January 05, 2006

My wife and I attended the rally sponsored by local California Minutemen in support of Mayor Allan Mansoor of Costa Mesa, California and the City Council's decision to have their officers trained to work with ICE.

We had received an email a few days earlier indicating that pro-illegal immigration advocacy persons belonging to the Tonantzin Collective, headed by a fellow who goes by the name of Coyotl Tezcalipoca (probably an assumed name to reflect ethnicity) [VDARE.COM note: aka Benito Acosta—send him mail], would go to protest. In Costa Mesa, the mayor and city council have already shut down a day labor center, but of course there are still many illegal aliens there.

We arrived in Costa Mesa at the designated time, 4:00 pm. Our group was in position and waved at us as we honked our horn. They all looked like good patriotic Americans with the average age being approximately forty seven years old. There were so many American flags and such a showing of patriotism. They sang songs and cheered for the mayor, "Viva Mayor Mansoor, the mayor is a hero." It was delightful—after many of us have worked so hard, we are finally seeing positive results.

On the next corner, there were maybe seven pro-illegal alien activists. Eventually their numbers would swell to close to seventy or eighty. Their group signature, if one can call it that, is that everything they did was done in Spanish—not one American flag amongst them, but plenty of placards with "no one is illegal" and so on.

At close to six pm, we went into the council chambers. All were handed cards that we filled out and a small number of us, including myself, spoke in support of the Mayor's decision. In opposition, there was a doctor, an  "indigenous Indian" and a seventeen-year old who claimed to belong to the Democratic Party.

Many of the pro-illegal group were very uncouth—they were loud, brought huge signs, and were still speaking in Spanish when it was clear that silence was required.

Addressing the Council were Barbara Coe of CCIR, LUPE Moreno of LAIR, and "Mr. Minuteman" himself—Jim Gilchrist.

After I had finished speaking with the council, I was on my way out and a large Hispanic man called me a "vendido" (a sellout). I responded in Spanish with an equal measure of distasteful dialog, I don't put up with their crap.

Then I was asked by a Spanish TV network for an interview. I found myself surrounded by twenty or so pro-illegal protesters, the protesters held their signs so that they would be seen on TV. My wife did not like the idea of me being encircled and pulled me by the arm. We told the TV reporter that if she didn't get those people from out behind me there would be no interview. She complied and I gave her her interview in Spanish.

What should be done about the illegal alien situation, she asked. My answer was simply: "They have to be deported."

The pro-illegals were becoming incensed by the directness of my answers. It was not long before they were calling me many ugly names. Not being a gentleman, I gave back every bit as good as they gave. A very large Mexican activist that I have met before was there. He called me a worm and I responded by calling him an idiot in front of his peer group.

My wife asked me, as we walked past all of them, why I had even done the interview. Why? Because they all need to know that their selfish insane plans will not go unopposed, and that yes, some of us know exactly what they are saying. It was for all Americans who would love to tell Mexicans in Spanish what they really think but who can't speak Spanish that I did it.

The crowd that had early on looked so rowdy and menacing did not let us down. Shortly after we left, there was an altercation within the chambers and Coyotl Tezcalipoca was physically removed from the chambers for attempting to impose his will upon the City Council and the Mayor.

Isn't this what the entire illegal immigrant issue is all about? We don't want to have the will of others imposed upon us—whether it be by our government, activists or thugs in opposing clearly established law?

The opposition's tactics that evening were the same as I have seen them use on many occasions: thuggery, intimidation, the threat of violence, disruption and ....very poor English.

Frank Jorge (email him), an immigrant from Cuba, is a staff member with Latino Americans For Immigration Reform [LAIR]