The Government is merely a servant -- merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them. - Mark Twain

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Perhaps if the government was actually doing its job, this poor bastard might not be in the situation he currently finds himself.

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever is being sued for a share of a $32 million lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court.

The suit alleges the sheriff has done nothing to stop a Cochise County rancher from apprehending illegal entrants on his own property east of Douglas.

Filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the suit alleges rancher Roger Barnett held a group of illegal entrants at gunpoint on his property one year ago , shouted obscenities at the group, kicked one of the women twice and threatened to shoot anybody who tried to leave. It also lists 10 un-named co-conspirators who have known of Barnett’s actions in the past and did nothing to prevent them.

Calling the group “racist liars,” Barnett says he doesn’t recall the incident ever taking place and said he hasn’t been served with a lawsuit.

Dever has not been served with a lawsuit and therefore had no response, said Cochise County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Carol Capas.

The suit alleges that on March 7, 2004, 19 illegal entrants were resting in a wash near Douglas when Barnett pulled up on an all-terrain vehicle with a large, barking dog. It claims that Barnett waved his cocked gun at the group, and yelled obscenities at them.

Barnett then walked up to one of the women and kicked her in the leg, then tried to kick her again, the suit alleges. He then called his wife, who arrived with a truck and summoned the U.S. Border Patrol.

The entrants allegedly tried to tell the Border Patrol agents what had happened but were menaced by Barnett.

The suit mentions that Barnett, his brother Donald and his wife, Barbara, have admitted to turning over 12,000 illegal entrants to the Border Patrol since 1998.

Now, it’s worthwhile remembering that not one of those 12,000 illegals has the right to actualy be in this country. And while this guy may or may not have gone overboard in his actions, the fact remains that protecting the border should be something of paramount importance to the federal government, and it obviously is not.

The civil rights group hopes to send a message to vigilantes that they cannot operate with impunity, Perez said.

Unlike the illegals, who sneak into America wih impunity, right?