{"article":{"id":147850,"heading":"The Arizona Minuteman comes to Costa Mesa","author":"Duane J. Roberts","created":"2006-02-21 09:02:28","modified":"2006-02-25 04:45:45","last_modified":"Sat, 25 Feb 2006 11:45:45","article":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>Monday, February 20, 2006 <br><br> CHRIS SIMCOX FEATURED SPEAKER AT JOHN BIRCH <br>  <br> SOCIETY COUNCIL GATHERING <br><br> The Arizona Minuteman comes to Costa Mesa <br>  <br> seeking new recruits for April border patrol <br><br> By DUANE J. ROBERTS <br>  <br> <a href=\"mailto:duaneroberts92804@yahoo.com\">duaneroberts92804@yahoo.com<\/a> <br><br> COSTA MESA, CA -- Chris Simcox, founder of <br>  <br> \"Civil Homeland Defense,\" a border vigilante <br>  <br> group that brought together several ranchers <br>  <br> and retired military personnel in Cochise <br>  <br> County, Arizona to carry out numerous armed <br>  <br> patrols along the U.S.\/Mexico border, was a <br>  <br> featured speaker at a recent John Birch Society <br>  <br> Council meeting, which took place last Saturday <br>  <br> afternoon at the Hilton Hotel in the City of <br>  <br> Costa Mesa. <br><br> Simcox, 44, is a former kindergarten <br>  <br> teacher from Los Angeles who moved to Arizona <br>  <br> in 2002 shortly after he claims to have <br>  <br> seen \"lines and lines of people\" crossing the <br>  <br> border while on a backpacking expedition in that <br>  <br> state. After a brief stint as a gun-fighter <br>  <br> actor, Simcox bought The Tombstone Tumbleweed, <br>  <br> a weekly newspaper he's used as a bully pulpit <br>  <br> to rally against \"illegal immigration\" and <br>  <br> advocate for tougher \"border security\" <br>  <br> measures. <br><br> During Simcox's speech before the all-white, <br>  <br> middle-aged crowd of roughly sixty John Birch <br>  <br> Society members, he claimed that \"Civil <br>  <br> Homeland Defense\" has helped U.S. border patrol  <br>  <br> agents apprehend more than 6,000 people <br>  <br> attempting to enter the United States from <br>  <br> Mexico. Simcox says that on some his patrols, <br>  <br> he's encountered people from \"Poland, Russia, <br>  <br> China, Korea,\" \"twenty five Haitian immigrants,\" <br>  <br> and \"two couples from Switzerland\" who <br>  <br> paid $15,000 to a \"coyote\" that promised to <br>  <br> smuggle them in. <br><br> \"The slave trade is alive and well in the USA,\" <br>  <br> Simcox commented, alleging to have witnessed <br>  <br> firsthand \"lines of people\" by the \"hundreds\" <br>  <br> crossing into Arizona under the cover of darkness <br>  <br> with the assistance of \"coyotes.\" Simcox also said <br>  <br> he's videotaped the Mexican military making repeated <br>  <br> \"incursions\" onto U.S. territory. He alleged that <br>  <br> most of these soldiers were on the payroll of \"drug <br>  <br> dealers.\" <br><br> Since starting \"Civil Homeland Defense\" back in <br>  <br> 2003, Simcox told the crowd that \"just about every <br>  <br>  wacko in the world\" has called him, including <br>  <br> people wanting to \"hunt Mexicans,\" and \"two <br>  <br> gay priests\" from Northern California who offered <br>  <br> to perform an \"exorcism\" with members of his <br>  <br> group along the U.S.\/Mexico border to \"cleanse\" <br>  <br> the area of all the \"evil\" it contained.  <br><br> Simcox talked about his association with Jim <br>  <br> Gilchrist, the retired CPA from Aliso Viejo, <br>  <br> California who founded what is now known as <br>  <br> the \"Minuteman Project.\" Simcox said he got a <br>  <br> call one day from Gilchrist who spoke to him  <br>  <br> at length about the idea of establishing a <br>  <br> \"civilian border watch,\" with people equipped <br>  <br> with cellphones and binoculars. That motivated <br>  <br> him to invite Gilchrist out to Arizona to give him a <br>  <br> personal tour of the border area and hear out <br>  <br> all the details of his proposal. <br><br> His budding friendship with Gilchrist, Simcox <br>  <br> said, eventually led to both of them to conduct <br>  <br> a joint operation last year where \"350 <br>  <br> people,\" including senior citizens, sat in <br>  <br> everything from \"lawnchairs\" to \"wheelchairs,\" <br>  <br> staking out positions along the U.S.\/Mexico <br>  <br> border to watch for border crossers. \"We shut <br>  <br> down a twenty three mile section of the <br>  <br> border,\" he boasted. <br><br> Blasting President George W. Bush for being <br>  <br> weak on \"homeland security,\" Simcox demanded <br>  <br> that National Guard and U.S. military troops <br>  <br> be placed in \"civic observation posts\" all along <br>  <br> the U.S.\/Mexico border. \"I don't care if it <br>  <br> offends the government of Mexico or the people <br>  <br> of Mexico,\" Simcox told the approving crowd. <br>  <br> \"I don't care about the treaty of Guadalupe <br>  <br> Hidalgo! Your country got beat! Our army got <br>  <br> what it wanted! And that's history! You follow <br>  <br> by our rules now!\" <br><br> Simcox urged people in the room to contact <br>  <br> all of their elected representatives and tell <br>  <br> them to oppose any \"guest worker\" or <br>  <br> amnesty bills going through the U.S. <br>  <br> Congress, saying they only benefit the <br>  <br> interests of big corporations.  <br><br> In closing remarks, Simcox said beginning <br>  <br> in April, thousands of volunteers from Texas, <br>  <br> New Mexico, Arizona, California, and elsewhere <br>  <br> will once again be heading to the U.S.\/Mexico <br>  <br> border to man observation posts or actively patrol <br>  <br> an 800 mile stretch of land. The \"Minuteman <br>  <br> Civil Defense Corps.,\" a new group that was <br>  <br> founded by Simcox last year, is \"6,600 members <br>  <br> strong\" and is rapidly growing, he claimed.  <br>  <br> He urged everybody in attendance to sign up. <br>  <br> \"In the spirit of civil defense, please join,\" were his <br>  <br> last words. <br><br> After the crowd gave Simcox a standing ovation, <br>  <br> Arthur Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of <br>  <br> the John Birch Society, and a member of its <br>  <br> \"inner council\" profusely thanked him for <br>  <br> all the work he has done in \"protecting <br>  <br> our borders.\" Thompson then handed <br>  <br> him a special gift: a miniature metal replica <br>  <br> of an American Minuteman that fought against <br>  <br> the British army in 1776. <br><br> =========== <br><br> ADDITIONAL CREDIT FOR THIS ARTICLE: <br><br> Naui Huitzilopochtli, who also attended Simcox's <br>  <br> speech, took all the photographs used for this <br>  <br> article.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","contact":"duaneroberts92804@yahoo.com","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","summary":"Blasting President George W. Bush for being\r\nweak on &quot;homeland security,&quot; Simcox demanded\r\nthat National Guard and U.S. military troops\r\nbe placed in &quot;civic observation posts&quot; all along\r\nthe U.S.\/Mexico border. &quot;I don't care if it\r\noffends the government of Mexico or the people\r\nof Mexico,&quot; Simcox told the approving crowd.\r\n&quot;I don't care about the treaty of Guadalupe\r\nHidalgo! Your country got beat! Our army got\r\nwhat it wanted! And that's history! You follow\r\nby our rules now!&quot;","numcomment":14,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2006\/02\/chris_simcox__the_arizona_minuteman__is_the_man_on_the_left_in_this_photograph.jpg","filesize":"75.3 kibibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2006\/02\/147850.php","image":{"original":"\/uploads\/2006\/02\/chris_simcox__the_arizona_minuteman__is_the_man_on_the_left_in_this_photograph.jpg","small":"\/uploads\/2006\/02\/chris_simcox__the_arizona_minuteman__is_the_man_on_the_left_in_this_photograph.jpgthumb.jpg"}},"attachments":[{"id":147851,"heading":"Photo shot from inside lobby of Costa Mesa Hilton on Saturday, February 18, 2006","article":"Credit for all the photographs used in this article goes to Naui Huitzilopochtli.","author":"Duane J. Roberts","parent_id":147850,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2006-02-21 09:02:28","modified":"2006-02-21 16:38:10","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/simcox_speaks_to_john_birch_society_members_in_the_lobby_of_the_costa_mesa_hilton_following_his_s","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/simcox_speaks_to_john_birch_society_members_in_the_lobby_of_the_costa_mesa_hilton_following_his_s"}}],"comments":[{"id":147852,"heading":"Oops. Photo didn't load properly","article":"Photo shot by Naui Huitzilopochtli from inside lobby of Costa Mesa Hilton on Saturday, February 18, 2006.\r\n","author":"Duane J. Roberts","parent_id":147850,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2006-02-21 09:06:28","modified":"2006-02-21 09:06:28","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/simcox_speaks_to_john_birch_society_members_in_the_lobby_of_theiraemg.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2006\/02\/simcox_speaks_to_john_birch_society_members_in_the_lobby_of_theiraemg.jpg"}},{"id":147853,"heading":"reply","article":"Hey looks like Naui went there afterall. I wonder who that lady in red is. Mary Lewis? Probably not. Oh well.\r\n\r\nIt would be funny if I went there and spoke to Simcox and was like &quot;hey dude, remember me? dude, I found out about at least two white nationalists in Gilchrist's campaign(which is true, as well all know). You may want to ask him about that.&quot;\r\n\r\nOr maybe he's already been spoken to about me and basically told to think that I'm a liar or &quot;Green Party spy&quot; or whatever.","author":"Jammer CC","parent_id":147850,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-21 09:10:13","modified":"2006-02-21 09:10:13","fileurl":""},{"id":147877,"heading":"OC","article":"Good for Chris!!!\r\nWhere do I sign to become a Minuteman????\r\noops I already am!!  LOL","author":"Damn, I missed it!","parent_id":147850,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-21 18:08:25","modified":"2006-02-21 18:08:25","fileurl":""},{"id":147881,"heading":"Gerry aka boder raven","article":"on the over comment.","author":"El Chivo","parent_id":147850,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-21 18:58:38","modified":"2006-02-21 18:58:38","fileurl":""},{"id":147885,"heading":"OC","article":"&quot;I don't care if it offends the government of Mexico or the people of Mexico,&quot; \r\nNeither do I!!!!\r\nTough crap if the do not like it.\r\nGo to Mexico and protest FOX and his corrupt so-calld government!!!\r\n\r\nThis Oc person supports The Minutemen!!!!","author":"OC","parent_id":147850,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-21 19:17:51","modified":"2006-02-26 04:13:11","fileurl":""},{"id":147908,"heading":"This hate growing all over","article":"It's not just the United States that's seeing a rise in neo-Nazism and race hate.  I read a coverage report of just this level of Nazism in Itaily, directed toward Muslims.\r\n\r\nI believe that this growiung motivation to express one's racist hatred and neo-Nazi ideologies is the result of the racists having one of their own in the White House.  I believe it makes them feel emboldened.\r\n\r\nMy opinions only and only my opinions.\r\n","author":"Fredric L. Rice","parent_id":147850,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-21 19:51:25","modified":"2006-02-21 19:51:25","fileurl":""},{"id":147910,"heading":"Chris Simcox has troubled past","article":"Gerry there's a criminal within your ranks. can u explain the past of Chris Simcox. from the website i provided, if your a law abidding citizen you will do something.  i will doubt it if your going to do anything right gerry. ","author":"El Chivo","parent_id":147850,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-21 19:55:48","modified":"2006-02-21 19:55:48","fileurl":""},{"id":147958,"heading":"call it like it is !","article":"Call it like it is: The Minute Klan.","author":"marcos","parent_id":147850,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-22 02:58:51","modified":"2006-03-30 18:02:21","fileurl":""},{"id":148021,"heading":"Ms.","article":"\r\nI cringe to think of Chris getting a standing ovation after a John Birch Society speech.  I have happier memories, before his &quot;psychic break&quot;, of him teaching values of love and understanding to my daughter and her fellow classmates in kindergarten.  Although his former students still carry the good foundations he inspired in them, they have also learned the unpleasant lesson that the person they counted on so much can become the opposite of the one they knew. ","author":"Judith Schonebaum","parent_id":147850,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-22 17:34:40","modified":"2006-02-22 17:34:40","fileurl":""},{"id":148183,"heading":"OH MY GOD","article":"Circle the wagons!!!\r\nJohn Earl and Duane Roberts come to Costa Mesa City Council Meeting!!!\r\n\r\n","author":"oc","parent_id":147850,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-24 16:39:04","modified":"2006-02-24 16:39:04","fileurl":""},{"id":148215,"heading":"He's a regular guy","article":"He's a meglomaniacal, violent, child-beating, maybe child molesting, convicted criminal (for taking a .45 on public land).  His &quot;friends&quot;--the Minutemen--call him &quot;The Little Prince.&quot;  A wannabe actor who got no further than &quot;re-enacting,&quot; every sophomore acting student's dream job.\r\n\r\nCheck it out:\r\nhttp:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/news\/item.jsp?pid=167\r\nhttp:\/\/www.latinamericanstudies.org\/immigration\/simcox-guilty.htm","author":"yeah, right","parent_id":147850,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-25 01:42:56","modified":"2006-02-25 01:42:56","fileurl":""}]}