From the Arizona Republic:
Leader of Texas border volunteers quits, cites group's racist tendencies
Associated Press
Jul. 27, 2005 08:00 AM
VICTORIA, Texas - The Texas leader of the Minuteman volunteer border patrol
group has resigned, saying the chapter lacks structure and claiming racist
tendencies among members from his area, a newspaper reported.
Jump, this is FUNNY!
Bill Parmley, a Goliad County landowner who heads the Texas chapter of the
Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, resigned by e-mail Monday in a letter to
Chris Simcox, the group's national president, and Goliad County Sheriff
Robert DeLaGarza, the Victoria Advocate reported in Wednesday's editions.
The Minuteman group drew national attention earlier this year for its
volunteer patrols of the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. It is planning
similar patrols in Texas this fall, and Simcox said the resignation would
not change those plans.
Parmley, who lives in the tiny Goliad County town of Sarco, accused members
of working to undermine DeLaGarza because he is Hispanic. He also said the
group was holding secret meetings without him in violation of the bylaws.
"The Sarco group has chosen to go a different course than what I feel is in
the best interest of the organization nationally and locally," Parmley said
in an interview with the Advocate.
Kenneth Buelter, the Sarco group's vice president, denied both accusations.
He said a meeting with District Attorney Mike Sheppard questioned
DeLaGarza's use of felons on work details but had nothing to do with the
Minuteman group or other immigration issues. Sheppard declined to discuss
details of the meeting.
DeLaGarza said he was unaware of efforts to undermine his authority.
"The community itself will not tolerate racism in Goliad County," he said.
If Minuteman members should step out of line, "the community is going to
come down on those people, not us," DeLaGarza said.
Buelter said he was surprised by Parmley's resignation but acknowledged
recent differences of opinion. He declined to elaborate.