I apologize for not writing sooner, but I have been using a lot of time just following the ongoing drama of Marines in Berkeley. I assume you all have been following, too, if only what's been on the news. At the risk of ruining the punchline of my story I will tell you right away that I wondered at 1am on Wednesday if I was out of a "job" because the Council backed down and admitted that the Marine Office had the right to be located in Berkeley.
Well, job security isn't really that great if its a job you don't want to be necessary...but it looks like we'll be here awhile longer.
I'm going to put in some links to stuff I've found that I thought was particularly useful or descriptive concerning the demonstration on Tuesday and what has gone on since. Of course, if you are reading this you have the same capability to find those sources -- I would encourage anyone to try a Google search for "Berkeley vs. Marines" or "Code PINK vs. Marines" to see what you turn up.
In my opinion local papers have been more fair than I expected (I didn't expect much), with the best coverage from Doug Oakley of the San Jose Mercury News. The local television stations have been fascinated in their fashion, at 5:00am Tuesday there were 6 television trucks plus print journalists, etc. following a protest which at that time numbered about 50 people on each side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center Park. I was there, because I found out the night before that my college-aged daughter was coming by to drag my high school-aged son to the protest... so I got to do the right thing AND see my kids. The little guy was home with dad and we were back for breakfast before either one noticed.
The other assembled anti-war groups A.N.S.W.E.R. and World Can't Wait! almost made Code PINK look reasonable. That is the biggest condemnation I can give. There were people of goodwill on all sides, and there were people hellbent on getting attention by behaving badly, or in a shocking fashion - which is sometimes hard in Berkeley. Its not true that "all" the pro-troops demonstrators were from somewhere else, but some were and came amazing distances to be there. I'll try to add links to some stories. Its sad that Medea Benjamin of Code PINK can dismiss people who sacrificed so much to be here as "outsiders" instead of hearing something in the fact that they were committed to BEING HERE.
World Can't Wait recruited hundreds of high school students into their ranks at lunchtime using of a ploy Code PINK has condemned (when used by the military) --- FREE STUFF! It was sad to see hatred and vulgar language coming out of 15 year-olds who had just been given t-shirts and bandannas by World Can't Wait! in exchange for their participation -- during lunch and beyond. Next week I will have to ask the school what their policy is on the kids who were photographed while cutting school (right across the street) and shouting "1,2,3,4, We don't want your F***ing War!" at senior citizens who may also have been Veterans of Foreign Wars. I ran into my son and his friends at lunchtime, too. A group later dismissed by an anti-war blogger as "short haired para-military youth." The blogger probably thought she was being open-minded and loving, because she didn't ACTUALLY call them neo-Nazi skinheads....My son does have short hair, and he did wear a shirt with a flag on it....so I guess that's proof that there's something sinister about him. Nice shirt, too - from the Jelly Belly Factory, with "Proud to Bean American" on it.
Some teachers brought their kids out to participate in the protest as well. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! I've tried in the past to get teachers at Berkeley High to behave in a more professional manner and they don't see it. The worst ones cannot conceive of stifling their own opinions to the higher calling of behaving like an adult and creating a safe place for students to have their own opinions. When my daughter was at Berkeley High the issue was complying with Ed Code to put a flag in every classroom. The Superintendent of Schools and the Principal came down on the side of flags being an unnecessary expense and infringing on teachers' personal rights --- but put up the flags when money was threatened. Last year they proudly folded again under federal pressure to comply with the "Opt-Out" legislation attached to "No Child Left Behind" and again it was because money was threatened. Berkeley was the last high school in the country to use an "Opt-In" strategy with military recruiters, "return this form if you want to be contacted", and by last year the Department of Defense had had enough arrogance and ended the stand-off with a single phone call. (Oh to have been a fly on the wall!!!) Berkeley is horrified that Sen DeMint has threatened to take our Earmarks - and now the State wants to take $3.3 in transportation money because the City ceded space on a public roadway to a private political group....well. There is a precedent. Its worth it if it works.
Oh wait, arrogance and unprofessional behavior...that reminds me. Berkeley City Council doesn't get it, either. Indeed, a large part of the communication I've had with the BCC in the past two weeks has been respectfully reminding them that while they are entitled to their personal opinions, they are pledged to perform objective public service. Gordon Wozniak is the only one who actually expressed that concept publically on Tuesday night, but Mr. Capitelli and Mrs. Olds actually do believe it. Of the rest, most don't get it but only Max Anderson actually seems to have a personal hatred of the military, based I think on his own experience (which I'll have to research). More than ever, its clear that our Mayor is clueless, which leads to his doing evil things without comprehension. The rest of them are just a waste, at least on this issue.
Well, job security isn't really that great if its a job you don't want to be necessary...but it looks like we'll be here awhile longer.
I'm going to put in some links to stuff I've found that I thought was particularly useful or descriptive concerning the demonstration on Tuesday and what has gone on since. Of course, if you are reading this you have the same capability to find those sources -- I would encourage anyone to try a Google search for "Berkeley vs. Marines" or "Code PINK vs. Marines" to see what you turn up.
In my opinion local papers have been more fair than I expected (I didn't expect much), with the best coverage from Doug Oakley of the San Jose Mercury News. The local television stations have been fascinated in their fashion, at 5:00am Tuesday there were 6 television trucks plus print journalists, etc. following a protest which at that time numbered about 50 people on each side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center Park. I was there, because I found out the night before that my college-aged daughter was coming by to drag my high school-aged son to the protest... so I got to do the right thing AND see my kids. The little guy was home with dad and we were back for breakfast before either one noticed.
The other assembled anti-war groups A.N.S.W.E.R. and World Can't Wait! almost made Code PINK look reasonable. That is the biggest condemnation I can give. There were people of goodwill on all sides, and there were people hellbent on getting attention by behaving badly, or in a shocking fashion - which is sometimes hard in Berkeley. Its not true that "all" the pro-troops demonstrators were from somewhere else, but some were and came amazing distances to be there. I'll try to add links to some stories. Its sad that Medea Benjamin of Code PINK can dismiss people who sacrificed so much to be here as "outsiders" instead of hearing something in the fact that they were committed to BEING HERE.
World Can't Wait recruited hundreds of high school students into their ranks at lunchtime using of a ploy Code PINK has condemned (when used by the military) --- FREE STUFF! It was sad to see hatred and vulgar language coming out of 15 year-olds who had just been given t-shirts and bandannas by World Can't Wait! in exchange for their participation -- during lunch and beyond. Next week I will have to ask the school what their policy is on the kids who were photographed while cutting school (right across the street) and shouting "1,2,3,4, We don't want your F***ing War!" at senior citizens who may also have been Veterans of Foreign Wars. I ran into my son and his friends at lunchtime, too. A group later dismissed by an anti-war blogger as "short haired para-military youth." The blogger probably thought she was being open-minded and loving, because she didn't ACTUALLY call them neo-Nazi skinheads....My son does have short hair, and he did wear a shirt with a flag on it....so I guess that's proof that there's something sinister about him. Nice shirt, too - from the Jelly Belly Factory, with "Proud to Bean American" on it.
Some teachers brought their kids out to participate in the protest as well. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! I've tried in the past to get teachers at Berkeley High to behave in a more professional manner and they don't see it. The worst ones cannot conceive of stifling their own opinions to the higher calling of behaving like an adult and creating a safe place for students to have their own opinions. When my daughter was at Berkeley High the issue was complying with Ed Code to put a flag in every classroom. The Superintendent of Schools and the Principal came down on the side of flags being an unnecessary expense and infringing on teachers' personal rights --- but put up the flags when money was threatened. Last year they proudly folded again under federal pressure to comply with the "Opt-Out" legislation attached to "No Child Left Behind" and again it was because money was threatened. Berkeley was the last high school in the country to use an "Opt-In" strategy with military recruiters, "return this form if you want to be contacted", and by last year the Department of Defense had had enough arrogance and ended the stand-off with a single phone call. (Oh to have been a fly on the wall!!!) Berkeley is horrified that Sen DeMint has threatened to take our Earmarks - and now the State wants to take $3.3 in transportation money because the City ceded space on a public roadway to a private political group....well. There is a precedent. Its worth it if it works.
Oh wait, arrogance and unprofessional behavior...that reminds me. Berkeley City Council doesn't get it, either. Indeed, a large part of the communication I've had with the BCC in the past two weeks has been respectfully reminding them that while they are entitled to their personal opinions, they are pledged to perform objective public service. Gordon Wozniak is the only one who actually expressed that concept publically on Tuesday night, but Mr. Capitelli and Mrs. Olds actually do believe it. Of the rest, most don't get it but only Max Anderson actually seems to have a personal hatred of the military, based I think on his own experience (which I'll have to research). More than ever, its clear that our Mayor is clueless, which leads to his doing evil things without comprehension. The rest of them are just a waste, at least on this issue.
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