked as a kindergarten teacher, would rather not remember or speak of him." She goes on to write, "Simcox's life in Los Angeles started falling apart when he began exhibiting bizarre behavior about 3 year's ago. Apparently, he became a delusional paranoiac at the same time he started to talk loudly about a "Mexican conspiracy" to take over Los Angeles. His wife became concerned when he started taking their 13-year-old son to the shooting range in order to prepare him for an "upcoming race war." His wife eventually divorced him and fought a successful court battle to take custody of her son. At the same time, because of his increasingly irrational racist behavior, his private educational consulting business collapsed." Simcox seems to be of the ilk, like Glenn Spencer and his gang, who believe, "?that migrant workers are not coming to America to find a better life for themselves and their families, but rather to reclaim the Southwest for Mexico. Groups who work on behalf of migrant or immigrant workers, such as MECHA, La Raza Unida, and the Coalición de Derechos Humanos of Tucson, Az., he regards as "de facto agents of Mexico." These men have used 911 as a renewed excuse to persecute Mexican migrant workers. Now let me make this point: Do anyone really think that a highly financed, professionally trained, sophisticated Arab terrorist is going to be sneaking into the U.S. by crossing the dirty and muddy Rio Grande or crawling on his belly through the Canadian woods? I mean, come on!I wonder if Mr. O'Reilly knows that Chris Simcox, the co-founder of the group he adulates, was arrested in January 2003, by Federal Park rangers for possession of loaded and concealed weapons, disorderly conduct, and interfering with law enforcement on federal land, according to Ernesto Cienfuegos of La Voz de Aztlan. This is the leader of the group of Mexican-hunters, of which O'Reilly said, "So three cheers for the Minutemen. Like their ancestors in Concord and Lexington, they're making a statement. And we all should respect that." I wonder if Mr. O'Reilly knows who he is cheering and asking us to respect a federal lawbreaker? And should not any thinking individual be asking, "What is a man like Simcox doing leading a band of vigilantes?" I really think there is more than just "Observe and Report" below the surface of this man. Why, if the Minuteman group is there to just "Observe and Report," has Simcox issued a "call to arms?" Listen to what Los Angeles Times Magazine writer, Dan Baum, wrote on March 16, 2003: "Chris Simcox won't stop fooling with his gun. He paces his tiny office, bouncing on the balls of his feet, and every 15 seconds his hands go to the gun on his belt--hiking it up, adjusting its angle, checking its safety. It's a big gun, a two-toned .45 in a hard plastic holster, and whenever he is photographed by the media--which is often these days--Simcox makes sure the pistol is in every frame. Simcox speaks of sovereignty, the Pledge of Allegiance and the rule of law, but his body language is all about the gun. Sooner or later he's going to use it, he wants everybody to know, in a showdown with the illegal immigrants and Mexican drug dealers he believes are ruining the United States. "These are enemies who are wrecking our economy," he says, his eyes shiny with emotion. "This is about national security."If Simcox dies in a blaze of border gunfire, so be it, he says. "Damn them. That's how much I care about my country." Simcox would be naught but an anonymous zealot with a death wish if, in October, he hadn't flamboyantly demonstrated the dictum that freedom of the press is best enjoyed by those who own one. At 42, he is owner, editor and publisher (and reporter, ad director and circulation manager) of the weekly Tombstone Tumbleweed, circulation 1,200. His Oct. 24 issue bore the headline: "Enough is Enough! A Public Call to Arms!" The paper invited readers to join a "Citizens Border Patrol Militia" whose function, Simcox says, will be to "shame the government into doing its job" of controlling the nation's border with Mexico. "We need some good old-fashioned discipline in this country," Simcox explains as he fitfully circles the one-room Tumbleweed office. "I invite someone to come up with a solution." So what do we have going here? The co-founder of The Minuteman Project, Chris Simcox, has: ?A Felony Arrest Record ?Seems obsessed with his hand gun ?Wants everyone to know that sooner or later he will use his gun in a showdown with illegal immigrants ?He says that if he dies in a blaze of border gunfire then "so be it." His Oct. 24 issue of his own newspaper bore the headline: "Enough is Enough! A Public Call to Arms! Does it take being a rocket scientist to figure out that there is more-A LOT MORE-to this group being on just a "Observe and Report" mission? Ok, O'Reilly. There you have it. What says you? Doug Bower is a freelance writer and book author. His most recent writing credits include The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Transitions Abroad. He lives with his wife in Guanajuato, Mexico. His new book Mexican Living: Blogging it from a Third World Country can be seen at http://www.lulu.com/content/126241
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open template $TEMPLATEfilename, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
The Economic Giant-- A Closer Look at China IT'S NO LONGER NEWS THAT CHINA IS BECOMING A MAJOR player on the world economic scene. Yet, as we've noted in past editions, investing in China is fraught with uncertainty, due to a still un-free political situation, and insecure property rights. Bush Panders America's Kids to Saudi Pederasts President Bush and Secretary Powell should hang their heads in shame. The administration professes to value America's childrenand touts the phrase "No Child Left Behind. How to Tell When Government Regulators are Shopping You In this day and age of tattletale, whistleblower heroes and homosexual bureaucrats with an axe to grind, we often find government regulators calling up business people to try to entrap them. As a matter of fact one worthless agency called the FTC - Federal Trade Commission will often call up Biz Op companies and attempt to get them to say something they shouldn't. NASA Budget Space Shuttle Thoughts Regarding the issues with the Space Shuttle and the in flight explosion of the Columbia. I believe that of course that hindsight is always easy to use to place blame, however we must continue the program and the Space Shuttle as it sits may not be the best technology as newer technology is now available for re-useable craft such as;http://www. Are We Serious About Fuel Alternatives? As you can see from some of our previous articles, government agencies predict about 40 years of petroleum still remains. As usage climbs, the amount of time remaining may shrink even more. Continuing Change in the Offshore World The offshore financial centres have been forced in recent years to review almost every aspect of the ways in which they operate in response to the international anti- money laundering laws and initiatives by major economies such as the E.U. A Journey Through History History repeats itself, goes the cliche. It does so, perhaps, for the human beings to have more than one chance of learning a lesson if they have missed out on the first opportunity. Iranian Elections and Boiling Points The Iranian elections are certainly interesting indeed. The ruling party is doing their utmost to block satellite TV downloads which might not be positive to their rulers. Banana Republic - United Kingdom The recent scathing remarks by High Court Judge Richard Mawrey over the disgraceful actions of the six Labour councillors from Birmingham is something the city could well do without. The Judge went as far as to say that the recent electoral fraud would disgrace even a banana republic. Canada Tries to Stop Flow of Drugs into the US As more and more cities and states set up websites and pass measures to allow for importing price controlled Canadian drugs into the US to control the rising cost of healthcare, Canada is starting to take notice on the impact of such practices on it's government run healthcare system. Canada doesn't like what it sees, and for good reason. Fear, Controversy and Chaos in the Media Most modern day media stories containing fear, controversy and chaos is really all contrived Bull, but it is interesting how well it works to control the masses and motivate people to do things. Those in power like to use fear, as it helps me solve problems and helps them maintain their positions. Lack of Peace, Reaching Critical Mass You have in front of you two buttons, one is green the other is black. The green button represents peace and love, the black button represents war and hate and you were put in charge of choosing what the rest of humanity will experience on earth. Is Reinstating The Draft Such a Bad Idea? In his bid for the presidency, John Kerry pronounced a "secret plan" to reinstate selective service. The fact that New York Democrat and fellow leftist Charles Rangel had proposed this plan wasn't mentioned, so Kerry's allegation created hysteria within the blue states. The Fabric of Economic Trust Economy is called the dismal science because it pretends to be one, disguising its uncertainties and shifting fashions with mathematical formulae. Economy describes the aggregate behaviour of humans and, in this restricted sense, it is a branch of psychology. Counter Intelligence: Accurate Words to Describe Our Dealings with Islamic Terrorists! Introduction:Although politicians and so-called "Intelligence Experts" are the ones appearing on TV, discussing and relaying the news on the War or Terror, they are far from the ones who actually have anything to do with the war on terror. As in the past so it is today, the real planning in the war on terror goes on in covert ops-rooms by the real "Spooks" from the three letter agencies: CIA, MIA, ISI, MI-5, MI-6, GRU and the FSB, just to name a few of the major players. Recycling The Mentally Ill 30 years ago, California, later followed by other states, decided to virtually close down the State Mental Hospitals.There had been multiple exposures of abuse throughout the Nation's systems such as over-medicated individuals kept on back wards for years without clinical justification. End Of History? Not Quite A visitor to Moscow would be immediately struck by the fact that an otherwise dull Kremlin now seduces one to break the sound barrier in a mike, rediscover one self on a Compaq or simply feel Warner in a Pringles. If this is not enough then there is always Chairman Mao in Tiananmen Square calling upon workers and peasants to not only carry forward the revolution but also gulp down a Sprite, while they are at it. Fuel Prices and Trucking; A Reality Check On What Drives America It appears we are having a terrible situation with the diesel fuel prices in the US. It is affecting everything, since everything we buy is shipped by train or truck and most of the times both. Common Sense vs. Common Senseless - How Thomas Paine Can Be Applied To Modern Day; Part Two The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. Many circumstances have, and will arise, which are not local, but universal, and through which the principles of all Lovers of Mankind are affected, and in the Event of which, their Affections are interested. How to Deal with Poverty A SOLUTION FOR EMPLOYMENT PROBLEMS TO AID IN THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTYI know that with globalization the future looks brighter and brighter for many people: But will many people also be left behind in this expanding economy? I know that with technology expanding as it is, many of the jobs that required more human effort are disappearing while other types of jobs that involve more technical expertise are being created. Now do the jobs created by this expanding technology compensate for the loss of jobs in the non-tech sector, considering also the expanding population around the world? Two problems arise. |
home | site map | contact us |