Minuteman leader wants boycott of Ford – over "Gracias Manuel"

It appears that we're finally through the looking glass in the current hysteria over immigration. Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist has suggested a boycott of the Ford Motor Company because they dared to include two Spanish words in an English Language ad. The vigilante leader claimed the ad demonstrated the "Trojan horse" being used to gain "domination of culture" by Spanish speakers from south of the border.

The ad, for Fords popular f-150 truck, has been running since this spring as part of the companies, "Bold Moves" campaign. It features some popular themes that have been used in truck ads for years; rugged terrain, a cowboy, a beautiful girl and a truck coming to the rescue.

We've seen it all before … but this ad has a twist … or two.


tags: immigration, Minutemen, Jim Gilchrist , Ford, Boycott

So this hunky, swarthy, full-lipped guy in a white cowboy hat is tooling down a country road in a red pickup truck. He comes upon a big tree fallen across both lanes. No problem. He off-roads around the obstacle and cruises on.

But in the rearview he spies a dude driving a silver convertible with a dark-haired beauty in the passenger seat. They can't get around the tree.

Cowboy knows what to do. He lassos a chain around the tree and drags that sucker out of the way. Convertible Dude says: "Appreciate it." Cowboy replies: "Anytime."

Then the lady, who looks Latina, addresses Cowboy -- in Spanish.

" Gracias, Manuel."

Cowboy tips his hat.

Driving away, Convertible Dude is puzzled. He asks, "You know him?"

"Yes," she says, in English, with a flirty smile. "He's my ex-boyfriend."

Convertible Dude whips his head around to stare at Bilingual Babe -- and with that kicker, this Ford commercial for the F-150 truck ends.

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Gilchrist views the ad as further evidence of what he sees as a Latino assault on American culture.

"It's part of the Trojan horse domination of our culture. Now they're coming after our language," said Gilchrist, "It's another steppingstone in a literal takeover of our country, eventually. . . . I'm supportive of a boycott of Ford, because now they'll be complicit."

WaPo did an excellent article about the ad, having people from the arts and social sciences analyzing what it says about our changing culture.

They looked at the various levels that the ad plays on, and how it reflects current atttitudes on issues of class, sex, and race. Yet, it is Mr. Gilchrist's paranoid view that stands out among them all. Only Gilchrist saw the ad part of a vast conspiracy to destroy "his culture."

Ironically, the website for the organization he founded, The Minuteman Project, prominently displays on its front page a disclaimer stating:

"The MMP has no affiliation with, nor will we accept any assistance by or interference from, separatists, racists, or supremacy groups."

Apparently Mr. Minuteman doesn't understand what the words "racists" or "white supremacist" really mean ... maybe "Manuel" could explain it to him ... but he'd better do it the "right way" ... in English.