February 05, 2008
Berkeley Marine Nonsense UPDATE
Looks like all of the phone calls and e-mails have had an effect on a couple of members of the Berkeley city council regarding the council's desire to oust a Marine recruiting center from that "shining dingy city on a hill":
A week after blasting the Marines as "unwelcome intruders" in Berkeley, two City Council members want the city to back off the declaration that ignited the wrath of the nation's right wing and inspired a Republican senator to try to sever Berkeley's federal funding.
Council members Betty Olds and Laurie Capitelli on Monday proposed that Berkeley rescind its letter to the U.S. Marine Corps that stated that the downtown Berkeley recruiting center "is not welcome in our city," and publicly declare that Berkeley is against the war but supports the troops.
The City Council will vote on Olds' and Capitelli's two proposals at its meeting next Tuesday.
"I think we shouldn't be seen across the country as hating the Marines," said Olds, who voted against last week's proposals. "If you make a mistake, like we did, you should admit it and correct it and move on."
"We're against the war but we support the troops" is still a crock o' cr@p, but it's better than nothing, considering the source. And surprise! Even some Berkeley residents were angered.
Apparently the council is split between factions of those who don't want to be seen as Marine haters and those who believe that Berkeley should stand by its convictions. Which, of course, is easy to do from the comfort of your council office, knowing that our military would be there to protect you should the occasion arrive. Hatred of the military usually doesn't extend to taking responsibility for protecting yourself in a national emergency.
Color me cynical: I think this sudden about-face has more to do with the possibility of losing federal money than reaching out to our military or anyone who supports it.
h/t: Michelle Malkin
Background: Move America Forward Plans Protest at Berkeley City Council Over Marine Recruiting Center Harassment
More: Zombie has photos from the front...in this case, the moonbats making nuisances of themselves in front of the Marine recruiting center.
Show Comments »
I don't like the idea of cutting off federal funding. They expressed a viewpoint, they didn't pass a law kicking out the marines.
Berkeleyites pay their federal taxes and should benefit just like anyone else, regardless of the political viewpoints or how they express them.
Posted by: paul at February 5, 2008 10:03 PMIt's the recruiters...not the military. If people want to join the military, they know where they can find it.
Posted by: mudkitty at February 7, 2008 12:07 AMThose photos show a protest at some distance. However, if you haven;t seen this video already, do so. This goes beyod the pale. The protestors are not simply harassing, but denying people their right to enter the location. They are using physical force -- i.e. their bodies as a barrier and refusing to budge.
Posted by: softwareNerd at February 7, 2008 05:38 PMPaul, the Boy Scouts are under constant fire and have even been denied funding from the United Way for standing up for their beliefs. Why should they suffer and Berkley get a pass? (I mean other than you agree with Berkley and disagree with the Scouts.)
Posted by: Toad at February 13, 2008 12:23 PMKitty, the Marines are like anyone else - they open a shop to do business, not solely to piss off Berkeley. There must be some people at Berkeley who want to join the Marines, or they wouldn't be there. So what is it that bothers you more - that you hate the Marines or that you can't FORCE people to act how YOU want them to?
Liberals, as usual, think that freedom of speech and freedom to dissent is their private personal property ONLY, not for the rest of us.
Posted by: Toad at February 13, 2008 12:29 PM
