Author Topic: Berkeley Vs. America, Again  (Read 9794 times)

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Rich

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Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« on: February 06, 2008, 01:29:01 PM »
Berkeley Vs. America, Again
By Michelle Malkin
Wednesday, February 6, 2008

The troop-bashers in Berkeley are at it once more. But this time, the rest of America lashed back. Message to the Left Coast: It's not the 1960s anymore.

On Jan. 29, the Berkeley city council passed several measures targeting the lone Marine recruitment office in town. The anti-war harridans at Code Pink have been picketing the center for months. Last fall, they defaced the building by slapping a sign that read "assasination" (sic) in the military office window. Instead of rising to defend the recruiters' property rights, the city council and mayor voted to sabotage them further. They granted Code Pink special parking privileges directly in front of the Marines' workplace to facilitate their protests -- and also offered them a free sound permit for six months.

In the home of the free speech movement, the peace and love mob abused the power of government to help drive the Marines out of the city. They proceeded with zoning changes to treat recruiting centers like porn shops. They encouraged residents to continue to impede the recruiters' work. Never mind federal law making it a crime to willfully obstruct the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States. If that weren't blood-boiling enough, the Berkeleyites put the troops under further siege by voting to send a letter to the U.S. Marine Corps calling them "uninvited and unwelcome intruders."

Video of the council meeting showed city officials trashing the Marines as "the president's own gangsters" and "trained killers" who are known for "death and destruction and maiming." One of the council members complained that our men and women in uniform were responsible for "horrible karma." Mayor Tom Bates offered to "help" the Marines evacuate.

But, of course, they continue to argue shamelessly that they're not against the troops. Just against President Bush's policies.

Only one council member, Gordon Wozniak, opposed the Code Pink measure -- pointing out that the council was bending the rules, intentionally setting up a confrontation between the group and the recruitment office, and "showing favoritism." He was outnumbered, 8-to-1. Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin and her minions gloated over the vote and turned up at the recruitment center to rub salt in the wound: "We are the defenders of democracy, the upholders of the Constitution. If it weren't for people like the people in Berkeley, standing up for what they believe, we'd be living under Hitler."

Her thugs defaced the recruitment center again -- this time with a banner of bloody handprints stretched across the window as recruiters tried to do their jobs.

In another decade, Berkeley would have gotten away with this intolerant, illiberal, un-American power trip. But in the age of the Internet, talk radio and YouTube, word of the siege at Berkeley spread like lightning. And citizens across the country weren't willing to look the other way. The San Francisco-based Move America Forward, led by talk show host/conservative activist Melanie Morgan, launched an online petition protesting the city council measures. Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina moved to strip Berkeley of pork barrel spending worth $2 million.

The American Legion mobilized as well. National Commander Marty Conatser lambasted the votes: "The American Legion not only strongly condemns this action by the City Council but also believes that a sincere apology is in order to all Marines, past and present. What these recruiters do is essential to our national security. Without recruiters we have no military. And I don't think we can count on the flower children from Berkeley to protect this nation when it comes under attack. They have to remember that Marines are not the enemy; the terrorists are."

After feeling the heat, not just from veterans, military families and troop supporters outside of Berkeley but also from their own embarrassed citizens, the council is waving a partial white flag: Two council members will move to rescind the obnoxious letter and Code Pink privileges next week. It seems a little light bulb went off in Councilwoman Betty Olds' head: "I think we shouldn't be seen across the country as hating the Marines."

Too late. The city's "horrible karma" is on full display. Sit back and watch Berkeley be Berkeley? No more.


Michelle Malkin makes news and waves with a unique combination of investigative journalism and incisive commentary. She is the author of Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild .

_JS

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2008, 01:39:44 PM »
Should the people of Berkeley automatically have to like the US Marines?
I smell something burning, hope it's just my brains.
They're only dropping peppermints and daisy-chains
   So stuff my nose with garlic
   Coat my eyes with butter
   Fill my ears with silver
   Stick my legs in plaster
   Tell me lies about Vietnam.

Michael Tee

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2008, 01:45:17 PM »
The good news is that Berkeley is still Berkeley.

They need to build a bigger base of local support first, so they can stand up to fascist pressure coming in from all over the country.  Also a little bridge-building to other anti-war groups.  And some public-education to prepare the way, highlighting Marine atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan.  With pictures and maybe survivor testimony if available.  THEN go after the bastards head-on, make it impossible to recruit killers in Berkeley.  Hopefully, this thing could spread.

Amianthus

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2008, 01:55:59 PM »
Should the people of Berkeley automatically have to like the US Marines?

No. Does the United States Government automatically have to send pork barrel money their way?
Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. (Benjamin Franklin)

kimba1

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2008, 01:59:37 PM »
LOL

I go to berkely once in awhile
It`s a becoming a ghost town because of all this nonsense its doing to itself.
the term biting the hand that feed you come in mind.

they don`t have to like marines,but they shouldn`t be attacking them in this manner


 ("the president's own gangsters" and "trained killers" who are known for "death and destruction and maiming)
that`s stupid funny

_JS

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2008, 02:08:01 PM »
Should the people of Berkeley automatically have to like the US Marines?

No. Does the United States Government automatically have to send pork barrel money their way?

I could care less about the pork.

I'm trying to figure out why the people there must not be allowed to express their dislike of the US Marines.
I smell something burning, hope it's just my brains.
They're only dropping peppermints and daisy-chains
   So stuff my nose with garlic
   Coat my eyes with butter
   Fill my ears with silver
   Stick my legs in plaster
   Tell me lies about Vietnam.

Amianthus

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2008, 02:13:05 PM »
I'm trying to figure out why the people there must not be allowed to express their dislike of the US Marines.

They can dislike them all they want. They can express their dislike all they want. No one is stopping them from talking (or yelling) about it. As the article pointed out, it's against the law to hinder them in their duties.

Just like it's against the law for tax protesters to hinder IRS agents.

Or should that be OK as well?
Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. (Benjamin Franklin)

_JS

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2008, 02:15:19 PM »
I'm trying to figure out why the people there must not be allowed to express their dislike of the US Marines.

They can dislike them all they want. They can express their dislike all they want. No one is stopping them from talking (or yelling) about it. As the article pointed out, it's against the law to hinder them in their duties.

Just like it's against the law for tax protesters to hinder IRS agents.

Or should that be OK as well?

Ah, but people across the nation, from regions other than Berkeley applied pressure to them. Why?
I smell something burning, hope it's just my brains.
They're only dropping peppermints and daisy-chains
   So stuff my nose with garlic
   Coat my eyes with butter
   Fill my ears with silver
   Stick my legs in plaster
   Tell me lies about Vietnam.

Rich

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2008, 02:18:35 PM »
Automatically like the Marines?

I don't suppose you have to "like" them. I would hope all Americans would respect them. I think the freaks in Berkley would at least do that much, and let them do their job, which is protecting the freaks in Berkley's right to act like assholes.

Rich

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2008, 02:20:34 PM »
Let's see ... why would people across the country come down on Berkely in defense of the United States Marine Corps?

Do you really need an answer to that?

kimba1

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2008, 02:28:32 PM »
well
I wouldn`t go as far as rerspect
but at least know the difference between a disagreement and acting like a idiot
letting people know you don`t like something is ok
stopping people from doing thier duties is dumb
calling them names does not help your cause.

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2008, 02:30:57 PM »
Yes.

Recruiters are the used car salesmen of the military world. I knew one (for a different branch) who would go to the unemployment offices and stand in line to recruit without his uniform on - very much against regulation (and the law I'm pretty sure).

So your asking a lot if you want people to sympathize with recruiters who (like used car salesmen) will lie right to someone's face to close a deal.
I smell something burning, hope it's just my brains.
They're only dropping peppermints and daisy-chains
   So stuff my nose with garlic
   Coat my eyes with butter
   Fill my ears with silver
   Stick my legs in plaster
   Tell me lies about Vietnam.

Amianthus

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2008, 02:31:13 PM »
Ah, but people across the nation, from regions other than Berkeley applied pressure to them. Why?

It's ok for the people of Berkeley to express their dislikes, but no one else can express their dislikes of the actions of the people of Berkeley?

Freedom of speech does not mean that you are exempt from the CONSEQUENCES of that speech.
Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. (Benjamin Franklin)

The_Professor

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2008, 02:32:05 PM »
Should the people of Berkeley automatically have to like the US Marines?

No, but vigilantism should get them in front of a court and some heavy fines can then be levied to make the point that defacing property not your own is not acceptable.
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The_Professor

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Re: Berkeley Vs. America, Again
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2008, 02:34:26 PM »
Should the people of Berkeley automatically have to like the US Marines?

No. Does the United States Government automatically have to send pork barrel money their way?

I could care less about the pork.

I'm trying to figure out why the people there must not be allowed to express their dislike of the US Marines.

Expressing their diuslike and defacing public proerty are two very different issues. I do not see anything where it is expressing your Frist Amendment rights to cause damage ot others whether it is be defacing their proeprty or whatever. They should at least MAN UP and take the consequences.
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"Liberalism is a philosophy of consolation for western civilization as it commits suicide."
                                 -- Jerry Pournelle, Ph.D