If you're reading this you've undoubtedly read about the City of Berkeley city council's decision to declare the Marine recruiting center "uninvited and unwelcome intruders"; if not, read the SJ Mercury's coverage.
Congressman John Campbell, who has subsequently introduced legislation rescinding funding contained in the FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Act for the City of Berkeley, had this to say:
"The Marine Corps has been protecting Americans and our freedoms for 233 years. Americans understand and appreciate that. You don't have to join the Marine Corps, or even like it, but you should at the very least let the Marines do their job and respect them for it.
The action by the Berkeley City Council indicates that they have a a disdain for and do not appreciate Marines for what they do and have done for this country, our democracy, and our freedoms. If they have so little respect and understanding of that, there is no reason for the rest of us outside the city of Berkeley to subsidize their actions with our taxpayer funds."
This treasonous action by the Berkeley City Council has so enraged me that I feel compelled to boycott the Cty of Berkeley until the City Council there apologizes to the Marine Corp. Therefore, starting today I hereby promise to:
1)Not visit Berkeley
2)Not buy products from any company located in Berkeley
3)Not attend any Cal Bear sporting events
4)Spend my own money getting the word out on Facebook so that as many people as possible who have any affiliation with Berkeley are made aware of what their disrespectful, vile City Council has done under cover of night
Please join me in boycotting the City of Berkeley and showing 100% solidarity with the Marines that our elected officals deploy; the democratic ideal allows no less.
20 comments:
But I need a new bong. Can I start boycotting Berkeley next month?
I'll boycott the marines this month. They are a homophobic organization anyway.
So, to show your disdain for the city of Berkeley's actions, you post a picture of a male in pink (presumably making some kind of homosexual slam)? Kinda gives me the feeling you would rather draw lines than work towards resolve.
Also, I don't think that Berkeley is looking to "take away Freedom of Speech" for Marines. The removal of Marines recruiting sites is actually a much different issue, nonetheless still of significance. I actually believe that Berkeley would welcome Marines to come dialgue among its residents, not restrict their freedoms.
The move by Berkeley is to attempt to limit the far reaching manipulation and recruitment of residents in Berkeley. A much different argument than the one you attempt to engage in. Maybe you should do some homework and refine your statements before making any claims.
This is reminescent of a few months ago, where I witnessed Marine recruiters on the "prowl" at a local Wal-Mart. With young adults in a small town and nothing much to do, many had congregated outside of the store. The Marines approached these youth, dressed in full regalia, attempting, in my view, to pursuade them to "do something with their lives", i.e., join the Marines. Go fight a war. Kill Iraqi's. Fight for illegitimate and law-breaking politicians. Hmmm, maybe it is not so hard to see why Berkeley is attempting to do away with recruiting centers....
Hey Tim,
You're funny, but you're also ignorant. There are as many sexual persuasions in the Marines as any other population group, so you're basically boycotting a group that's no different than the rest of the U.S.
Doesn't make much sense, does it? You should cut the THC with tobacco.
I grew up in Berkeley and spent 30 years there, am ultra-liberal, but I agree that the city should not dictate the rights and freedom of any organization, as that is the start of dictatorship. I am not for the war, or the military, necessarily, but in this case, it sounds too dictatorial of rights of Americans to freely choose.
Chapman, the man in pink is presumably a member of codepink. Or he just bought one of their shirts for fun.
1) Your other blog doesn't know how to spell "Hillary" correctly
2) How much does it cost to put up an ad on Facebook? I've been thinking about advertising some irate opinions of my own.
3) The federal government, in the form of (some Republican members of) Congress, is proposing to punish the entire citizenry of Berkeley for something its elected officials decided to do.
...if you had any democratic ideals, at all, you would realize that punishing an entire group of people for the actions of its elected officials is punishing those people for the democratic choices they made. Which does not encourage democracy.
> There are as many sexual
> persuasions in the Marines as any other
> population group, so you're basically
> boycotting a group that's no different
> than the rest of the U.S.
"In 2005, more than 700 members of the U.S. military were discharged because of their sexual orientation."
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/28/gays.military/index.html
To be clear I believe Berkeley (and other cities that have similar policies) are protesting the policies of the federal government not any of the people in the army/navy/etc.
Many of us who live, work, and do business in the city of Berkeley do not support the actions of the city council. A boycott punishes the hardworking citizens of Berkeley, not the wealthy members of the city council. You're punishing me and my (small, nonprofit) business for something over which I had no control and which I do not support. Who the eff are you-- Darth Vader? Seriously, dude. If you feel the need to punish anyone, punish the people at fault, not the people who just happen to be nearby.
Yeah. Im from Berkeley. Born and raised. Berkeley is a great city and the people are the coolest. But the city council and city politics are a joke. They are always making these dumb resolutions and statements as if the whole city is in support of them. It's kinda like The Shire in the Hobbit.
I dont think it is a good thing to cut funding to programs that are meant for social welfare. Those programs help a bunch of people who are needy. Why not find a way to punish the city council instead. or the people who proposed the idea? I don't think that schoolchildren and innocent families should have to suffer for the indiscretion of a few foolish local politicians.
The point of punishing the entire city with a boycott is to remind its *citizens* that they are responsible for who they elect.
If it pisses you off that I (along with thousands of others) am proposing a boycott of the city based on what the city's elected officials do, then I suggest you let your elected officials know if/how this might change you voting in the future.
For those of you proclaiming this city council action to be targeted to the federal government and not the Marines themselves, prove your sincerity by adopting a Marine deployed overseas at www.soldiersangels.org. Talk is cheap.
1) So if an organization/group/whatever boycotted San Diego because its City Council supports same-sex marriage, you'd be cool with that?
2) Why should any of us send gift baskets to our troops who voluntarily joined the armed forces to occupy foreign lands? We can talk all day about the courage and dedication that the USMC shows to America and freedom, since, yeah, they did kick ass in WWII. But nowadays, they're fighting people in Iraq and Afghanistan who pose no threat to America.
I'm not asking this rhetorically: what's my motivation to send cookies to a person who decided that shooting people was a good way to earn money for college? The only thing I'd like to send any of them is a ticket home away from the shit they're in.
Uh huh... You think those Marines WANT to be in Iraq and Afghanistan? You think they can just simply choose where to be? Most of these guys are not what the media often portray them to be, they are just people who are doing their job; enforcing the will of those people in Washington.
[i]'Voluntarily joined the armed forces to occupy foreign lands'? 'Person (people) who decided that shooting people was a good way to earn money for college?'[/i]
Quit talking out of your ass.
Showing respect for the marines does not mean that one must allow for a recruiting center to exist in one's town. We all appreciate what the armed forces do to protect us. But we don't want our brothers and sisters, and god forbit our friends, getting used as cannon fodder. The military uses money to attract people, and for the economically insecure this is very dangerous. I can understand why a city, trying to protect its citizens - and its underprivileged ones especially - would want to shield them from such temptations that the military offers in exchange, perhaps, for one's life. It's a very difficult question, and I'm not saying that Berkeley is necessarily correct, but your rather juvenile reaction is no better.
Jared, you're 100% wrong on that one. Respecting the Marines and the role of the military in our society does not allow for blocking Marine recruiting centers. Either you agree that our government has a right given to it by the people who elect our leaders (us) to have a military and use it the way our elected leaders see fit, or you don't. If you agree, then unless you somehow magically fall outside the group of citizens who vote, you must live (until the next elections) with the leaders the majority of the population chose (don't go to Florida puh-lease. If you don't agree, then you at the very least have a heavy obligation to work your ass off to change the system.
But the Berkeley City Council's decision is neither respectful of the democracy we live in nor acknowledging of the citizens' primary role in put politicians in position to wield military power.
Here's an opinion from a Marine. We don't want you, we don't need you. We give you the opportunity to try and become one of us. A recruiter's job is to find applicants. We are the smallest fighting force this country has to offer. That is because not just anyone can do it. If the people of Berkeley don't want anything to do with us, fine. Don't care. We'll still go out and do our job the same as any other day. We don't do it for your approval or respect. We don't do it for the money. We do it because we are the only ones who can. We risk our lives daily for you regardless of what you think about us. So boycott whoever you want. Doesn't matter. We will still be out there on the line keeping away those that want to hurt you.
the industrial war machine exists in all corners of this nation and if the good people of berkeley want to provide a small reprieve from the beat of the war drums, more power to them
You're right, Patrick, that the people of Berkeley have a right to do whatever they want, but I think they'll change their minds when they feel the economic pain of the irresponsible and disrespectful action their city council has taken.
Chapman clark, there is no doubt that the blood shed by previous generations to secure your freedom and mine has fallen on your deaf ear. I proudly served in the Marine Corps and support our troops to this day.
But, for you to comment that the recruiters somehow did something wrong is unbelievable.
...."The Marines approached these youth, dressed in full regalia, attempting, in my view, to pursuade them to "do something with their lives", i.e., join the Marines. Go fight a war. Kill Iraqi's"....
That Marine Corps Recruiter does not only protect this country to secure your rights to freedom of expression, assemble and speech. But, also to secure his right to excercise the same.
Continue to enjoy your freedoms granted to you not by pieces of paper alone. But, by the blood, sweat and tears of the men and women of the Armed Forces and men and women who protect those same freedoms here at home.
Oooh Rah, Semper Fi (Always Faithful) something you should learn !!
It’s sad how America is becoming a pussy state full of emo teens who think Starbucks is great and at the same time go protest corporations. While the Russians and Chinese are toughening up their young people, we are pussifying and spoiling ours. This generation is so goddamn ignorant and lazy; they wouldn’t know a real threat to their freedom until it interrupted the power source to their X-Box and killed half a billion people.
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