For the second week in a row the city of Costa mesa has been the center of America’s debate over how much power should be given to police in order to enforce immigration policies.
Costa Mesa grabbed the attention of both sides of the debate last week by voting to give police the right to search for legal status while on the same night also arresting in a violently disturbing and possibly fashion an immigration rights activist at city hall during his public comments.
The incident grabbed headlines and even the attention of CNN when a video tape of the incident surfaced and showed contradictions in the early news reports about the confrontation.
The video ironically found on Anti-Immigration websites last week helped the Mexican-American community gain public sympathy and members of the Tonantzin Collective which is the group actively opposing the Costa Mesa City Council say also shows the illegality of the arrest made on young activist Coyotl Tezcalipoca.
Tonantzin Collective also cited the video as a reason why the recent law passed by Costa Mesa, which gives the police the right to begin the enforcement of deportations, should be repealed.
“It is very scary to see how the government is treating part of the Costa Mesa community so unfairly” says Tonantzin Collective member Cristina Burton who witnessed the arrest at last weeks City Council meeting.
“It was very scary to watch. I felt powerless and afraid at the same time because it felt that the politicians are taking advantage of their power” continued Burton.
“I have never seen anyone forcibly removed from a city council meeting the way (Coyotly Tezcalipoca) was” said Duane Roberts who is a prominent community activist, Tonantzin Collective member and someone who often works as a line of communication between city officials and immigration rights groups.
Before the Meeting Roberts took part in a press conference publicly declaring his intention to hand deliver to Kimberly Barlow, the City Attorney of Costa Mesa, a request to officially investigate whether Mansoor violated City Ordnances causeing the disturbance of free speech that Mansoor originally had Tezcalipoca arrested for.
If the City Attorney decides to criminally prosecute Mansoor for the alleged violation, Mansoor could face a maximum $1,000 fine, six months imprisonment within the Orange County jail, or both.
Mayor Mansoor though insisted in his opening comments that it was not he, but Tezcatlipoca who caused the uproar and is responsible for all that happened to him including the injuries to his hand and arm.
“I don’t believe a word Mansoor says” responded Roberts who challenged anyone to who watched the tape to come to a different conclusion. (The tape is available on LAindymedia.com)
Also attending the press conference and the city council meeting were many members and supporters of the Minute Men Project (which last year become famous by patrolling American boarders armed with guns) A group that Fox News recently has reported that is gaining in popularity.
The minute men are often accused of racism by organizations as prominent as LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) and are accused of violent and even murderess actions during their patrolling of the boarders (even right wing republicans have distanced themselves from the Minute Men including president Bush)
But the Minute Men rejected these claims on Tuesday night and insisted this is not about race but instead the issue is security of the country.
“The charge of racism is just a smokescreen” said one Minuteman.
“This has nothing to do with race, I care about Hispanics and all Americans” said Jeff Schwilk outside the City Hall.
“This is not a racial issue” said Minute Man Keith Harding who many called an Uncle Tom because of his being An African-American and yet supporting the Costa Mesa anti-illegal immigrant measures.
“I’m An African-American, but an American first” chimed back Harding at his dissenters. “The government has every right to design its laws on how to become a citizen of the country”
Harding and other African-American minutemen claimed that people brought up their race only to stir up the emotions of supporters and not because it has a place in the debate.
But those protesting the city council, doubted Minute Men claims that this was only about security.
The decision by Costa Mesa’s city council and those that support it “is about changing the demographics of Costa Mesa which is right now heavily Mexican, says Jisselle suazo a member of the Tonantzin Collective.

The so-called "Uncle Tom" had been extremely rude prior to the meeting. He stood in front of council chambers, jumping around, yelling incoherently and VERY loudly. He tried to provoke protesters by hurling vicious racial slurs at them and disrupting speakers by speaking over them, again, very loudly and obnoxiously. I had never met such a caustic individual until I encountered that man. If anyone did call him an "Uncle Tom," perhaps one should first examine his behavior and why others felt provoked to direct such a comment toward him.

**If one of the protesters had engaged in such behavior, there would have been another arrest. He was only protected by the fact that he stood with the 1Minutemen. **

Is good for the gander. All you guys have to do to find a racist is look in a mirror.

If "Uncle Tom" was such a huge problem why is there no mention of it in the article above? It isn't mentioned because it never happened, which makes you a bald face liar.

It's you, "Street Soldier ", who are the racist.

the man who was yelling about being an uncle Tom did happen. In every article you pick and choose what is most important and what you feel is most honest. I had a feeling that the man yelling was doing so because he wanted to disrupt the press conference. I think this because I asked him later and he said he was not offended by the name, if he wasn't offended why did he yell for over ten minutes, and he himself partook in racist slogans.
It was included in the article because it raises a more important question for us who are anti-racist. Why do we call aperson an uncle tom and force him to defend his stance based only on race. Is not calling him an uncle Tom also racist...does he not have the right to disagree with us?

I'm not scared to be called a racist or to defend my people when they are being attacked. I'm not afraid to confront an attacker, regardless of the color of her/his skin. No group is untouchable, despite all the guilt we are conditioned to carry around, in my case, about atrocities my ancestors never even committed.

It is obvious that something more is going on when non-white people have joined a hate-group, like SOS or the 1Minutemen. The Mexicans, Africans, Japanese, and Filipinos that hang around SOS have finally realized a goal that they couldn't attain previously, which is to be accepted by white people. Even if it requires them to sink to such a low level as to associate with SOS, at least they have finally "arrived." They have finally attained "acceptance" by white people, which they had always craved, but it eluded them in the past. Thus, they will resort to calling people wetbacks, yelling, screaming, being disruptive, and doing whatever it takes to remain in the "good graces" of white folks. Its a shame.

One thing the racist groups are exploiting is division between two ethnic groups that are lowest in the U.S. social stratum. For example, although most of that man's ranting was unintelligible, I did hear him complain about Mexicans taking jobs from Black folks. I suppose it IS much easier to spew racial slurs, and blame a Mexican for unemployment instead of rich white corporate leaders who export thousands of jobs overseas each year. Again, though, it goes back to having such reverence for white people.

I'm not saying one should not respect white people, or all people for that matter. But, to disrespect one group of people to please another is just despicable.

On a lighter note, I'm not bald. I have a full head of long hair, so shame on you for suggesting otherwise Scrapio.

I was standing next to Minuteman Marvin, when a Hispanic, called him an "Uncle Tom". We were next to the press conference that was about to start. Coyotl, was about to speak, and this ass comes up to his face and calls Marvin, and "Uncle Tom".

It was a provoked racial attack, from a MEXICAN towards a Black American.

I know the perp on sight, he won't give his name, but I'll have his picture, in a few days. I'll post it and we can discuss this fool, at length. I'd advise the Tonantzin Collective, to not have anything to do with him.

What the fool did not know, is that Marvin is a preacher, and preach he did, and LOUDLY he preached, about the history of Uncle Tom.

Minuteman Marvin BRAVO!

BR

Are class men. Shame on you

Minutemen a hate group? Minutemen are for the upholding of the law. How is that hate?

You call Minutemen a hate group. Where is your evidence?

The Minutemen actively recruit from diverse groups.

Hatred is found among those attacking the Minutemen.

I have met the Minutemen under discussion here. They are awesome, smart, fun - and also happen to be gentlemen!

Marvin and Keith - you are MM heroes!

What's funny is how the anti-immigrant side is carefully cataloging each incident of racial insult that comes from their opponents, while, at the same time, they freely issue racially charged insults on this and the SOS site.

Somebody who screams LOUDLY and refused to stop when asked by reporters, bystanders, and protesters is considered a person with "class?" I call that cowardly, not brave. It does not take any courage to scream at the top of your lungs. Toddlers do it all the time. The man's behavior could be likened to that of a toddler. He couldn't stand that the "other side" was being heard, couldn't stand that someone insulted him, couldn't take the heat that comes along with taking a stand. So, he had a temper tantrum. If I was religious, I would pray for the reverend.

Anyhow, I'm not going to respond anymore. Its not because I "know" the opposition is "right," or because I am inarticulate and can't post a reasonable argument. However, my fight is on the streets, hence the handle. Al rato.

I have gotten to know some of the SOS members, some of whom also participate in the MM project. I have yet to meet a "racist" as this site continues to claim. What I have met are honest, concerned Americans of all races who want an end to the madness that is open borders. Repeated accusations of racism by Mexican hate groups is nothing more than a front for their own anti-White racism. You are ultimately going to fail. All you have is propaganda - the American side has the facts and the law.

while standing next to a press conference, for a member of the group, from which the racial slur came from, will take full-advantage of the cameras, and interrupt the press conference as best they can.

BRAVO! Marvin, you did great!

Do you SOSers even know what the term means? It's more of a political slur than a racial one, though, it's not cool to call someone of another group a "Tom" unless they obviously are.

Street Soldier's comments merit re-reading. The slur isn't about the person, but the relationship the person takes with regard to white people, or the people with power (who aren't always "white").

I found an excellent article (linked from Wikipedia) about the Tom stereotype as it appeared in print, film and on stage. It's food for thought.

They refer to the politics of the group, as well as the individuals in it.

Also, just because someone is nice doesn't mean they're not racist, or support racist public policy. I've met some people who were, and I assume still are, nice people, who were racists. People are like that: they are nice to people, but, have some pretty negative ideas about groups of people, including the groups to which their friends or acquaintances belong.

That kind of thinking can become politicized, and turned into racist public policy.

On the SOS boards, there was some person who was the white guy in a mostly Mexcian family. This dude obviously has no problem living with Mexicans. At the same time, nobody in his family supports his SOS work. This dude, though, he just doesn't see the connection between the law and potential impact on his life. It's all abstract, or something.

Check out 415 (3) of the penal code regarding words likely to cause a violent reaction (ie: uncle tom to an African American).

By limiting your comments to central Americans seeling drugs and commiting crimes you reveal the type of mantality that is racist. By not seeing Mexicans and central Americans as you see your own self, your own family you revel why the costa mesa law must be repealed.
There is one more problum...you consider the united states as America...this is not the case. America stretches from canady to the tip of south America. Agaign without knowing this reveals a cultural ignorence that is explained simply as racism.

You could at least have posted a link:

415. Any of the following persons shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than 90 days, a fine of not more than four hundred dollars ($400), or both such imprisonment and fine:
(1) Any person who unlawfully fights in a public place or
challenges another person in a public place to fight.
(2) Any person who maliciously and willfully disturbs another person by loud and unreasonable noise.
(3) Any person who uses offensive words in a public place which are inherently likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction.

------------------
Street Soldier said that this person was heckling the activists first. Would number 2 apply?

Also, I don't think "uncle tom" is anywhere near as offensive as a real racial slur. I've been called a "banana" by some Asians. It's an insult, but, it's not something people get in a fight over; it's not as bad as "j-p", "n-p", "ch--k", or "chino". ("chino" is a toughie, too, because it's a borrowed word, and context makes all the difference.)

I thought it was offensive because it is essentually calling him un-black because of his beleifs. I was disturbed by how many African-Americans had been co-opted by the minutemen, but I respect them as people and I don't challange them based on race.
But lets remeber the real reason for this protest. And that was the arrest of an activist, the violent abuse he suffered by the police and the the fact that the only real reason he suffeed this was because he strongly disagreed with the goverment.
Also lets remeber that we will begin to see the police deporting people and tearing apart families soon if the law does not get repealed.

Border Raven wrote on Friday, Jan. 20, 2006 at 3:15 AM:

> while standing next to a press conference,
> for a member of the group, from which the
> racial slur came from, will take full-advantage
> of the cameras, and interrupt the press
> conference as best they can.
>
> BRAVO! Marvin, you did great!

I'm somewhat amused that your'e applauding Marvin because he made your groups look very bad in front of about a dozen reporters. He pissed some of them off. A couple of reporters came up to myself and others asking us who that "idiot" was. I said he most likely was affiliated with the Minutemen/Save Our State organizations, but wasn't absolutely certain. Don't blame me if these reporters give you folks incredibly bad and slanted press coverage in the future. You're the ones who shot yourself in the foot, not me.

Sincerely,

Duane J. Roberts
duaneroberts92804@yahoo.com

is the racist, who called Marvin an "Uncle Tom". prompting Marvin to defend himself, while little naui cowered to the other side of the crowd, and tried to shrink into his shoes.

* an artificial name.

* artificial name

It was wrong to call Marvin an "Uncle Tom" and Naui should apologize. But that doesn't justify Marvin's childish and fascist attempt to violate the First Amendment rights of others. Naui wasn't one of the people speaking at the press conference anyway, so why violate their rights? I wanted to speak with Marvin, but since he made it difficult with his fascist tactics of disruption to hear the press conference, why should I have given his views an ear either? Also, it's totally laughable how the Minutemen pretend to respect the rights of Afro-Americans and regrettable and sad how some Afro-Americans trust them. It's the oldest worker busting and union busting trick on earth: divide by ethnicity and conquer. Same racist thing happened when white union workers rejected migrating Afro-Americans as a threat to their jobs and kept them out of the unions. Who did that serve? Only their mutual coprorate would be masters. Unfortunately, knowingly or not, Preacher Marvin preaches hate and racism, just like the Minuteman Project--that a former staffer confirms knowingly allowed white supremacists to work on Jim Gilchrist's campaign, just as American Patrol regularly prints the Nazi propaganda of Mavin H. Millard (Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor's political commrade).

JE www.ocorganizer.com

If you're refering to me as the former staffer, the two from Stormfront are self described white nationalists. And they have participated with demonstrating with the Nazis in Laguna Beach and other locations while SOS was there. No question about their nature.

Deborah-Kortney told Debbie(former SOS member) and I that Eldon, the grassroots manager for Gilchrist, let four of them in, including the two mentioned. And did this knowing they were white nationalists.

I complained, tried to get answers, and tried to help them keep those types out, assuming they wanted to. Debbie also went in and yelled at someone. But I was kicked out. I went back and was asked to leave by Eldon or the police would be called.

Debbie decided to stick by Gilchrist and still supports him. Even after defending me. Even demonstrates with Don Silva and others from SOS, after all the stuff she told me about SOS and the Nazis. The stuff she told me on September 24th, after the Laguna rally, later in the day at Gilchrist headquarters.

Could be a case of comfort zone. I don't need a comfort zone. I'd rather have truth and honesty.

"I complained, tried to get answers, and tried to help them keep those types out, assuming they wanted to. Debbie also went in and yelled at someone. But I was kicked out. I went back and was asked to leave by Eldon or the police would be called."

All this didn't happen in one day. Me complaining, trying to get answers, and trying to inform them of what Debbie and I know(we knew the local faces, especially her) happened over a span of a number of days. Debbie going in to yell at someone, I think Steve Eichler as I recall, was on a certain day and I don't recall when exactly I heard about that. I was kicked out when Mary Lewis called me by phone. On a later day I went back anyways and Debbie was in the room doing the same I was: trying to get answers and take action. And Eldon asked me to leave or he'll call the police.

I planned to go public on Mary and Eldon after the election. I gave Gilchrist a chance to public reject white supremacy. That didn't happen. I decide to state what I've seen and what I know without coming to any premature conclusions. But I know what I saw and experienced. More people know more than I do. And I stick to that decision to this day.

As for mayor Mansoor, getting back on topic, he's a fool for interacting with the CCIR like he did at the last CCIR meeting. He should be embarrassed, as should Jim Gilchrist. If I was still going to CCIR meetings as a supporting member, I should be embarrassed too. I'm a little embarrassed I used to attend, but that's done with. Bye bye.

John,

First Amendment rights are equal rights, at least I hope, they are.

Naui pushed a button, on the wrong person, in the wrong way, at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and he got a whole heap of reaction. BTW -- You may see Naui cowering against a pole, to Duane's left, in the video of that press conference.

"Childish"? No John, a child would have beat the F**k out of Naui, but maybe a man should.

"Fascist"? Not applicable, as it relates to a form of government. Why do people try to interject Fascism and politics into this? Could it be a last defense, as they are losing the argument?

Marvin, was standing up as a man, to a boy, who seriously needs an ass whooping.

If you want to speak to a person, it may be best to wait for the veins in the neck to stop swelling, and their blood pressure to drop to normal. Understandably, Marvin was angry at the moment, you were attempting to quell his First Amendment rights.

I'm sure you will find Marvin in a better mood, later.

Trust is earned. Trust is a gift. Trust is faith. The Minutemen stand against the invasion, from South of the Border, that is attempting to "divide by ethnicity and conquer" and colonize the USA. Anyone of any race, religion or ethnicity, etc., can of their own volition, choose to stand on either side of the issue, which ever, most favors their survival.

BR

Border Raven

*real name

Marvin IS an Uncle Tom and no one owes the cowering punk an apology for a moment.

An Uncle Tom is widely understood as a person of African descent who serves the interests of and scrapes and bows before the white master.

Ted Hayes is another Uncle Tom.

So is Larry what's his name, the radio talk show host.

You SOS and minuteklan people attract nothing but people of color who are Uncle Toms or Tio Tacos.

That goes for Lupe Moreno, Rat Herrera, right on down the line.

Why cant an African American or Hispanic American have a conservative view?

Why is it when this happens those who say they are liberal start calling names? Why cant there be a discussion about the topics in an adult and rational manner?

Just because one side doesnt agree with the other it doesnt make them a Nazi or an Uncle Tom.

Those that throw those terms around so freely certainly have no understanding of history and most certainly have not had any kind of discussion in which to make an informed decission about the other persons motives.

BTW, has any person been changed by one group calling the other group vile names. Has anyone in one camps stopped and said, gee I guess I am wrong. I doubt it.

There are children living on the street but energy is wasted standing on one corner while another group stands on another and calls each other names until on or two step out and cause violence. Then no one wins and we all lose.

Dont get me wrong, there is a time and place to protest but so much, so often? We could be feeding hungry women in a park or using our energy in a homeless shelter or teaching a child in an afternoon program.

Oh...the "guy on the radio" is Larry Elder

Odds are, most people here won't care, but, there are some differences between a "tom" and a conservative person of color.

Tony Brown (of the PBS show), Louis Farrakhan, and Colin Powell are black conservatives, in different ways. The first and last might get accused of tomming, but I don't think either would ever deny the centrality of racism to American politics.

I'd say Ward Connerly is a tom. He actively works to eliminate race as a factor in different things (college, medical research) and basically acts as if racism doesn't exist.

Just consider onto which horse each conservative has hitched his ideology.

Brown hitched it to capitalism and the market.
Farrakhan hitched it to Black Nationalism and Islam.
Powell hitched it to the idea of the multicultural American military.
Connerly hitched it to the opinion of white people and their daydreams of a colorblind society.

All of those I mentioned, with the exception of Larry Elder, are in the Ward Connerly mode - each of them in the hip pocket of the racist Minutemen and SOS forces or in alignment with them.

Our people are facing the very real possibility of being _felonized_, of being marked as Amerikkka's version of the Jewish people of Germany.

We may be facing mass roundups and pogroms, Zoot Suit Riot style and worse, in the not too distant future.

We may be facing internment camps, like those in which Japanese-Americans were placed, in the not too distant future.

If the Sensenbrenner bill passes, that will be reality.

Soon.

Then name calling will be the least of it.

LOL !!

...."...our people are being felonized...."..

lol !!!!!
thats sweet, i really dig that one !
who's people??

sure as hell not mine !!!

wait a minnit .......I think he must mean MEXICANS....
and NOT ALL mexicans,
he must be pooping in his pants
just over the ILLEGAL ones.

he must see the end of his LIES
he must be seeing the end of his EXPLOTATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.

How grand that sight must be, that this evil colonialist
can see his own demise.
the spirits of the dead INDIANS sing a song of
REJOICING to see our enemies, the enemies of the PEOPLE, fall in a tangled heap of their own making,
the big lie of the "mexica. aztlan. etc. etc, etc...
the BIG LIE, the never was , the never will be...

all their bad noise was based on lies
.....
America Forever, Mexico never

REAL EYES
REALIZE
REAL LIES

AHO, All my realations !!!