|
ContraCostaTimes
|
|
In addition, the council voted to explore enforcing its law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation against the Marines because of the military’s don’t ask, don’t tell policy. And it officially encouraged the women’s peace group Code Pink to impede the work of the Marines in the city by protesting in front of the station.
In a separate item, the council voted 8-1 to give Code Pink a designated parking space in front of the recruiting station once a week for six months and a free sound permit for protesting once a week from noon to 4 p.m. The Marines have been in Berkeley for a little more than a year, having moved from Alameda in December of 2006. For about the past four months, Code Pink has been protesting in front of the station. “I believe in the Code Pink cause. The Marines don’t belong here, they shouldn’t have come here, and they should leave,” said Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates after votes were cast. An employee of a nearby business who asked not to be identified said Wednesday the elderly Code Pink protesters are aggressive, take up parking spaces, block the sidewalk with their yoga moves, smoke in the doorways, and are noisy. “Most of the people around here think they’re a joke,” the woman said.
A Marines representative did not respond to requests for comment.
So Berkeley, when Al Qaeda storms the beach in the Bay area, who ya gonna call?
Who to call? The same people you rely on to protect Berkeley from Moonmen and Dragons – Homeland Insecurity.
I consider myself a dove, not a hawk, but this is just ridiculous.
Why are the Marines in Berkley? Off the top of my head I can’t think of another town that would be more antithetical to Marine recruiting. It would be like Mormons or Scientologists trying to recruit at an Atheist convention.
I hope they’re feeling mighty full of themselves. All for what? Just as bad as the wikid evangelicals if you ask me.
“I guess we showed them big, bad Marines, hoooah!”
Puhleeze.
What happens if another group comes into town that code pink or city council doesn’t like? Maybe protest a Republican Campaign Headquarters? Maybe protest a Catholic Church, or a Synagogue, or a Muslim Temple? They’re creating a mob mentality and a dangerous precident.
Non-story. People from that area haven’t been taken seriously for a long time.
#5 – In the rest of the country they’d get shot. Once again, non-story.
What do you expect from a Sanctuary city that would welcome illegal aliens with open arms but considers those who protect their freedoms “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.”
This makes my blood boil.
So Berkeley, when Al Qaeda storms the beach in the Bay area, who ya gonna call?
What shall we do to prevent Al-Qaeda from breaking into McCullough’s house?
a) Post marines all around his house.
b) Put a minefield around the house.
c) Bomb Iran.
d) Nuke the Mid-East.
e) All of the above.
Al-Qaeda… the modern boogeyman. Look kid… do as I say or Al-Qaeda will come and get you…
I’m waiting for the petition to outlaw the police in Berkley. After all the taser incidents, don’t you think they’re more dangerous on U.S. soil than the marines?
Then, after all crime goes through the roof, we can laugh at them for being idiots.
Notice the article specifically interviews only elderly Code Pink activists? Berkley never got out of the 60’s and still looking for a cause!
I agree with #5. Using a mob to promote your twisted view of who the “right people” are, is so 1950’s. We need a Marine MLK to set these weirdoes right.
BigA, I think you need to shut your lily white ass up. As for the protests in Berkeley, I don’t support this (but I don’t live there either), and I am sure this falls under the 1st Amendment.
Per usual, ask the man on the street – or self-proclaimed libertarians – if they’d support the Bill of Rights? The answer continues to be “NO”.
Political bodies have a right to vote on and determine political issues. If folks in Berkeley don’t approve, they’ll vote ’em out of office. Unlike Utah (or San Francisco), where shooting council members is apparently legal.
The reason the radical idiots who govern Berkeley get to continue to govern Berkeley is that the majority of people who vote in the city elections are a combination of transients (students) and renters. They appeal to these people by the always popular Robin Hood principal (in this case, severe rent control). Since the majority of their constituency will NEVER put down roots or own anything in Berkeley, their tactics continue to work.
My favorite story is the one about the 80 year old woman who wanted to move back into the house she owned, and was told she couldn’t becaues of the rent control laws. But there are tons of great stories.
The ones that regard graft and corruption among the city council are also winners.
On the east coast, we have Cambridge, MA, which is just about as bad, and maintains power in the same ways.
“Then, after all crime goes through the roof, we can laugh at them for being idiots.”
#9 – there’s no reason why we need to wait to laugh at the idiots from Berkeley.
I’d do her if she wouldn’t talk.
I doubt you could keep up with her, those liberal types (especially the women) are really freaky in bed. By the time she even got going, you’d be snoring. Just a friendly word of warning.
Watch out Berkeley! Al Qaeda’s storming the beach, right alongside the Martians and the Leprechauns! You should have internalized more fear!
I love it. Finally somebody in the modern era wants to put an end to our standing army. I don’t think anybody is holding their breath in anticipation of Al Quaeda’s attack on Berkeley, and we have some right to say what kind of people can share our communities. The Marines are like Bush, they kill people and are not conducive to peace. Military solutions don’t work anymore. We have to learn to negotiate these solutions instead of just killing people to force our ideas on the survivors.
Do you suppose anybody in Iraq thinks our military has saved them from Al Qaeda? What a sick joke the whole war is.
As others said, Al Qaeda is the modern Boogey man. We have nothing to fear from those rag headed sons of bitches. When they come out of hiding we will squash them like cock roaches.
16,
I’d hit it even if she spoke. I just wouldn’t listen!
We have to learn to negotiate these solutions instead of just killing people to force our ideas on the survivors.
Right. Negotiate. It worked so well for France in the ’30s.
#19
“Military solutions don’t work anymore.”
…
“When they come out of hiding we will squash them like cock roaches.”
Exactly who would be doing this squashing then??
France wasn’t overtaken by a group of individuals who lacked tanks, aircrafts and a standing army. IEDs work well when its your own territory, not so well when it is foreign land.
“Call Mayor Tom Bates at 510-981-7000. Exercise your free speech rights and tell him where he can shove code pink.”
Taken from:
http://tinyurl.com/2ab2zx
Right, and the WTD wasn’t taken out by peasants with pitchforks…..do you have a point?
We should continue to have a standing military poised in a defense of our country. Before we act there should be a clear and present danger to our soil. When we open up there should be no holding back. War should scare the hell out of both sides. All weapons should be on the table and used freely else why the hell have them.
I just laugh at the idea of the police trying to remove the Marines.
When Congress defaults in its check and balance role against the power of the Presidency, then only the people can act.
When the President is popular and ruling as the people wish, the military has all the volunteers it needs.
When the President moves steadily towards a fascist state, groups like Blackwater must be formed and “the people” indicate their growing displeasure with===The President, The Congress, and the Military.
Its called democracy. Sad so many don’t understand what the military is supposedly protecting?
#19….that works if everybody is willing to settle for diplomacy and the results thereof. Do you honestly think you can negoiate with a terror group? If you do, your to far gone to understand anything more I could say.
It pissed off a Senator or 2…..a bill is being drawn up as we speak to penalize Berekely with a reduction or elimination of federal funds to the city. Of course that will only harm those in public office because they won’t have all that money to siphon off their usual take of graft money.
Funny how the far left whines about IT’S free speech but has no problem blocking everyone else’s who oppose them.
#29–Joshua==its a close call. How tolerant of intolerance can one be before freedoms are lost?
Read the OP again. Nothing is banned, blocked, or prohibited.
The formal basis for the action to express the counter opinion is the normally ILLEGAL discriminatory stance the military has against gays.
If the law of the land is you cannot discriminate against gays==why then again should the military get an exception?
Assuring the public is free to protest this illegal stance of the military is the highest calling of free speech.
Way to FUBAR any notion of free speech—its not just for people who agree with you.