Cleaning up our trashed border
Last week, I mentioned that activists from Smart Girl Politics in Arizona were organizing a border clean-up day in honor of slain rancher Robert Krentz. The event took place on Saturday and Jennifer Leslie of SGP summarized the day’s activities:
We broke into four groups and went on our way. We were motivated, but quickly sobered by seeing the refuse that represented real human beings and their struggles. It was very eye-opening to almost every one of us who had only seen the nicer or touristy border spots. We were blessed with good weather, which not only made our physical labor easier, but kept the snakes and other critters scarce. When all of our bags were full, and the volunteers were wrapping up, I felt sincerely grateful for their desire to show support for the Arizonans that live near the border and to honor the Krentz family. Every one of them appreciated the opportunity to do something tangible in those regards and expressed interest in participating in future border clean-up efforts.
I have been told that Mrs. Krentz is aware of our efforts and approved. I have composed a letter to her and will mail it tomorrow along with condolence cards signed by people at the Tucson Tea Party last week and by volunteers yesterday.
Our efforts would not have been possible without the cooperation of the Border Patrol, Bisbee Police Department, and Cochise County Public Work Department that provided trash bags and picked up the bagged garbage.
Additionally, we contacted all of the Congressional District 8 and Arizona Senate candidates to inquire about their participation in this effort either in person or by providing volunteers and/or water and snacks for our volunteers. We were pleased to welcome Andy Goss, candidate for US House of Representatives in Congressional District 8, and Terri Proud, candidate for Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 26. We are grateful to the following campaigns for providing volunteers and water: JD Hayworth, candidate for the US Senate, Congressional District 8 candidates Jesse Kelly, Brian Miller and Jonathan Paton, and Buz Mills, candidate for Arizona Governor.
Jennifer Leslie
Smart Girl Politics, Tucson District Coordinator
Filmmaker Mike Shaw produced a 6-minute documentary on the clean-up:
Photos here.
And from SGP member Lisa Ruth:
At the fence, we saw garbage everywhere including the Mexican side. We even heard a man clearing his throat on the other side of the border fence. We found a backpack with clothes that were wet from a newly opened water bottle that had spilled. We have every reason to believe there was someone in the wash we were walking who heard or saw us and took off. It was an eerie feeling. And yes, it only takes 3 seconds to hop a border because we found something that is never shown on the news or in distributed pictures: crossbars on both sides of the fence that are welded into the metal posts to serve as footholds. This is the handywork of illegals – not the way the fence was constructed. One can also witness the areas where a sledgehammer was used to break the footholds – probably done by border patrol. All someone has to do is slip their foot onto the cross bar to hoist themselves up, climb to the top bar and jump over. It’s that easy! And that’s what protects you and me from millions of unknowns.
We were approached by a border agent who simply told us to please be careful.
…We can hear all the reports and see pics and footage, but nothing will deliver the full impact of the border mess until you are actually face-to-face with the area seeing how flimsy the borders are in front of you and walking the trail the illegals take every day to their transports moving all across this nation. There is no guarantee you will not be face to face with the perpetrators themselves, and it was sobering to see many houses just yards away from that trail in the wash, the garbage, and the overall negative vibes one experiences just standing there. It is rather surreal.
We could not help but think about Robert Krentz, his family and all the legal citizens living along the border. If one can sense the horror by just standing there, imagine what it is like living in the area for years having those trails burrowed into your property, having to be extra cautious on your own land with trash and personal items left as evidence that human and drug trafficking are taking place in your backyard. Just imagine what it is like to live in the border war zone knowing your government is doing nothing to stop it and ignores you when the violence increases.
We were proud to stand with our fellow citizens and provide clean up efforts. We are also proud to be Arizonans helping to lead the nation in securing the border, protecting both legal citizens and the people of Mexico from being used as political chattle. As Smart Girls in Arizona, we are continuing our activism to help ranchers in the area and provide education to help those who wish to become LEGAL citizens on how to do it the LEGAL way. By doing so, we honor Krentz’s life and memory as someone who devoted his life to helping others. May his life example serve as a guide to us all.
Thanks to the SGP crew for doing the job the illegal border-crossers won’t do.
And no, it appears there were no environmentalist greenies in sight to pitch in, either.
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Sheriff Joe has crews that can help with this effort.
Hey now! Did these groups get permission from the Department of The Interior to be in those places? [/sarcoff]
Michelle you have obviously left out the videos of the crazed right-wing Nazis clinging to their guns and Bibles, with their rhetoric turned up to 11…
Oh, maybe not.
If only illegal Mexicans were crossing the border, I wouldn’t lose sleep.
It’s the fact that we have NO idea regarding the origin or political affiliation or criminal history of anyone crossing the border at these unmanned sections of fence.
I’m sure that the easiest way for Moslem terrorists (I’m sorry–er, Islamic fundamentalists) is through the airports while TSA is frisking my 85 yr. old mother-in-law.
Michelle; yes these are just the americans doing the jobs mexicans won’t. Yes there is a reason why typical mexican cities, not tourist locals, are basic 3rd world toilets with raw sewage in dirt streets to wash the debris down into the next neighborhood. They may pick fruit, but they generate a s**t-mess in doing so. Go to Tijuana for a dose of mexican cleanliness is next to godliness.
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The garbage left behind in the ILLEGAL ALIEN transit corridors is just a small part of the problem.
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The big part of the problem is who came in? Gang members, felony criminals, drug mules, druglord soldiers, etc. And what did they bring with them? Tuberculosis, cocaine, heroin, etc? Underage sex workers?
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Build the border fence and enforce employer sanctions. Go Arizona enforcement laws.
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John Bibb
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These are the stories that we need to get out in public. The MSM is’nt going to but I thank god for people like Michelle Malkin. Please spread the word.
cheapseat … same thing in Nogales. Piles of trash on the ground next to an empty trash can.
U.S. government at work, NOT securing the border, NOT enforcing the laws.
OUR government is enabling the illegal invasion of OUR country by citizens of OTHER countries.
Of course, not their nothing but bull$heet and blather…talk a story(and not a good one) and do nothing. typical paid demonstrator.
Video:
How come there’s no concertina wire on the top of the fence?
Hadrians Wall comes to mind
where are the protectors of our country, you know the elected crooks that take an oath of office, there they are spending us into oblivion. Vote ‘em all out but a very few solid conservatives.
All this makes me more and more mad at McCain.
McCain was backing the Az. governor this morning on Fox. He says that the state simply wants to enforce the laws the FEDS won’t.
McCain endorsing the state of Arizona at this point in the illegal debate reminds me of when my Grandfather quit smoking when he was sent to a hospice with lung cancer.
The environmental groups used to openly tout population control to save the planet. Then, they saw the writing$$ on the wall and decided it’s OK to be invaded but we need carbon credits/green jobs and the control of all industry – oh, save the whales – and leave GPS and water bottles at strategic locations so the illegals can find their way here and stay hydrated. The damage that is being done to our southwest and border states is closer every day to being irreparable..
Well, of course not! They all live in the cities, which is why they don’t think there are any trees left anywhere.
Union trash worker emptied the can…
Of course not; they’re still tired from blowing up the oil rig in the Gulf last week…
Were there any stacks of voter registration forms at the border?
You would think that there would be plenty of Mexicans to jump in a truck to go back and help clean up their mess, as a show of gratitude to this great Nation. I guess not.
Hangfire, they get their voter registration forms when they apply for foodstamps and the ACORN worker councils them on how to buy a house while unemployed.
Buy a house? We don’t NEED to buy no steenking house! Senor Obama will GEEVE us the hacienda of our choice! Crazy Gringos!
Smart Girl Politics: Doing the job eco-warriors are unwilling to do.
Maybe like “Adopt a Highway,” the greenies could start an “Adopt a Coyote Trail” program?
I’m surprised the National Guard wasn’t deployed to pick up trash. They can assist in snow removal. Help during floods. Clean up after a tornado. But heaven forbid they be able to fight the invasion of drug traffickers; terrorists, and illegals crossing the borders and invading our country at the urging of the Mexican government.
The did Operation Wetback in the 50s, they can do it again if they’d take their nicey-nice political correctness and put it in a very dark place.
Arizona should pass laws that forbid free education, non-emergency medical care, and all of the other social amenities that draw these people here and encourage the Mexican government to use the USA for their welfare giveaways.
Isn’t this the ‘path to citizenship’ via our Dear Leader?
My sister in law is Latino. Half Apache and half Spaniard. My house is clean, her house is OCD clean. Everyone in her family is spotless, with beautiful yards and well maintained cars. But, we need to keep in mind who many of the people are that are coming here from around the world. Many have never seen a toilet, running water, heaters nor A/C, washing machines, etc.. You don’t have those things in isolated spots – nor mega 3rd world cities. It will take generations, perhaps several, for them to adjust to life as we know it.
Yeah, it’s payback to the capitalist pigs of the USA for exploiting poor labor class overseas and overconsuming their nations’ resources. Workers of the Word Unite!! Besides, who else is gonna clean house, mow the lawn and watch the greeines kids cheap when they are off to protest oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico?
Bravo to Smart Girl Politics and the candidates who showed up to help!
Fellow Patriots: Take note of the candidates who came to help vs. those who did not!
hawkeye54 #29
What would the greenies do without a good oil spill now and then just to keep the masses fired up?
it’s ridiculous to hear McCain and Obama blast the Federal Gov’t for dropping the ball and other such idiocy.
THEY ARE THE F’ING FEDERAL GOV’T!!!!! They are in the position to enforce laws that already exist. The hypocrisy and outright lies flowing from their lips just makes me hopping mad!!!
“There they go! And I must hasten after them. For I am their leader.”
Ditto, ditto, ditto, Flyoverman. ANOTHER complete failure of our illustrious “government’>
it would be interesting to contact the sierra club and try to get their help on this. document the contortions they perform to avoid the appearance of agreement.
24k–see my comment #19…I’m always thinking about conspiracy, a la’ Crichton’s State of Fear.
Michelle, is there any way you can get to the WH website & post those letters? They say they always want to hear from us.
24Klady,
Not only do the do gooders in word only that you mentioned claim that mankind is evil and destroying the earth and in order to save earth mankind has got to go, and not only do those earth lovers get themselves spayed, making certain to have any living human beings they might have reproduced butchered via induced abortion, so as to save the earth, they actually say that everyone must be a wanted person, as in “every child should be a wanted child.”
They don’t tell you how we know should know if a person is wanted or not, for many millions of adult married couples want to adopt children and raise them in a loving environment, and many parents turn out to discover that they actually DO love their child after all, they are wanted children, but we are just upposed to overlook that and buy into the nonsense of “every child a wanted child; every person a wanted person.” That means, kill the children via induced abortion because we don’t want to ban abortion, we don’t respect the right to life of small, less developed individual human beings.
When it comes to illegal invaders and nasty politiicans who stick their thumb in the eye of people such as Asians-Orientals who wait years to come here, and who actually do work hard and outperform everyone else, and who do want to be US citizens and who do love it here, the illegal invaders are NOT WANTED HERE!!@!!@@##. The illegal invaders are a danger to us all, carrying diseases, criminal records and criminal behavior, and bad habits, as wel as, but not always, a lack of love and lack of respect for the USA. Many just want to suck on it, like a vampire. Take from her, take from the USA, but give nothing in return, then demand, with the threat and actual acts of violence, demanding of her and her citizens, calling for entitlements, but not cooperating and uplifting the very nation they tresspas into.
Geraldo Rivera and Al Sharpton gave a demonstration of blatant racism on Fox News last night, pushing their racist nonsense, trying to paint Arizonians as racist, whiel painting the violent, cruel, malevolent, intolerant Hispanics, Latinso, and others who are out in droves misbehaving, as good, caring, loving people being put upon by the mean, evil white American racist – a convenient animal which is overshadowed by the actual larger contingent per their group, of racist Hispanics, and blacks who hate Asians and Caucasians, and who get away with their racism and xenophobia.
So, why don’t those do gooders apply the same litmus test.
Every citizen a wanted citizen, every person a legal person.
No. They don’t care aobut legal citizens who are affected by the criminal cintongent, the reduction in limited resources, monetary, space, and other.
They only want to force the rest of us to suffer their lack of insight and their cruelty, their rudeness, and their malevolence.
Yet those same demonizers of secured borders and legalized immigration are the actual haters, racist, xenophobes, and violent mobs.
A consideration I have yet to hear discussed is taken from a different view, as if we looked at two other countries, neighbors as has happened in Africa a few times. Just a thought towards a new view.
Who can deny that a Civil War rages south of and on our Southern border. Assaults across into our country, assassinations of US Citizens, kidnappings in Phoenix…
Maybe it should be considered that Refugee camps and a High Voltage actually secure border be established to hold that Civil War inside its borders and setup Refuge for those who aren’t coming here to cut your lawn, but may actually be fleeing for their lives.
Just a thought. I left New Mexico 12 years ago and it wasn’t near as bad then.
We could use a trash pick up at the State Capitol.
Geraldo Rivera and Al Sharpton would fall under Vector Control: Agency specifically dedicated to protecting public health by controlling rats, flies, mosquitoes, and other vector related problems.
I would not be surprised to hear that Owebowma and his thugs are ramping up a massive legalization program like Bubba and AlGore did in 1996. The media yawned at that one too, and there were thousands legalized with little or no background check.
Yeah, even a few Democrats made a show back then over the felons that were legalized, but it dropped down the memory hole rather fast.
Senator McCain’s campaign was unavailable for comment…
What I think is greatly and fatally overlooked here isn’t just illegal aliens but the totality of the social effect of massive immigration as sheer numbers, legal or illegal. France and the Netherlands are finding to their great distress the unreal culture diluting / politic ususping problem just their massive infux of legal unassimulating immigrants are bringing on them. Let’s not forget that, ironically, it wasn’t the Founding Fathers who enscribed that welcome mat on the base of the Staute of Liberity.
James Greenidge
Queens NY
I think so too. It is awful convenient timing, what with Obama just authorizing drilling in the gulf. Offshore oil rigs don’t just blow up by themselves. Beside our own lunatics, there are foreign nations that are actively drilling in our waters, not all of them are friendly.
Too bad that the part of the deportation process they can’t be made to pick up all they can carry and take it back where it originated from….mexihole….
No. The GPS locators lead them straight to the closest CA DMV office where, if they register for the democrat party via MotorVoter, they’ll get a driver license that day.
Good job by the folks in Arizona…well balanced report. I knew it would be when I saw the note from my friend, Jen Leslie….they call their group smart girl politics. That would be because they are….uhhh, really smart……
Errah no environmentalist because theres no limo parking or TV crews.