[Rhodes22-list] Marines & Berkeley - More Political Scu
Herb Parsons
hparsons at parsonsys.com
Sat Feb 2 18:07:13 EST 2008
Protesting??? You call that protesting? Hey John, I disagree with YOUR
views, how about I come "protest" by chaining myself to your front door.
It's idiocy, and I agree with what's been said, if it were a someone
protesting against a leftist organization, the police in that armpit of
a city would be quick to "do their duty".
john Belanger wrote:
> i see this as democracy in action. when seen from abroad, it shows that american people can protest against aspects of their military 's actions without fear of a swat team coming down on their heads. cooler heads will prevail. and recruitment might increase due to the backlash. win-win.
>
> Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote: John,
>
> You are picking nits, they pay rent and have a legal right to be there. If
> Berkeley wants the Marines out, then let them pass a law much like those
> against porno shops. If these people were anti-abortion protesters you can
> bet Berkeley's finest would have them hauled off in minutes. When the next
> quake hits, let them fend for themselves. In the meantime, cut off their
> federal funds.
>
> Brad
>
> On Feb 2, 2008 11:33 AM, john Belanger wrote:
>
>
>> don't want to nitpick here, but, since when is a military recruiting
>> station, a business?
>>
>> Brad Haslett wrote: Robert,
>>
>> Here's an update on Berkeley-
>>
>> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/02/BALTUQKOE.DTL
>>
>> I posted the link rather than the text so you can see the photos.
>> Yesterday, protesters chained themselves to the door of the Marine
>> recruiting office for 7 and 1/2 HOURS! Since when is it legal to close
>> down
>> a business and where are the Berkeley police for 7 and 1/2 hours?
>> Congresswoman Lee protested Sen. Demints proposal to de-fund Berkeley by
>> saying it wasn't right to deprive children of lunches and citizens of
>> first
>> responders. I'd say these people don't need to be having children and if
>> it
>> takes over 7 hours for the police to respond, they don't need them either.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> On Jan 31, 2008 6:59 PM, Robert Skinner wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Sorry to hear about this stupidity - but it looks as
>>> though the Leathernecks picked a poor beachhead.
>>>
>>> Any town that does not welcome the Marines does not
>>> deserve them. What kind of dweeb confuses the loyal
>>> Marines with the leadership and policies that they are
>>> sworn to follow?
>>>
>>> I, for one, am damned glad to have a fellow Marine
>>> next to me under any circumstances, whether or not we
>>> share political views.
>>>
>>> /Robert
>>>
>>> -------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> Brad Haslett wrote:
>>>
>>>> Boys and girls, here is a perfect opportunity to solve our energy
>>>>
>>> problem.
>>>
>>>> I say we take spent nuclear fuel and dump it right smack in the center
>>>>
>>> of
>>>
>>>> Berkeley. That, or pull every last federal dollar out of that scum
>>>>
>>> infested
>>>
>>>> city. Brad
>>>>
>>>> ----------------------------
>>>>
>>>> Berkeley council tells Marines to leave
>>>> By Doug Oakley
>>>>
>>>> STAFF WRITER
>>>> Article Launched: 01/30/2008 01:48:16 PM PST
>>>>
>>>> Hey-hey, ho-ho, the Marines in Berkeley have got to go.
>>>>
>>>> That's the message from the Berkeley City Council, which voted 8-1
>>>>
>>> Tuesday
>>>
>>>> night to tell the U.S. Marines that its Shattuck Avenue recruiting
>>>>
>>> station
>>>
>>>> "is not welcome in the city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do
>>>>
>>> so as
>>>
>>>> uninvited and unwelcome intruders."
>>>>
>>>> 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.
>>>>
>>>> Councilman Gordon Wozniak opposed both items.
>>>>
>>>> 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.
>>>>
>>>> A Marines representative did not respond to requests for comment.
>>>>
>>>> The resolution telling the Marines they are unwelcome and directing
>>>>
>> the
>>
>>> city
>>>
>>>> attorney to explore
>>>> ------------------------------
>>>> ------------------------------
>>>> issues of sexual orientation discrimination was brought to the council
>>>>
>>> by
>>>
>>>> the city's Peace and Justice commission.
>>>>
>>>> The recommendation to give Code Pink a parking space for protesting
>>>>
>> and
>>
>>> a
>>>
>>>> free sound permit was brought by council members Linda Maio and Max
>>>> Anderson.
>>>>
>>>> Code Pink on Wednesday started circulating petitions to put a measure
>>>>
>> on
>>
>>> the
>>>
>>>> November ballot in Berkeley that would make it more difficult to open
>>>> military recruiting offices near homes, parks, schools, churches
>>>>
>>> libraries
>>>
>>>> or health clinics. The group needs 5,000 signatures to make the
>>>>
>> ballot.
>>
>>>> Even though the council items passed, not everyone is happy with the
>>>>
>>> work of
>>>
>>>> Code Pink. Some employees and owners of businesses near the Marines
>>>>
>>> office
>>>
>>>> have had enough of the group and its protests.
>>>>
>>>> "My husband's business is right upstairs, and this (protesting) is
>>>>
>>> bordering
>>>
>>>> on harassment," Dori Schmidt told the council. "I hope this stops."
>>>>
>>>> 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.
>>>>
>>>> Wozniak said he was opposed to giving Code Pink a parking space
>>>>
>> because
>>
>>> it
>>>
>>>> favors free speech rights of one group over another.
>>>>
>>>> "There's a line between protesting and harassing, and that concerns
>>>>
>> me,"
>>
>>>> Wozniak said. "It looks like we are showing favoritism. We have to
>>>>
>>> respect
>>>
>>>> the other side, and not abuse their rights. This is not good policy."
>>>>
>>>> Ninety-year-old Fran Rachel, a Code Pink protester who spoke at the
>>>>
>>> council
>>>
>>>> meeting, said the group's request for a parking space and noise permit
>>>>
>>> was
>>>
>>>> especially important because the Marines are recruiting soldiers who
>>>>
>> may
>>
>>> die
>>>
>>>> in an unjust war.
>>>>
>>>> "This is very serious," Rachel said. "This isn't a game; it's mass
>>>>
>>> murder.
>>>
>>>> There's a sickness of silence of people not speaking out against the
>>>>
>>> war. We
>>>
>>>> have to do this."
>>>>
>>>> Anderson, a former Marine who said he was "drummed out" of the corps
>>>>
>>> when he
>>>
>>>> took a stand against the Vietnam War, said he'd love to see the
>>>>
>> Marines
>>
>>> high
>>>
>>>> tale it out of town.
>>>>
>>>> "We are confronted with an organization that can spend billions of
>>>>
>>> dollars
>>>
>>>> on propaganda," Anderson said. "This is not Okinawa here; we're
>>>>
>> involved
>>
>>> in
>>>
>>>> a naked act of aggression. If we can provide a space for ordinary
>>>>
>> people
>>
>>> to
>>>
>>>> express themselves against this kind of barbarity, then we should be
>>>>
>>> doing
>>>
>>>> it."
>>>>
>>>> E-mail Doug Oakley at doakley at bayareanewsgroup.com
>>>> __________________________________________________
>>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>
>>> --
>>> Robert Skinner "Squirrel Haven"
>>> Gorham, Maine 04038-1331
>>> s/v "Little Dipper" & "Edith P."
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>>>
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--
Herb Parsons
S/V O'Jure - O'Day 25
S/V Reve de Pappa - Coronado 35
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