Minutemen, infighting, dividing and disbanding

National Minuteman Group Throws in the Towel

March 23, 10:52 AM

San Diego Immigration Policy Examiner

Carl Braun

Just days after a terse and alarming “call to arms” message was sent out to members of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (MCDC), President Carmen Mercer of Tombstone, Arizona issued another more startling follow-up email to members: “we are dissolving the corporation.”

No big surprise there. The national organization had ceased operating on the border in Arizona, Texas and New Mexico in the last twelve months and only California continued regularly scheduled border watches and still does. Co-founder Chris Simcox left the group about 1 year ago to run for the Senate against John McCain and handed the reigns over to Ms. Mercer and former National Director Al Garza, who left shortly after Simcox himself. Chris had his own issues after accusations of financial impropriety (still unproved) rocked the group to its core and caused several schisms in the leadership; a snowball effect that took two years to complete the downhill slide.

The Minutemen came to national prominence in 2005 at an event named “The Minuteman Project”. The idea was for ordinary Americans to come to the border areas and draw media and government attention to the thousands of illegal aliens crossing into the US each day; this, while observing and reporting what they saw to the then hopelessly undermanned and ill-equipped US Border Patrol. There was a “no contact” rule and a strict SOP prohibiting long arms. MCDC grew out of this event and at one point reported close to 10,000 members.

Co-founder Jim Gilchrist took the name “Minuteman Project” and started a competing group. The friction between the two leaders and their groups ultimately weakened the movement. After an unsuccessful Congressional bid, Gilchrist faced a mutiny of his own and has spent more time in the courtroom of late than he ever did on the border. The sideshow was constant fodder for the open borders crowd.

Last week though, a frustrated Mercer, took a hard right turn and told the border watchers to “lock and load” and head to the border.

“We have a zero tolerance for any and all violations of our border and we will forcefully engage, detain, and defend our lives and country from the criminals who trample over our culture and laws.” She said.

This radical departure from a peaceful protest reportedly caused hundreds of emails from once faithful supporters and the new aggressive tactics unsettled many. The timing couldn’t have been worse as the Obama Train is leaving the station headed for Amnestyville in the coming weeks.

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Note: The author was a leader in the Minuteman Movement in CA from 2005-2007.