Rebecca Marcelina Gimeno – 2/5/07

This page was last updated on August 30, 2007.

‘No human being is illegal’; Rebecca Marcelina Gimeno; Beaver County Times; February 5, 2007.

As background info about Ms. Gimeno, a Times article (“They are Lincoln Park”; October 8, 2006) told us she’s a 17-year-old senior who transferred from Center Area High School to Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School to study creative writing.

In her first letter, Ms. Gimeno told us how wonderful Beaver County Peace Links is. In her second letter, Ms. Gimeno lobbied to “Legalize cannabis.” In her third letter, Ms. Gimeno lobbied to have cop killer Abu-Jamal (née Wesley Cook) taken off Pennsylvania’s “death row.”

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Before the Minutemen ‘guarded our border,’ there was another group. Twenty-eight years later, the Minutemen became partners with them. This group is known as the KKK.

“In 1977, the KKK kicked off the infamous Klan Border Watch, based on fear, intimidation and violence - which is not too different from today’s border patrols. That year, Klan boss Dave Duke and his appointed leader of California, Tom Metzger, went all out.

“The reader may think that this is only propaganda from the other side, so who better to know than Metzger.

“In a U.S. intelligence report, Metzger was quoted as saying ‘when the blood really flows on the border, most will be long gone. They go out of their way to claim not to be racist. They are hypocrites ... They go on and on that they want no racists among them. What a joke.’”

[RWC] Apparently Ms. Gimeno is learning her lessons from Beaver County Peace Links well. So far, this letter is nothing more than an attempt to smear the Minuteman Project by linking the group to the KKK and asserting the members are racists. There is no creative writing involved here as many Minuteman critics have been using this language. Unfortunately, it gets worse.

Mr. Metzger’s comments weren’t from “a U.S. intelligence report.” They were from an article in the “Intelligence Report” section of the Southern Poverty Law Center website.

“The Minutemen have abused their power. Their cruelty has accounted for roughly 3,200 deaths among those trying to cross the border.”

[RWC] According to the press, the Minutemen are “armed” only with binoculars and cell phones. When they see illegal aliens attempting to cross our borders – both Canadian and Mexican, they call the U.S. Border Patrol. The Minutemen do not apprehend anyone.

“Not only have the Minutemen made racist remarks about Latinos, they work with an organization called SaveOurState, which has been present at Minutemen operations.”

[RWC] The Minuteman Project has Latino members. According to the group, about 25% of its membership comes from minorities.

“One member of SaveOurState is quoted online saying, ‘Well, I have heard that Arabs and Arab culture is a lot like the Mexican culture. And that they are just as dirty, they both get along.’”

[RWC] I know nothing about Save Our State, but every organization has some wackos, even Ms. Gimeno’s beloved Peace Links. Besides, I thought this letter was about the Minutemen.

“The Minutemen are constantly condemning women who have gotten abortions and they are opposed to women’s rights.”

[RWC] It appears Ms. Gimeno got her talking points from The Progressive Blog Alliance HQ in the discussion entitled “Mobilization to Shut Down the Minutemen.”

According the Minuteman Project, women make up about 55% of its membership.

“However, they have not hesitated to harm or even kill countless human beings who dream of a way to feed their children or one day have food on their table.”

[RWC] As I noted above, the Minutemen are unarmed and don’t apprehend anyone.

“Personally, I do not believe in borders. No human being is illegal.”

[RWC] Perhaps someone should explain to Ms. Gimeno there are no countries without borders. I wonder if Ms. Gimeno believes in the border around her parents’ property, or does she allow strangers to wander freely on her property and in her house?