Minutemen to carry guns in Houston but will only video - they say

[donsu]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3318459


Minutemen will be armed while patrolling Houston


Leaders of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps of Texas had earlier said volunteers observing Houston's day laborers in October would carry nothing but video cameras.

But leaders now say those involved in the operations targeting local illegal immigrants will be allowed to carry arms as long as they comply with all federal and state laws.

In fact, those who have a concealed-weapons permit are being offered a discount on joining the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. An Arizona-based organization, the Minutemen started out by patrolling the Arizona-Mexico border in April to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing, but the group has announced it will conduct a variety of operations here this fall.

Members are normally charged $50 to join, with the money used to conduct a criminal background check. Those with a valid concealed-weapons permit can have that fee waived, since they already have undergone a background check and met other requirements, such as a handgun course, to get the permit, said George Klages, spokesman for the Minutemen in Houston.

-snip-

Houston police are aware that some of the Minutemen will be armed, and officers will make sure that all laws are obeyed, said Lt. Robert Manzo, an HPD spokesman.
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what the hell are the minutemen doing in Houston? who appointed them hall moniter?

is Houston up for this nonsense?

[Trajan]

1. Funny thing is ....

The DU Minutemen contingient will arrive here, and fight like the dickens to defend them ....

Im gettin outta here ....

[donsu]

2. DU has a Minutemen contingient? I've missed that - lucky me

or are you calling DU disrupters minutemen? the disrupters are like nats. I just put on netting and wade through them.

[jonnyblitz]

4. yep. there are Minutemen supporters on DU..

you must have missed those threads. I didn't.

[salin]

3. This is ripe for human tragedy.

Lets give the benefit of the doubt, for a moment, to the motivation for the leaders of this action... The issue - by default - will attract racists (as happened with Stormfront showing up with their nazi regalia at a rally in the LA area). These folks are hyped up on hatred. And are armed - and part of a movement, that to them validates their racist beliefs and great hostility to "others". Now all hyped up, and believing they are in the company of likeminded folks - they have guns. One tense moment - doesn't even matter what starts it - and a tragedy is very possibly in the making. Heck - even trained policemen in London fall prey to triggerfingeritis when under stress (the previous days bomb threats). Now folks hyped on hatred with no training are going to have more restraint?