Who is Jim Gilchrist, Minuteman founder?

Commentary by John Earl

Orange County Organizer www.ocorganizer.com

Minuteman cofounder Jim Gilchrist is running for Congress in Orange County’s 48th District on the American Independent Party ticket as a “Reagan Republican rock-ribbed conservative” who believes that he may have been chosen by God to protect our boarders from the “invasion” and the “Reconquista” of America by “illegal aliens,” primarily Mexicans, who kill our children and endanger the American way of life.

He has been endorsed by some of the most right-wing individuals and organizations around, including former Orange County congressman Bob Dornan and the California Coalition for Immigration Reform. led by Barbara Coe as well as Alan Keyes. But JC may not be quite as fascist at heart as his die-hard supporters think. They might want to know why he recently admitted to voting for Green Party candidate Peter Camejo for governor (2002, because he liked Camejo’s tax the rich plan), advocated “redistribution of the wealth” through “bloodless revolution” and said that he really wasn’t sure he wanted to deport (he uses the word “repatriate”) illegal aliens (other than criminals) and supports a “hybrid amnesty.”

They might also be concerned with his erratic behavior, consisting of strange and unsubstantiated allegations that the Green Party, spearheaded by Orange County activist Duane Roberts, is a terrorist group that attempted to suppress his free speech rights and murder an 80-year-old woman in Garden Grove on May 25th.

When asked to explain the contradiction between his more privately held progressive views and his public rants that appeal to his supporters by scapegoating immigrants, catering to their vile racism and presenting himself as a “rock-ribbed Reagan Republican” (even though he’s running as the American Independent Party candidate and his supporters believe that most Republicans are “traitors”) Gilchrist becomes unglued, face flushed with anger almost to the point of tears, and rants about Greens as terrorists and would-be murderers.

Gilchrist campaign manager Howie Morgan recently promised that his candidate would provide answers to his political contradictions but none have been forthcoming despite repeated attempts by this journalist. When approached on September 30 and asked to substantiate his allegations of attempted murder, Gilchrist had to be restrained and escorted out the door by a huge campaign aide, again without giving answers.

Perhaps at the upcoming debate with John Campbell in Laguna Woods he can be persuaded to explain to supporters and detractors alike who he really is. So far, in this journalist’s view, Gilchrist comes off as a morally conflicted hypocrite and opportunist who can’t deal with his own deep seated racism (much less the more blatant racism of various key supporters—more on that soon), not to mention the real cause of our immigration disputes: US corporate imperialism in Mexico.

That’s not saying much for his 16 opponents, most of whom either try to coat-tail on Gilchrist’s thinly disguised fascist anti-immigrant rhetoric or choose to ignore it.

The debate is to be held at the Ayres Hotel in Laguna Woods, at 24341 El Toro Rd. from 5-6pm and will be broadcast live by KFI’s John and Ken, who will be present along with other right-wing icons, including Assemblyman Ray Haynes, author of the State Border police ballot measure now circulating, which would create a police state under the Terminator’s dictatorial control to seek out and deport undocumented immigrants wherever they may be (more on that soon, too).

To hear Cilchrist and his supporters in their own crazy words, go to http://ocorganizer.com/html/jim_gilchrist_minuteman_.html.