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I don't know where you live, but you are not referring to our stations. I am the president of Water Station, the group featured in the article. Occasionally one of our barrels is shot up by yahoos, but we keep them on site as long as they still hold water bottles. I have never seen any mosquito larvae in any of our stations -- I don't know any way they could get into sealed gallon jugs.
The water is depleted in three ways -- used by humans, vandalized, or lost to the environment.
I have two responses to the other posts: The first is that if you feel nothing when a human dies in the desert in the pursuit of a better life, then you are a sorry excuse for an American. You are not an example of the type of person who made this the greatest country on earth.
Second, I have read the law regarding aiding and abetting illegal immigration. I suspect the people who have tossed that term around with such wild abandon on this site have either not read it or have failed to understand it. "Aiding and abetting" illegal imigration is transporting, harboring or employing (or assisting with employment).
Even in Arizona, a state I dearly love but which is now being ruled by bullies and thugs, no one who does what we do has been arrested for aiding and abetting. The most serious charge has been littering. We have had no problems with authorities at all. We have licenses from the BLM and California State Parks and we have a cooperative agreement with the Border Patrol.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
Ben
First the facts. I know of two groups that remove water and other trash from BLM and State Park land. They are both enviromental groups and the ones I've talked to remind me that what they are doing (removing trash) is completely legal.
My opinion, you are littering on tax payer funded grounds destroying what I want to save for my kids and grandkids. THere is no license for littering no matter now self righteous you think your "work" is.
My suggestion; why don't you use your time more wisely South of the Border trying to prevent them from crossing, attempting to create jobs and protesting the Mexican Govt to take better care of their poor.
The water stations near El Centro are indeed not fully covered or sealed and are loaded with disease carrying insects and larvae. Anyone drinking that water will surely be in a tax payer funded ER shortly being treated for Amoebic Dysentery.
I don't know where you live, but you are not referring to our stations. I am the president of Water Station, the group featured in the article. Occasionally one of our barrels is shot up by yahoos, but we keep them on site as long as they still hold water bottles. I have never seen any mosquito larvae in any of our stations -- I don't know any way they could get into sealed gallon jugs.
The water is depleted in three ways -- used by humans, vandalized, or lost to the environment.
I have two responses to the other posts: The first is that if you feel nothing when a human dies in the desert in the pursuit of a better life, then you are a sorry excuse for an American. You are not an example of the type of person who made this the greatest country on earth.
Second, I have read the law regarding aiding and abetting illegal immigration. I suspect the people who have tossed that term around with such wild abandon on this site have either not read it or have failed to understand it. "Aiding and abetting" illegal imigration is transporting, harboring or employing (or assisting with employment).
Even in Arizona, a state I dearly love but which is now being ruled by bullies and thugs, no one who does what we do has been arrested for aiding and abetting. The most serious charge has been littering. We have had no problems with authorities at all. We have licenses from the BLM and California State Parks and we have a cooperative agreement with the Border Patrol.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
Ben
Hint: don't try to cross the border illegally and there will be NO deaths due to dehydration. Translation: I have NO sympathy for an illegal (outside of minor age children being dragged along by their selfish parents ) trying to run the gauntlet and they lose the 'toss'.
Begin with truth. I think anyone who is not delusional knows that people will continue to cross into the remote desert areas of the border states.
This will continue until there is a change in the law, enforcement of existing law, or major changes in the economies of one or the other nation. We can have an impact upon those things, but that kind of change is incremental and slow and we have a situation in the desert now.
People are crossing into the desert. We can choose to react to that fact in a number of ways. We can do nothing. We can make a dangerous situation more dangerous or we can make it less so. The volunteers with my organization have chosen to try to make it less likely that people will die in the desert. We have done so with all volunteers and funding from individuals and foundations.
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So then you believe we have no right to immigration laws …
I can’t imagine how you might have arrived at this absurd idea. I never suggested any such a thing.
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As for the water stations being placed in the desert, it would be hard to prove that they were left there for illegal aliens thus a case for aiding and abetting with solid evidence to back it up wouldn't be easy.
Actually, it isn’t hard at all. While I would be pleased in knowing that anyone was helped by our stations, we place them based on where we think migrants will pass and we pay close attention to the trails and areas in which migrants have died. I stipulate that our water stations are primarily used for the benefit of undocumented migrants who are in distress after crossing the border. Our actions still do not constitute aiding and abetting.
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So Arizona is being ruled by bullies and thugs just because they want to rid themselves of illegal aliens and are taking the necessary steps to do so? How so?
I justify this largely because of the actions of Arpaio and the passage of the most unconstitutional bill since the Jim Crow laws. The law requires unwarranted police stops of people with no probable cause, but only based on ethnicity. Using 1070 to combat the problem of undocumented migrants is the metaphorical killing of a mosquito with a howitzer.
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I feel sad for anyone who has died out in the desert but when they created their own demise while doing something illegal or stupid one has to draw the line on just how much sympathy you can muster up and that doesn't make one a sorry excuse for an American either.
Actually, I must confess that I don’t give a frosty crank whether you feel sympathy for them or not. Just leave our stations alone.
Begin with truth. I think anyone who is not delusional knows that people will continue to cross into the remote desert areas of the border states.
This will continue until there is a change in the law, enforcement of existing law, or major changes in the economies of one or the other nation. We can have an impact upon those things, but that kind of change is incremental and slow and we have a situation in the desert now.
People are crossing into the desert. We can choose to react to that fact in a number of ways. We can do nothing. We can make a dangerous situation more dangerous or we can make it less so. The volunteers with my organization have chosen to try to make it less likely that people will die in the desert. We have done so with all volunteers and funding from individuals and foundations.
I can’t imagine how you might have arrived at this absurd idea. I never suggested any such a thing.
Actually, it isn’t hard at all. While I would be pleased in knowing that anyone was helped by our stations, we place them based on where we think migrants will pass and we pay close attention to the trails and areas in which migrants have died. I stipulate that our water stations are primarily used for the benefit of undocumented migrants who are in distress after crossing the border. Our actions still do not constitute aiding and abetting.
I justify this largely because of the actions of Arpaio and the passage of the most unconstitutional bill since the Jim Crow laws. The law requires unwarranted police stops of people with no probable cause, but only based on ethnicity. Using 1070 to combat the problem of undocumented migrants is the metaphorical killing of a mosquito with a howitzer.
Actually, I must confess that I don’t give a frosty crank whether you feel sympathy for them or not. Just leave our stations alone.
I do not agree with anything you are doing, putting flotation devices in the water, giving incentives for those to come here illegally. There is no way for you to know who you are assisiting. YOU are part of the problem. There is blood on YOUR hands for all Americans killed, raped or robbed by illegal aliens. Why don't you do as suggested and go to mexico and help that country, believe me, you aren't helping ours.
I do not agree with anything you are doing, putting flotation devices in the water, giving incentives for those to come here illegally. There is no way for you to know who you are assisiting. YOU are part of the problem. There is blood on YOUR hands for all Americans killed, raped or robbed by illegal aliens. Why don't you do as suggested and go to mexico and help that country, believe me, you aren't helping ours.
Actually yes he is. Think of all the ambulance, air-evacs and hospital visits this man has saved the tax payers by fulfilling these migrants thirst, of whom have already passed the border.
I do not agree with anything you are doing, putting flotation devices in the water, giving incentives for those to come here illegally. There is no way for you to know who you are assisiting. YOU are part of the problem. There is blood on YOUR hands for all Americans killed, raped or robbed by illegal aliens. Why don't you do as suggested and go to mexico and help that country, believe me, you aren't helping ours.
Actually yes he is. Think of all the ambulance, air-evacs and hospital visits this man has saved the tax payers by fulfilling these migrants thirst, of whom have already passed the border.
At the cost of ambulances air-evacs and hospital visits, police, incarcerations, social services, jobs, education, murders, rapes, kidnappings and robberies, births, anchor babies to name a few caused by illegal aliens coming here charged to the tax payer. Doesn't wash.
Begin with truth. I think anyone who is not delusional knows that people will continue to cross into the remote desert areas of the border states.
This will continue until there is a change in the law, enforcement of existing law, or major changes in the economies of one or the other nation. We can have an impact upon those things, but that kind of change is incremental and slow and we have a situation in the desert now.
People are crossing into the desert. We can choose to react to that fact in a number of ways. We can do nothing. We can make a dangerous situation more dangerous or we can make it less so. The volunteers with my organization have chosen to try to make it less likely that people will die in the desert. We have done so with all volunteers and funding from individuals and foundations.
I can’t imagine how you might have arrived at this absurd idea. I never suggested any such a thing.
The deadly desert is a de facto barrier............if an illegal risks it and dies----------tough!
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Originally Posted by WaterStationPrez
Actually, it isn’t hard at all. While I would be pleased in knowing that anyone was helped by our stations, we place them based on where we think migrants will pass and we pay close attention to the trails and areas in which migrants have died. I stipulate that our water stations are primarily used for the benefit of undocumented migrants who are in distress after crossing the border. Our actions still do not constitute aiding and abetting.
Are you willing to tell that to the judge once arrested?
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Originally Posted by WaterStationPrez
I justify this largely because of the actions of Arpaio and the passage of the most unconstitutional bill since the Jim Crow laws. The law requires unwarranted police stops of people with no probable cause, but only based on ethnicity. Using 1070 to combat the problem of undocumented migrants is the metaphorical killing of a mosquito with a howitzer.
Illegal aliens have the same rights as any other criminals.
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Originally Posted by WaterStationPrez
Actually, I must confess that I don’t give a frosty crank whether you feel sympathy for them or not. Just leave our stations alone.
Then you had best face the high odds of being arrested, tried and convicted and sitting in jail (or prison)
At the cost of ambulances air-evacs and hospital visits, police, incarcerations, social services, jobs, education, murders, rapes, kidnappings and robberies, births, anchor babies to name a few caused by illegal aliens coming here charged to the tax payer. Doesn't wash.
Add in wages being depressed to your list. Illegal aliens are bad ju-ju---------otherwise, Mexico would not be so vicious to Guatemalans, especially factoring in that nation used to be part of Mexico.
It really is a simple thing we do. We place water where we think thirsty people will pass. We do not transport anyone, harbor or shelter anyone, employ anyone or assist anyone in avoiding detection.
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I know of two groups that remove water and other trash from BLM and State Park land. They are both enviromental groups and the ones I've talked to remind me that what they are doing (removing trash) is completely legal.
If you know people who remove our water, then you know vandals with no respect for other people’s property. Vandalizing or stealing other people’s property is not legal and it's not environmentalism; it’s larceny.
We pack out trash from the areas we serve as part of our replenishment runs. We do a pretty good job of it and will be having specialized runs this year for the sole purpose of packing out trash in the larger vicinity of our stations.
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My opinion, you are littering on tax payer funded grounds destroying what I want to save for my kids and grandkids. THere is no license for littering no matter now self righteous you think your "work" is
.
The “littering” thing is an Arizona construct and no California authority has mentioned it as a possibility. We are licensed by jurisdictional authority for each of the 360 station we have established. We also meet regularly with and have coordination agreements with the El Centro sector of the Border Patrol in Imperial.
You and I are in complete accord on one subject, though – I would love to return to the simple enjoyment of the desert, as I have loved visiting Anza-Borrego and the Imperial Valley for 45 years.
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My suggestion; why don't you use your time more wisely South of the Border trying to prevent them from crossing, attempting to create jobs and protesting the Mexican Govt to take better care of their poor.
As an American citizen, I don’t have much voice in Mexico. We do sponsor public service advertisements on Mexican radio discouraging people from attempting to make the crossing, warning of the heat, the complete lack of natural potable water and the great distances. We do not advertise our stations.
[It is a deadly journey. It also robs Mexico of people who have the strength and power to reshape their country. It is a shame for them to lose that energy. I would love for people to stop making the crossing into the United States. However, as long as people are going to attempt it, it is immoral to allow them to die.
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The water stations near El Centro are indeed not fully covered or sealed and are loaded with disease carrying insects and larvae
No they are not. I’m not sure what you think you saw, but it wasn’t one of our water stations and there is no other group that has water stations in California. You are simply misinformed or, perhaps, mistaking water stations for the cement radiator water “barrels” built when I-8 went through. If you look at those, you’ll see that they have “Radiator Water – Do Not Drink” stenciled on them.
Our stations are blue heavy plastic (food grade) 55-gallon barrels stocked with sealed, one-gallon jugs of water. All stations near El Centro are marked with a bright orange and blue flag. Stations are checked at least every other week from March through October
I’ll tell you this, though: if you ever see a problem with one of our stations (bees are a frequent problem, as they can really move in fast), let me know its exact location and I’ll have it fixed within a week.
Last edited by WaterStationPrez; 04-23-2010 at 12:36 AM..
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) trying to run the gauntlet and they lose the 'toss'.
