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2008-02-06 Home Front: Culture Wars

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Posted by tu3031 2008-02-06 12:10|| || Front Page|| [6 views ] Top

#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|| 2008-02-06 12:34|| Front Page Top

#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">Rambler 2008-02-06 12:49|| 2008-02-06 12:49|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2008-02-06 13:11|| Front Page Top

#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">Spot 2008-02-06 13:23|| 2008-02-06 13:23|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2008-02-06 13:41|| Front Page Top

#6 Uncle Sam's Misguided Children - when it absolutely, positively needs to be destroyed overnight...

Posted by Shusoth Poodle3373 2008-02-06 13:59|| 2008-02-06 13:59|| Front Page Top

#7 one of my favorite images..

Marine Love: This pic is pure Love and the Berzerkeley Libs will never "get it"!

~:)

Posted by RD">RD 2008-02-06 14:26|| 2008-02-06 14:26|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2008-02-06 14:30|| Front Page Top

#9 The Rent-A-Mob has been doing this in Berkeley for months.

Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2008-02-06 15:39|| 2008-02-06 15:39|| Front Page Top

#10 Anguper Hupomosing9418

Was that money for ferries or fairies?

Click on Rent-A-Mob above.

Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2008-02-06 15:42|| 2008-02-06 15:42|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2008-02-06 15:58|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2008-02-06 16:26|| Front Page Top

#13 *correction* "WWGPS", "What Would George Patton Say".

Posted by www 2008-02-06 16:27|| 2008-02-06 16:27|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2008-02-06 16:41|| Front Page Top

#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">trailing wife 2008-02-06 19:29|| 2008-02-06 19:29|| Front Page Top

#16 "forage freely upon the land"

My God, 'moose - whatchoo got against the Marines?

I doubt there's any Marine-worthy food in ~~Tofu-stan~~ Berzerkly.

I know they can survive on anything if they have to, but sprouts?

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2008-02-06 19:38|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/] 2008-02-06 19:38|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2008-02-06 20:29|| Front Page Top

#18 I prefer to be called a "brain-washed killer."

Posted by Broadhead6 2008-02-06 22:20|| 2008-02-06 22:20|| Front Page Top

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