| Just like a bad penny that always seems to | | | | * First, a "dyed-in-the-wool" |
| show up, guess who is back in the limelight | | | | Minuteman-apparently one with a great deal of |
| soaking up the press that was diverted to | | | | integrity-resigns over racism in the group |
| more serious world-issues like hurricanes and | | | | and its unwillingness to excise "the cancer |
| wars: The Minuteman Project.[1] | | | | out of the (Goliad area) group". |
| | | | |
| So, let's have a look-see, shall we, at what | | | | * Second, two months later, the guy who took |
| antics and hijinks they've been up to since | | | | Parmley's place, Kenneth Buelter, dissolves |
| we last spoke: | | | | the same Goliad chapter without so much as a |
| | | | "by your leave". |
| * July 2005: Former Texas and Goliad chapter | | | | |
| president Bill Parmley, one of the group's | | | | * Instead of an outside group, someone |
| original organizers, said in a July interview | | | | neutral and unbiased-without an anti-Mexican |
| that the group would conduct observation | | | | axe to grind-investigating this Parmely's |
| activities mostly on private land along a | | | | allegation of racism, Garza proclaims the |
| line stretching from Port Lavaca, through | | | | allegation as groundless. |
| Victoria, on to Goliad, then following U.S. | | | | |
| Highway 59 to a point near Laredo. Parmley | | | | What you didn't see in the mainstream Fair |
| resigned abruptly in late July alleging | | | | and Balanced news coverage (besides |
| racism in the local chapter and a lack of | | | | everything I've written above) is that there |
| organization on the national level. In | | | | is more to Bill Parmley´s resignation. |
| subsequent interviews, Parmley stated the | | | | There is more than meets the eye here, like |
| racism must run through to the national | | | | most everything with The Minuteman Project. |
| chapter since it had failed to take action | | | | |
| against the Goliad group. "I have seen how | | | | "Bill Parmley, former coordinator for Texas, |
| they have not tried to carve the cancer out | | | | quit after alleging Simcox[5] botched the |
| of the (Goliad area) group. I can only assume | | | | organization's financing. He also warned that |
| that (racism) is a part of their agenda," | | | | some members of his Goliad, Texas, chapter, |
| Parmley said previously.[2] | | | | which recently was shut down, were "racists" |
| | | | and "wanted to go after Mexicans as a whole," |
| * September 12, 2005: "The Goliad chapter of | | | | not simply report undocumented immigrants to |
| the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps was | | | | the U.S. Border Patrol." |
| dissolved today," reported Goliad chapter | | | | |
| president Kenneth Buelter in a brief e-mail | | | | Note that phrase, "wanted to go after |
| sent to the Victoria Advocate on Monday | | | | Mexicans as a whole". I warned of this |
| evening. There was no additional explanation | | | | neo-populism in my columns months ago: |
| in Buelter's e-mail.[3] | | | | |
| | | | "J.C. Hernandez, a third-generation Texan, is |
| * Minuteman Civil Defense Corps of Texas | | | | the founder and president of Americans for |
| president Al Garza quickly jumped into the | | | | Zero Immigration. Hernandez was working with |
| spin game: ""(The e-mail) really doesn't | | | | Minutemen organizers in Texas and said he |
| spotlight anything in particular," Garza | | | | expected to play a leading role in the |
| said. The e-mail simply said things weren't | | | | upcoming patrol. He also wants the right, he |
| working out, he added. As to Bill Parmley's | | | | said, to make a citizen's arrest of suspected |
| sudden resignation and accusations of racism | | | | illegal immigrants. "When you fight a war you |
| in the group, Garza, who worked for more than | | | | don't fight it with rhetoric," Hernandez |
| 30 years as a private investigator, said he | | | | said. "When you fight a war, man, you go in |
| looked into the allegations and found them | | | | and kill the enemy.... A signal has to be |
| groundless. "It was merely a misunderstanding | | | | sent to Mexico and all those countries that |
| and misinformation," Garza said, referring to | | | | we are tired of it and we're not going to put |
| the charges of racism."[4] | | | | up with it."[6] |
| | | | |
| Now isn't that rich? Do you think that Garza | | | | The Houston Chronicle reported: |
| has a wee bit of a bias in this "internal | | | | |
| investigation" of his? And do you really | | | | "Parmley said he has become concerned that |
| think that the appeal to the authority, "who | | | | some of the Minuteman activists in his region |
| worked for more than 30 years as a private | | | | have a vendetta against the Goliad County |
| investigator", constitutes proof for the | | | | sheriff, who is Hispanic. He asserted they |
| claim that Parmely´s allegations was | | | | also have made comments about shooting |
| groundless? | | | | illegal immigrants or letting them die from |
| | | | dehydration. That's their mind-set, and I |
| It strikes me, how shall I say this nicely, | | | | don't want my name and my reputation |
| suspicious the chain of events here. Let's | | | | associated with a group of people who are |
| take another look: | | | | racist like that," he said. |
| | | | |