April 5, 2005
SOME LIKE IT CALIENTE!:
Last stand against Mexican wave(Daily Telegraph, 06/04/2005)
With their straw hats, deck-chairs and ample supplies of soft drinks, Jack Montrose and his three-man team of fellow pensioners would have struggled to make the ranks of the famed Minutemen of George Washington's day.As their walkie-talkies crackled into life on the barren US-Mexican frontier, they were not quite sure whether they were Team Six or Team Ten of Arizona's new volunteer border-monitoring "Minutemen" - or even which way they should train their binoculars.
If only Billy Wilder, Jack Lemonn and Walter Mathau were around to do this justice. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 5, 2005 9:08 PM
If there weren't a need, those grandfatherly types would be looking after their grandchildren.
Like the Minutemen in the late 1700s who would have preferred to have been playing with kin.
Some jobs are just too important to be left to government.
Posted by: John J. Coupal at April 6, 2005 2:34 AMWhat would their opposite numbers among Daily Telegraph readers in Old Blighty be doing instead? Sipping their gin and complaining about the wogs, no doubt.
One of the major differences between Americans and Euros is that when we see something wrong, we get off our duffs and do something about it. The Brits just mutter into their warm beer, go home, kick the dog and beat the wife.
Posted by: bart at April 6, 2005 6:49 AM
"If only Billy Wilder, Jack Lemonn and Walter Mathau were around to do this justice." Posted by Orrin Judd
I'd rather see Jefferson, Pershing and Patton myself.
Posted by: NC3 at April 6, 2005 7:03 AMConsidering the border crossing situation, I'd rather see James Cagney and Horst Buchholz in it, provided Horst could work up an acceptable Spanish accent.
Posted by: John at April 6, 2005 9:32 AMProtecting the borders is one of the fundamental functions of government and the Federal government has not been serious about it for a long time. That private citizens have decided they must do this job themselves should be recognized as the first step towards the delegetimization of the government in the eyes of the people. Once people start doing the job of the govt because the govt won't do it, it's not too long before they start wondering why have the govt at all.
It's extremely vital that the govt starts working again. Back in the 80's people were willing to accept an amenesty as long as the border was repaired. They may even be able to accept a second as long as the govt finally fulfills its obligation this time. But if there is not, then we are ehaded towards a severe crisis in the country sometime in the future.
Posted by: Chris Durnell at April 6, 2005 11:53 AM