Students and faculty at CSULB reject Minuteman Jim Gilchrist

Students and faculty at CSULB reject Minuteman Jim Gilchrist
by Hector Carreon

November 14th, 2007

La Voz de Aztlan
http://www.aztlan.net/minutemen_at_csulb.htm



Los Angeles, Alta California - November 14, 2007 - (ACN) Yesterday about 300 students at California State University, Long Beach rebuked the border vigilante Jim Gilchrist and his message of hate. In the beginning of a debate on immigration at the Beach Auditorium, and before Gilchrist could say a word, the students led by Enrique Morones of the Border Angels walked out leaving Gilchrist alone on stage and with just a very few of his supporters.

After walking out, the students and some faculty, mostly members of the newly formed Campus Coalition Against Hate gathered outside the Beach Auditorium where they heard speakers explain the dangers that the Minutemen represent for society. The Minutemen are organized throughout the USA and consist of different factions. Some of these factions are quite extremist. The xenophobic organization has now been indirectly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Mexican migrants along the US/Mexico border. Many of these deaths include women and children.



Some members of the Jim Gilchrist Minutemen faction have accused him of stealing the organization's funds. They are presently feuding and accusing each other of a wide assortment of crimes in court. In addition, there is a faction in Arizona that is led by Chris Simcox. Members there have accused Simcox of defrauding them in conjunction with the raising of funds to build a US/Mexico Israeli style border barrier. CNN news recently questioned the accounting of hundreds of thousands of dollars that have been raised for the barrier.



Before the students walked out form the auditorium, Enrique Morones explained that Gilchrist is certified mentally ill. In fact Gilchrist acted in a bizarre manner on stage. He showed up in a military bullet proof vest as if expecting some kind of shootout. Gilchrist was quoted by a Long Beach newspaper later as saying, "This vest would stop anything short of a .50-caliber bullet." Enrique Morones' statements on Gilchrist's mental condition might explain his additional strange behavior during a debate with Karina Garcia of Columbia University. His bizarre behavior during that debate was documented on video. The video can be viewed at



http://www.aztlan.net/karina_garcia_defeats_vigilantes.htm

A lot of credit goes to the students who maintained calmness even after a few Minutemen provocateurs were acting in a hateful manner in the fringes of the student rally outside the auditorium. Also, much credit goes to the university administration for providing sufficient security to protect the students from violence as it occurred at Columbia Univeristy when one Minuteman assailant kicked a student in the head. Special thanks goes to the Associate Vice President, University Relations for providing La Voz de Aztlan a front row seat at the Beach Auditorium.