Minutemen Members Murder Nine Year Old and Father
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On May 30 three members of the Minutemen American Defense (an anti-immigrant group) broke into the home of the Flores family and killed them. They murdered Raul Junior Flores, his 9 year old daughter, Brisenia, and injured her mother. Jason Bush, Shawna Forde, and Albert Gaxiola have been charged with two counts each of first-degree murder and other charges. The suspects believed that there would be large amounts of cash and possibly drugs in the home. They shot the family because they did not want to leave witnesses. The suspects allegedly believed that two little girls would be at the home and looked for the second girl so they could also kill her. The other daughter was not at home.
Shawna Forde
The three people involved have a history of using anti-immigrant sentiments as an excuse to act violently against Latinos. The group that they belong to, Minutemen American Defense, and other groups like it, such as the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, Minutemen Project, and ALIPAC are dangerous vigilante groups who believe they have the right to take the law into their own hands.
They killed a young girl in cold blood. This is not an isolated incident; it was a sinister plan to target and steal from Latinos who they have branded as “criminals” outside of any court of law.
This is part of a larger increase in violence by individuals associated with racist groups; a direct result of the acceptance of racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric used in mainstream media. The mastermind behind this deadly shooting, Shawna Forde, has a history of criminal activity and has continuously lied about being attacked by Latino gang members. The anti-immigrant movement at-large has either been supporting her dangerous behavior or merely ignoring it for some time. When I checked the Minutemen Project’s website this morning, a group that has supported Shawna Forde, these are the headlines they had posted:
I find it incredibly troubling that in light of such a gruesome crime, these groups still feel justified in posting articles by incendiary anti-immigrant figures such as Glenn Beck and NumbersUSA’s Roy Beck. Also posted was the official statement of the Minutemen American Defense (MAD) of which Shawna is the leader. While offering condolences to the Flores family, the statement went on to say,
MAD will continue to plan and activate border operations against illegal immigration and drug smuggling into the boundaries of the United States.
MAD will not participate in, condone or support any smear campaigns against it’s members such as those that are already started by others.
MAD will continue to observe, document and report any and all illegal immigration or smuggling activity that we observe on our properly committed border operations.
They make no mention of their accused members. In fact, MAD’s website still has statements from Shawna Forde and Jason “Gunny” Bush, two of the charged killers. Shawna’s statement reads,
Jason Bush’s chilling statement says,
Hate speech and its infiltration into mainstream media has been documented by groups like NCLR, who initiated a campaign last year in an attempt to prevent tragedies like the Flores murders.
The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) launched the Wave of Hope campaign to stem the surge of hate and violence that has surrounded the immigration debate. The rhetoric of hate groups, nativists, and vigilantes—once limited to the fringe of American politics—has gained a strong foothold in the public debate. Their policy positions frame the country’s political discourse, and their members have penetrated the mainstream media.
This video on NCLR’s website demonstrates just how rampant and dangerous the language has become:
There continues to be a rise in hate crimes and anti-immigrant activity as documented by civil rights groups such as Southern Poverty Law Center and Center for New Community. Yet only a few mainstream media outlets are willing to report extensively on the rise of racially-motivated violence. Networks such as FOX and CNN continue to air programs that encourage bigoted viewpoints and refuse to report on hate crimes.
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13 Responses to “Minutemen Members Murder Nine Year Old and Father”
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Talk about a slanted report.
Since when is ALIPAC a vigilante group?
I’d be more worried about those people that believe anything SPLC or NCLR say.
Jill Garvey Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Chaos-
Not sure I would call this post a report…more like an editorial. I did think about the ALIPAC thing, because frankly they are teetering right on the edge. I know William Gheen has tried to make his org more polished, but I hear he is now working more closely with Chris Simcox and Jeff Schwilk – two guys that practically define vigilante. http://www.adl.org/civil_rights/anti_immigrant/gheen.asp
If you look at ALIPAC discussion boards they use extremely offensive language to describe immigrants and reference “invasions” quite a bit – I’d say they have a sizable # of members who fall into the vigilante category.
And can you be more specific than “those people”?
Chaos,
You serve as a perfect examle to the blog that was written. Hear you have a nine year old girl whose life was taken. Intead of expressing any sympathy you launch into an attack on two long respected U.S. civil rights organizations.
Sadly it doesn’t surprise me. It is exactly this type of viciousness and callousness that created Shawna Fordes and others of her type.
It’s time for the anti-immigrant movement to take some personal responsibility for the climate they havce created. I won’t hold my breath though . . . your comment shows just how immature and irrational the movement really is.
First of all, my condolences to the Flores family. However you can not blame the Minutemen or other groups for the action of a few of their members. The group itself does not condone attacking immigrants. They watch the border and call the border patrol if they spot anything. A majority of the members are law abiding citizens.
PM Corn Reply:
June 17th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Actually you can blame the Minutemen, ALIPAC, VDARE, Stormfront, Lou Dobbs, Glenn Beck and the rest who propagate the myths about illegal immigrants and who have made a dumbed down America believe all the trite crap they spew in efforts to get ratings, higher ad revenue and in Gheen and the nativist organizations, cash infusions from the sheeple who believe their propaganda.
And when someone dares to disagree with them, they are branded with all types of coded labels which makes our efforts that much more difficult.
Yes, anyone who condones this crime, who rationalizes it, as many at ALIPAC are doing, are equally guilty
Sarra,
There have been many examples of the dehumanizing language targeting both Latinos and immigrants that takes place within Minutemen circles. That language is condone and/or ignored by movement leaders.
It is exactly this kind of rhetoric that paints the complex issue of immigration as some type of “war” and “invasion” that led to this specific incident. It is that type of rhetoric that will lead to more violence.
I’m glad that you send you join the majority of Americans in sending our condolences to the Flores family. Let us hope that the anit-imimgrant movement begins to take more responsibility for the climate that is has shaped.
This is BS. Name one example where ALIPAC or any of ALIPAC’s officials have ever advocated that people take the law into their own hands?
I’ve been a supporter of ALIPAC’s for many years. I have watched countless speeches by William Gheen, read hundreds of articles and email alerts. I am Hispanic and I am a legal Immigrant and I have never seen one shred of evidence that Gheen or ALIPAC support unlawfulness.
Their mission is to get the existing immigration laws enforced by the state and federal governments.
You poison the debate and America when you lie like this.
PM Corn Reply:
June 18th, 2009 at 1:37 am
Name one example? All you have to do is go to their website, open your eyes and you will see thousand of examples.
Talk of “invasions”. The liberal use of the disgusting word “anchor baby” to describe innocent children.
Gheen’s very astute! The PT Barnum of our time. Sit back, beg for money and let his armchair activists use all the derogatory terms and racial smears.
ALIPAC is supposed to be about “legal immigration”, yet they focus almost exclusively on Mexicans and make them out to be a non human species.
Even now, many of the members are attempting to justify this crime by suggesting it is quid pro quo for “Americkuns” that are massacred daily (their opinion, not the mainstreams) by illegals.
There is no justification for this whatsoever.
So continue to believe what you want. Real Americans and those of us working for an overhaul of our nations immigration laws, not open borders as your hero suggests, will keep putting the word out, despite your best efforts to counter our comments with your spam.
There will be a huge minutemen gathering at Camp Vigilance on July 4, 2009. This would be an excellent opportunity (especially for those in San Diego County)to voice protest to their handling of the Flores MURDERS. Whether or not they directly performed the criminal act, their lack of a screening procedure and insensitive handling of this situation was definitely a factor.
July 4, 2009 10am-10pm
Camp Vigilance
Boulevard, CA
for directions
http://www.campvigilance.com/
There will be a huge minutemen gathering at Camp Vigilance on July 4, 2009. This would be an excellent opportunity (especially for those in San Diego County)to voice protest to their handling of the Flores MURDERS. Whether or not they directly performed the criminal act, their lack of a screening procedure and insensitive handling of this situation was definitely a factor.
July 4, 2009 10am-10pm
Camp Vigilance
Boulevard, CA
for directions
http://www.campvigilance.com/
The MINUTEmen are nothing but a pack of neonazi scum.
Their cowardice has no limits. They consider latino migrants “savages” and murder is in their talk and on their minds.
They should be disbanded because they are a gang of low class criminals. And what is even more disgusting is the politicians (including the governor of California), celebrities that such as Lou Dobbs who makes millions from hate talk. They are just as guilty of the murder of the Flores family’s child as Shawna Forde and her henchmen.
THE MINUTEMEN have attracted some really LOW LIFE. There isn´t room for discussion, they are becoming more and more militant getting high on hate.
there may be some GOOD PEOPLE in thsi organization, but honestly they wonñt be GOOD PEOPLE for long. They wont be allowed to be. It´s become a machine and it needs to be oiled with more and more vitriol.
They’re littered with neo nazi’s and other special interests whose desire is to rid the nation of anyone of a hispanic origin
http://immigrationclearinghouse.org/tales-from-the-jail-shawna-forde-supporters-come-out-of-the-closet/
Also, malfeasance in the ranks. The MM and others, including “Whining” Willy Gheen, use immigration as an excuse to scam the unsuspecting public of monies
http://immigrationclearinghouse.org/more-shananigans-in-the-minutemen-ranks-head-of-mcdc-carmen-mercer-in-deep-doo-doo/
And “Wetback Willy” goes even further in blaming Google and immigrants for his problems on his silly little website.
http://immigrationclearinghouse.org/alipacs-willy-gheen-accuses-google-and-h1b-migrants-for-his-sites-problems/
The so-called “problems” we have with the immigration issue didn’t exist before 9/11 nor do they now except that groups desiring to line their pockets and push their xenophobic agendas latched onto it