Dennis Gilman's May Day video; RAIA-founder Buck Young dies; and ACU's Keith Lefebvre insults former Marine Bob Haran.
Pro-immigrant activist Dennis Gilman's video of the nativists' May Day clambake.
Dennis Gilman, the bad-boy of the local pro-immigrant community, recently posted the video above of Rusty Childress' 2008 May Day demonstration at the state capitol, one I blogged about, here. This gathering of some 50 persons was attended by members of hate groups like Riders Against Illegal Aliens and United for a Sovereign America. It was supposed to be a counterdemonstration to a pro-immigration march, though there was no such march scheduled. (Whoops.) The demo was also meant as a sort of kick-off wing-ding for the recall of Mayor Phil Gordon by the PHX's anti-immigrant moonhowlers.
Gilman crashed the event, lending some tension to the otherwise dull happening. In fact, Gilman got the knuckledraggers so riled that the capitol police had to pull him aside at one point, likely for fear that the nativist knaves were about to jump him.
In his video, Gilman rightly wonders why anyone with two licks of sense would sign a recall petition circulated by these aggro losers, especially considering the way they were carrying around a sign with Gilman's name, address and phone number on it. (What do you think they might do with your address, should you sign their petition?) The video's almost like an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies, minus the mansion. What kills me is the way these goons wrap themselves in Old Glory to help rationalize their xenophobia and hatred. The Confederate battle flag would be more appropriate for their cause.
The portly, hirsute guy in the red-white-and-blue do-rag who's pointing to the placard with Gilman's address on it is Buck Young, founder of the anti-immigrant bike group Riders Against Illegal Aliens. According to Childress' immigrationbuzz.com, Young was killed in a motorcycle accident just days after this video was shot, ironically on the evening of Cinco de Mayo. The immigrationbuzz.com item links to news reports about the collision, though these reports do not mention names. Apparently, Young was pinned under the car he crashed into, and died at the scene. Each news item mentions that neither Young nor the other driver were impaired in any way.
The guy was certainly a character, and I had relatively civil conversations with him on a couple of occasions. What he chose to stand for, however, was particularly pernicious. I mean, just look at the cartoon on his site, where a motorcyclist is chasing a brown guy with a bandanna on. Reminds me of that line from The Bard, "The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones."





















