The Post-Gilchrist Reaction: "I Hope You Are A Victim of the Next 911 [Call]"

I could not believe the questions given to Gilchrist this is all together in bad taste. What has happened to journalism?

Kyle de Beausset,

Please read the essay on my immigration views, from the perspective of a non-lawyer, that I wrote for Georgetown University last year. It is available from my web site.

Until then, could you please refrain from hanging the innocent?

Regarding my comments about threats of disruption and violence, those suggestions came from my Harvard student contacts who claimed such threats were being made, albeit in a subliminal manner.

I think both of us could have accomplished more in furthering the resolution to our nation's heated debate on immigration issues had my invitation to speak not been revoked due to threats of disruption.

Of course, many persons disagree with my positions. But, also, an equal amount stoically agree with them.

To prohibit someone from bringing his or her opinions forward into the public square for discussion violates the very essence of the priceless principle upon which our nation was founded...free speech.

I wish you well and I hope you are aware of the selfishness of your actions. I pray that others may not fall victim to the kind of hateful oppression which you promote under the guise of an educated and informed member of the Harvard student community.

Kyle, I must agree that you are a very intelligent and bright person. Actually, I have never met anyone hailing from Harvard who was not reasonbly brilliant.

However, you are not the first Harvard student or graduate to become so mesmerized with your own idolatry that you are blind to the so-called unalienable rights of others. And that is nothing to be proud of.

I hope that someday we can build a bridge over the breach that separates us on what I feel is a chaotic and aimless management of U.S. immigration policies.

Neither of us may be right, or have the appropriate solution to the problem, but without harmonious discourse on the topic there will never be a solution. There will only be unfortunate and divisive acrimony.

Respectfully Yours,

Jim GIlchrist, founder and president, The Minuteman Project

Kyle, Good work you did there. While full and free discussion is always good, I think that there is such a thing as hate speech, and I think that Gilchrist was rightly excluded on that basis. I don't follow all the distinctions among MinutePeople factions. I do feel strongly that the group has demonstrated ties to violent extremists, that they promote a militia mentality that is inappropriate in the 21st century, and that they incite violence against immigrants. (And yes, JG, I've read some of your writing.) Having been with my own family members when they were profiled and name-called, I am sadly very clear that anti "illegal" verges very quickly into anti-[any color but white] and anti-[any language but English]. All of which is rather ironic here in Boston, where until a few years ago the plurality of undocmented immigrants were Irish.

Keep up the good work, Kyle.

By propagating the complete falsehood that students like myself threatened him with violence, Gilchrist is obfuscating his complicity in violence through his relationship with Shawna Forde, another Minuteman leader.

Kyle, thank you for pointing out the hypocrisy of Gilchrist coming to a pro-migrant and playing the victim while he denies his complicity in the violence that was visited on nine-year-old Brisenia Flores and her father through his association with Shawna Forde. The hateful rhetoric and scapegoating of migrants by these Minute Men groups is unconscionable and thoroughly despicable to most Americans and to those of us in the pro-migrant community. It is no more acceptable than the racist treatment of African-Americans during the Civil Rights era or the Nazi rhetoric used to scapegoate the Jewish people during WWI. Kyle, thank you for having the courage and dedication to stand up and speak out against cowards like Gilchrist and Shawna Forde. We join you in saying, Stop the hate, Mr. Gilchrist. Basta ya!

Gilchrist had ties with a woman who allegedly killed a 9 year-old child in cold-blood.

Kyle, you on the other hand talk about Christ, justice, fairness, and dignity.

Gilchrist may be a vet but so was McVeigh. He is scoundrel hating behind patriotism and the flag to disguise is real agenda of selling hate for personal profit.

Sadly, it is a world of sound bites. You will have more opportunities to deliver your message.

I am solidly in your corner.