More news on Berkeley...

[lawrocket 3]

A couple of weeks ago, the Berkeley City Council voted to send a letter to a Marine Recruiting office in Berkeley that if they remained there, it would be as "uninvited and unwelcome intruders" - much in the same way that redneck racists let a minority who moved in know that, you know, if something was to happen, well, um, they were warned, and their safety cannot be guaranteed.

Well, they caught hell. And either late last night or early this morning, voted not to send the letter.

They said they support the people in the military, just not the Iraq war, and not the "recruitment." Kinda like saying, "we don't like THE Marines, but we love Marines."

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Amazon 7]

So it really boils down to a tempest in a teapot for the right wing to stir.....gotcha

[lawrocket 3]

No. It boils down to "tolerance." You know, that thing that the left is so big on? "Tolerance."

What the heck is a city doing even THINKING of sending a letter to a legitimate business saying that they are unwelcome?

I'd be bitter if a city did that to a porn store. Or a Wal-mart. Or even a campaign office for a candidate.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[billvon 3,132]

>Kinda like saying, "we don't like THE Marines, but we love Marines."

Or "hate the sin, love the sinner."

[livendive 8]

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No. It boils down to "tolerance." You know, that thing that the left is so big on? "Tolerance."

What the heck is a city doing even THINKING of sending a letter to a legitimate business saying that they are unwelcome?

I'd be bitter if a city did that to a porn store. Or a Wal-mart. Or even a campaign office for a candidate.

To be fair, the porn store, wal-mart, and campaign office aren't trying to recruit the city's citizens for work that involves "kill or be killed." A government does have some duty to protect its citizenry, and I can see how some could pervert that duty into a mandate to chase away military recruiters. I don't agree with it, but I can understand it.

Note that's not what I think Berkeley is doing...they're just grandstanding in the costume they've been wearing for the past few decades.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[Amazon 7]

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No. It boils down to "tolerance." You know, that thing that the left is so big on? "Tolerance."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Yeah the right wing is a bastion of tolerance in this country


BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[lawrocket 3]

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>Kinda like saying, "we don't like THE Marines, but we love Marines."

Or "hate the sin, love the sinner."

Indeed. "Hate the sin, love the sinner, get the hell outta here, sinners, you aren't welcome."

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[lawrocket 3]

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Yeah the right wing is a bastion of tolerance in this country

No, it is not. As we can see, however, neither is the left - who often hold themselves out to be.

And note my specific reference to trying to shut down a porn store - right wing intolerance. I cross party and ideological lines, Jeanne.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[lawrocket 3]

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To be fair, the porn store, wal-mart, and campaign office aren't trying to recruit the city's citizens for work that involves "kill or be killed."

Understood. But cops have that situation. Furthermore, recruiting in places that have low unemployment is rarely as successful.

but a pretty good post, Dave.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

What it really boils down to is politicians not understanding their mandate. The Mayer and council of Berkely need to worry about traffic signals, sewers and the like. The Marine corp is under federal jurisdiction.
It reminds me of the time in the eighties when the city of Vancouver declared itself a nuclear weapons free zone. They then announced that the US carrier that was scheduled to visit was welcome as long as they had no nuclear weapons aboard. The Canadian Department of Defense had no official comment, but some nameless lieutenant from the pres dept did mention that the carrier would be docking at a federal wharf located in a federal harbour. The unstated completion of the thought was that the mayor could fuck right off.

[PLFXpert 0]

Letters are scary. Papercuts can be SO painful!



I say send the letter; let Berkeley be the psychedelic Ave Maria.

If we're going with the Gandhi philosophy, however, I see no reason to harass our troops.

I realize the letter can be perceived as a form of harassment in and of itself. I guess my issue is very simply the physical conduct of the protestors and the pro-military groups toward one another. It solves nothing.

Perhaps since Berkeley supports the troops, but not the war (or recruitment) a compromise could be arranged: Recruitment office goes. Welcome Project Bore Snake office! Or maybe they also support the troops, but don't support them having clean weapons.

This surely is one for the top minds to solve!

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[happythoughts 0]

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No. It boils down to "tolerance." You know, that thing that the left is so big on? "Tolerance."

Everybody believes in free speech - as long as you are saying something that agrees with them.

Political parties have some similarities.

- They know what is best for you. You are too stupid to know it. They are way smarter.

- They are here to help you. Even if you resist.

- They are a bunch of rich people who are going to tell you how to live correctly, even if you object.

- They are in the industry of marketing their product, even if it involves lying. "Polls say... and that is what we are."

[kelpdiver 2]

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It reminds me of the time in the eighties when the city of Vancouver declared itself a nuclear weapons free zone.

Berkeley is a nuclear free zone too...except whenever the University needs or wants to deal with nuclear materials. UC does administer the nation's nuclear development and arsenal, though most of the on campus work is theoretical, with more going on east in Livermore.

Last night's backpedaling looks like an attempt to have their cake and eat it too.

And it's sad that they are making a deal out of this recruiting station, which is for volunteers from the college, rather than the one in downtown Oakland where they are going after the poor and dumb. No one going to the Berkeley office is being mislead or confused about what they're getting themselves into. They are choosing to serve.

[billvon 3,132]

>Indeed. "Hate the sin, love the sinner, get the hell outta here,
>sinners, you aren't welcome."

Get out of here sinners _while_sinning._

Just like you might think someone who ran a coal fired power plant was a decent guy. But if he started dumping bottom ash next to your house, and it was making you sick, you might fight him on it. Would that mean you hated him? Or would it mean that you just wanted him to stop dumping ash next to you?

[lummy 4]

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Oakland where they are going after the poor and dumb. No one going to the Berkeley office is being mislead or confused about what they're getting themselves into.

I happen to know one of the Army recruiters who used to work in Oakland who was telling me that it's almost impossible to recruit anyone when he worked in Oakland. No one seemed to even know the recuriting office was even there, including protestors.

I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. eat sushi, get smoochieTTK#1