Posted by
Catmman on Thursday, January 31, 2008 12:35:55 PM
On American soil. In California. So says the city of Berkley.
If your eyes are prone to exploding from your head, be warned.
From Michelle Malkin:
Members of the Berkeley City Council showed their opposition to a Marine Corps recruiting office in Downtown Berkeley last night.
Council members supported the two resolutions-one supporting anti-war protests and the other criticizing military recruitment practices-citing opposition to the war in Iraq, deceptive recruitment practices and the right to protest.
“By taking a stand against recruitment we are protecting the health and safety of our youth,” said PhoeBe sorgen, a member of the Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission. “I see the protest as taking a proud and courageous stand.”
Code Pink, a national anti-war grassroots organization, will be granted a parking spot for their regular Wednesday afternoon protests and will not need to apply for a sound permit for the next six months, under one resolution.
The other resolution more directly criticizes the presence of the center in Berkeley. The city manager was directed to send a letter to the U.S. Marine Corps saying they are “uninvited and unwelcome intruders” in the city.
In addition, the city attorney has been directed to investigate whether the city’s anti-discrimination laws can be enforced at the center, based on the military’s consideration of sexual orientation in hiring.
Marine recruiters did not return calls for comment yesterday.
The other initiative is forging ahead:
Local activists have proposed an initiative for the November 2008 elections that would require military recruiting centers to acquire a special use permit.
“The Marines ought to have better sense than to come here,” [Councilwoman Betty] Olds said.
I am not a Marine, I'm in the Air Force. I do have some family members who were former Marines (one Uncle who died at Iwo Jima in WWII and won the Silver Star). But these folks are my comrades in arms and this is absolutely disgraceful.
It is also an outrage!
Let your voice be heard! Follow the link and give them a piece of your mind:
***
Here’s the Berkeley City Council page.
***