Somos Republicans submits statement to King Islamic terror hearing

Somos Republicans, an organization representing Hispanic Republicans submitted the following statement, which was made part of the record in Rep. Pete King’s, R-NY, Homeland Security hearing on Islamic terror this week.

In the letter, DeeDee Garcia Blase, SOMOS director, tells King he should investigate all terrorist groups, including Minutemen, neo Nazis and nativists.

We are aware of the upcoming “terror hearings” that will be heard by members of the Homeland Security Committee. We believe that it is a good idea for Homeland Security Committee Chairman Pete King (R-NY) to call for the hearing, however, we should not limit the “homegrown terrorists” to Muslim Americans living in this country because we believe the concern should also apply to any other hate group regardless of race, religion and color.

For instance, we have our own home grown terrorists near our border, and they are not Muslim. Recently the Pima County jury convicted Shawna Forde of two counts of first-degree murder in the May 30, 2009 deaths of Arivaca residents Raul Junior Flores and his 9-year-old daughter, Brisenia. Most Americans have never heard of these senseless murders of a family in their home near the Arizona border with Mexico; because they were not undocumented immigrants, drug smugglers, or Muslim terrorists, but a group of Minutemen (also known as domestic terrorists), led by their leader, Shawna Forde. Forde was also a member of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corp (MCDC), until leaving to form her own group, Minutemen American Defense, and has appeared on TV as a representative for FAIR. Shawna Forde also had a long criminal record before joining any of the Minutemen groups.

In addition to the “terror hearings, we are asking Congressman Peter King, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, to conduct a complete and thorough investigation on other forms of domestic terrorism – specifically as it relates to border vigilantes. This epidemic of domestic terrorism and hate crimes are on the rise because of vigilantes along our border, Minutemen, Nativists, Neo-Nazis, and any other extremist groups.

If the upcoming hearings are isolated to Muslims only, we would ask other members of Congress to initiate and complete a thorough investigation of all domestic terrorist groups regardless of race, religion and color. The shooting of our Congresswoman Gabby Giffords should put us all on alert, and we should take every opportunity to investigate all other forms of domestic terrorism where hate is palpable. It is our hope that Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota initiate and advocate for Brisenia’s Law which is a law that would prevent known hate groups and individuals who have been convicted of a hate crime to not be allowed to roam and patrol the border without the notification or authorization of governing authorities. We believe the Homeland Security Committee should set parameters that will avoid toxic situations near the border.

DeeDee Garcia Blase
Founder/President
Somos Republicans

Scot Kersgaard has been managing editor of a political newspaper, editor and co-owner of a ski town newspaper, executive editor of eight high-tech magazines (where he worked with current Apple CEO Tim Cook), deputy press secretary to a U.S. Senator, and an outdoors columnist at the Rocky Mountain News. He has an English degree from the University of Washington. He was awarded a fellowship to study internet journalism at the University of Maryland's Knight Center for Specialized Journalism. He was student body president in college. He spends his free time hiking and skiing.

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