Marine Love: This pic is pure Love and the Berzerkeley Libs will never "get it"!
~:)
| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| Semper Fi, Berkeley |
| 2008-02-06 |
| by Sen. Jim DeMint When you mention "Berkeley, California" to most conservatives, they picture a leftist community of graying hippies, radicals, and protesters. Activities in the last few weeks have only reinforced this image. The City Council of Berkeley last week voted to ask the U.S. Marine Corps to vacate their recruiting office in town, and that if they chose to stay they did so as "uninvited and unwelcome intruders." During debate of the resolution, one council member called the Marines "the President's own gangsters" and "trained killers." Another said the Marines had given the country "horrible karma" and said they had a history of "death and destruction." In a document drafted to support the resolution against the Marines, the council stated: "Military recruiters are sales people known to lie to and seduce minors and young adults into contracting themselves into military service with false promises regarding jobs, job training, education and other benefits." After voting to insult the men and women who fight and bleed for their freedom, the City Council cast another ridiculous vote in favor of giving the radical protest group Code Pink a parking space directly in front of the Marine Corps recruiting station. They also voted to give Code Pink a sound permit for protests in front of the Marine Corps building. The City Council stated in the resolution that they "encourage all people to avoid cooperation with the Marine Corps recruiting station" and to "applaud" Code Pink for working to "impede, passively or actively" the work of the Marines Corps in Berkeley. Code Pink is a fringe organization that distinguishes itself by attacking American policy, while defending dictator Hugo Chavez. The group is so disrespectful that they have no problems demonstrating in front of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center with signs reading "Maimed for a lie." The council's resolution sparked an escalation of anti-Marine protests. Code Pink organizer Zanne Joy points to the City Council as justification for the escalation. She said that "anything legal is justified if it succeeds in persuading the Marine Corps to move its recruiting station out of Berkeley." According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Code Pink protesters have been heard shouting at young men who are trying to enter the recruiting station, "You guys are just cannon fodder!" and "They want to train you to kill babies!" It is sad to see a city like Berkeley moving so far left. Thanks to its elected leadership the city in which, as a young naval officer, the legendary World War II Pacific Theater Commander, Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz established the Naval ROTC in the fall of 1926 is now sadly a shell of its former self. This is disappointing, but in a republican form of government, it must be up to local voters to change their leadership. However, this particular case became the business of all Americans when they insulted our troops while coming to the federal government asking for special taxpayer-funded handouts. Over $2 million was secretly tucked away for Berkeley earmarks in the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, projects that were never voted on or debated. I do not believe a city that has turned its back on our country's finest deserves $2 million worth of pork-barrel projects. So, I will introduce legislation to revoke the funding. Included in the $2 million worth of pork are some particularly wasteful projects. One earmark provides gourmet organic lunches to schools in the Berkeley School District. While our Marines are making due with MREs of Sloppy Joe and Chili with Beans, the organization Chez Panisse is getting federal tax dollars to design meals that promote "environmental harmony." Chez Panisse's menu features "Comté cheese soufflé with mâche salad," "Meyer lemon éclairs with huckleberry coulis" and "Chicory salad with creamy anchovy vinaigrette and olive toast." Are we to understand that the city that has been home to many of the country's most rich and famous cannot afford to pay for its own designer school lunches? Another $975,000 earmark is for the Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service at U.C. Berkeley, which may include cataloging the papers of Congressman Robert Matsui. Is it really necessary to tax the paychecks of Marines so we can earmark nearly $1 million for a school that is already sitting on a $3.5 billion endowment? Let me be clear, my bill does does not cut off all federal funds to the city of Berkeley, though I am sure most Americans would feel that is justified. My bill merely rescinds wasteful earmarks. Berkeley is free to compete with other towns and cities across America for merit-based federal grants. Actions have consequences. When the Berkeley City Council decided to insult the Marines in a time of war, it was a $2 million decision. Especially in a time of war, we cannot just allow cities to play insulting games at our troops' expense while continuing to shower them with congressional favors. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #18 I prefer to be called a "brain-washed killer." |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2008-02-06 22:20 |
| #17 Well, "improvise and adapt". They should bring some cows with, then slaughter and BBQ them right out on the street, over "bonfires". I mean, heck, the Marines got by in Haiti for years. After that, Berkeley, with an overland resupply route, should be a piece of cake. If nothing else, they should take over the schools and train the young ones how to carry a rifle and do bayonet drills on hippies. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-02-06 20:29 |
| #16 "forage freely upon the land" My God, 'moose - whatchoo got against the Marines? I doubt there's any Marine-worthy food in I know they can survive on anything if they have to, but sprouts? |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-02-06 19:38 |
| #15 I intend to reply. And I will address him as "Soldier!", and dress that coward down. Were you a sergeant once, www, or do you know someone who was? And may I have a copy of the letter -- I've always wanted to know how to dress someone down. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-02-06 19:29 |
| #14 Though it kind of mixes things up a bit, I think that a few companies of Marines ought to be encouraged to take shore leave in Berkeley, after being given W.T. Sherman's directive: that they should "forage freely upon the land." |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-02-06 16:41 |
| #13 *correction* "WWGPS", "What Would George Patton Say". |
| Posted by: www 2008-02-06 16:27 |
| #12 Just got a reply from the Mayor, who immediately tried to gain legitimacy by mentioning his military background. And then defended the resolutions against US troops. And then said "Bring the troops home." In other words, capitulate to the terrorists abroad. I intend to reply. And I will address him as "Soldier!", and dress that coward down. My motto in the reply will be "WWGPS", What Would Patton Say". |
| Posted by: www 2008-02-06 16:26 |
| #11 Put on your comfortable filibustering shoes senator when any Berkeley appropriations bill come up. I'll send the drinks and throat lozenges. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-02-06 15:58 |
| #10 Anguper Hupomosing9418 Was that money for ferries or fairies? Click on Rent-A-Mob above. |
| Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC 2008-02-06 15:42 |
| #9 The Rent-A-Mob has been doing this in Berkeley for months. |
| Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC 2008-02-06 15:39 |
#8 From comment #1:The move has provoked an uproar. South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint wants to yank some $2.1 million in Washington money bound for Berkeley schools, food programs and ferries. Sorry senator, we don't see the connection - or sense of fairness. The connection seems quite obvious to me. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2008-02-06 14:30 |
| #7 Marine Love: This pic is pure Love and the Berzerkeley Libs will never "get it"! ~:) |
| Posted by: RD 2008-02-06 14:26 |
| #6 Uncle Sam's Misguided Children - when it absolutely, positively needs to be destroyed overnight... |
| Posted by: Shusoth Poodle3373 2008-02-06 13:59 |
| #5 Why now? My guess is a number of rebellious kids are enlisting and its an affront to their parents and betters. The Marines wouldn't keep a recruiting depot if it wasn't working. They're more practical than that. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2008-02-06 13:41 |
| #4 one council member called the Marines..."trained killers.", they had a history of "death and destruction." Well, that is the purpose of a military. Thanks Marines! |
| Posted by: Spot 2008-02-06 13:23 |
| #3 There's a recruiting poster in the new Marine Corp museum at Quantico I admire - not sure of what vintage - that says, "nobody wants to fight, but somebody has to know how." Outstanding museum, by the way; really well-done, and all private money. They finished the WW II, and more recent wars part first, so the vets could enjoy. The Revolutionary-WW I period will be built later. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2008-02-06 13:11 |
| #2 I guess I do have to agree with the Berkeley city council on one thing: the Marines are, in fact, "trained killers". Of course, I consider that a feature, not a bug. |
| Posted by: Rambler 2008-02-06 12:49 |
| #1 My God, Medea! We've...lost the Chronicle!! Editorial Berkeley goes to war There's nothing surprising - or objectionable - about an anti-war protest outside a Marine Corps recruiting office in Berkeley. Bullhorns, locked arms, chanted slogans: Bring it on if that's the way demonstrators want to oppose the Iraq war. But what is the Berkeley City Council doing by endorsing statements denouncing these recruiters as "uninvited and unwelcome intruders" and reserving curb space for the convenience of weekly protesters? Berkeley's leaders have taken the worthy notion of political protest and shoved it over the cliff. While playing up arguments of free speech and organized protest, the council has loaded the deck with insulting language that denigrates the military and embarrasses the anti-war cause. The motion approved by the council includes a number of remarkable statements: "The United States has a history of launching illegal, immoral and unprovoked wars of aggression" and "The military recruiters are sales people known to lie to and seduce minors." The move has provoked an uproar. South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint wants to yank some $2.1 million in Washington money bound for Berkeley schools, food programs and ferries. Sorry senator, we don't see the connection - or sense of fairness. Two Berkeley City Council members, Sharon Olds and Laurie Capitelli, are hurrying a resolution for the council's Feb. 12 meeting to paper over the harm done. Their idea is to state Berkeley's opposition to the Iraq war and support the troops, no-brainer notions in local politics. The measure would also attempt to undo the damage by also dropping the offending rhetoric of the original resolution that singled out the Marine recruiters. That would be a welcome ending to a foolish crusade. This article appeared on page B - 10 of the San Francisco Chronicle |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-02-06 12:34 |