Just wanted to state that I am embarrassed to be a resident of Berkeley, CA right now

Xevious

Xevious

CAGiversary!
I understand that people have the right to protest the war but I do not agree with the actions of the city council. It was pretty shocking to see my town on the front page of CNN.com. I am against the war but I am not against the Marines (or any armed forces for that matter). Its not their fault that we are in this mess.

Now the whole country will think that I live in a town filled with boneheaded liberal extremists. I just want to state that not everyone who lives here agrees with what happened.

In case you don't know what I'm taking about- the city council has voted to remove the Marine recruitment center from the city. Here is the article in CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/07/berkeley.protests/index.html
 
Hrm. This is a tough one. On one hand, I think that trying to toss recruiters from your town is silly. On the other hand, I'm not sure that they shouldn't be allowed to, as a matter of local/state rights versus federal rights. I do know that, unsurprisingly, the Republican response is BS:

"In Washington, a group of Republican lawmakers have introduced the Semper Fi Act of 2008 -- named after the Marine motto -- to rescind more than $2 million of funds for Berkeley and transfer it to the Marine Corps.

'Like most Americans, I really get disturbed when taxpayer money goes to institutions which proceed to take votes, make policy or make statements that really denigrate the military," said Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, a co-sponsor of the bill.'"

Really? Because Berkeley doesn't pay any taxes themselves? Just raking in the revenue from Berkeley come April 15 without giving back whatever aid was earmarked seems reasonable? Why is it Republicans love to talk a big game about how much they hate the federal government interfering with local politics, yet see no hypocrisy with stuff like this? Oh, right: because the shoe's on the other foot. Of course. Here's a newsflash, Vitter: you can keep "taxpayer money" from things you don't like when I can keep my takes from going to corporate welfare, religious charities, and the military budget.
 
a town filled with boneheaded liberal extremists
Click to expand...

Hey, I already thought that already! :D

Anyway, I've visited Berkeley once while choosing colleges several years ago. As far as I'm concerned, you guys can do whatever you want there, but the place just doesn't resonate with me. :)
 
David Vitter's still a senator? :rofl: Only in Louisiana.

I'd like to see more cities do this to their Dianetics centers. Recruiters might be a hassle, but as an individual, have the backbone to tell 'em you're not interested if you don't want to enlist. Christ.
 
Marines are some bad ass mother f*ckers. That being said, I feel sorry for the guy who had to break the news to the recruitment center. I remember looking directly into the eyes of a Marine once... man... my pee-pee shrunk by two inches, and it hasn't recovered since.

On the other hand, I do not support having military recruiters in the high schools.

But kicking them completely out of town is just not fair.

edit:

Btw, there's no way a Marine will ever utter the words, "Code Pink kicked us out of town."
 
Protester Sharon Adams added: "This recruiting station recruits people to go fight and then once they fight and they serve their country, our country doesn't take care of them. That's a shame."

If that's at the heart of this, then i absolutely agree.
 
[quote name='trq']Hrm. This is a tough one. On one hand, I think that trying to toss recruiters from your town is silly. On the other hand, I'm not sure that they shouldn't be allowed to, as a matter of local/state rights versus federal rights. I do know that, unsurprisingly, the Republican response is BS:

"In Washington, a group of Republican lawmakers have introduced the Semper Fi Act of 2008 -- named after the Marine motto -- to rescind more than $2 million of funds for Berkeley and transfer it to the Marine Corps.

'Like most Americans, I really get disturbed when taxpayer money goes to institutions which proceed to take votes, make policy or make statements that really denigrate the military," said Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, a co-sponsor of the bill.'"

Really? Because Berkeley doesn't pay any taxes themselves? Just raking in the revenue from Berkeley come April 15 without giving back whatever aid was earmarked seems reasonable? Why is it Republicans love to talk a big game about how much they hate the federal government interfering with local politics, yet see no hypocrisy with stuff like this? Oh, right: because the shoe's on the other foot. Of course. Here's a newsflash, Vitter: you can keep "taxpayer money" from things you don't like when I can keep my takes from going to corporate welfare, religious charities, and the military budget.[/quote]

Berkeley does something stupid, and then the Republicans try to one-up them?
 
I may not agree with the rest, but they've got a great point here:

It adds, "Military recruiters are salespeople known to lie to and seduce minors and young adults into contracting themselves into military service with false promises regarding jobs, job training, education and other benefits."
Click to expand...
 
[quote name='Unickuta']Berkeley does something stupid, and then the Republicans try to one-up them?[/QUOTE]

Indeed. To paraphrase a certain Sicilian, Berkeley should know better than to go in against Congress when "stupid" is on the line.
 
[quote name='trq']Indeed. To paraphrase a certain Sicilian, Berkeley should know better than to go in against Congress when "stupid" is on the line.[/QUOTE]

The most well-known is never get involved in the two-party system...
 
See, there's three kinds of recruiting. Subliminal, liminal, and superliminal.

What's superliminal?

[opens window] HEY YOU! JOIN THE NAVY!
 
I applaud Berkely's moxie. Though it seems more of a symbolic move since the Military's recruitment statistics from Berkely are: 0.
 
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