Code Pink Declares Victory, and Retreats from Shattuck Square

Sometimes I think a real difference between whacked-out progressives and their more conservative counterparts is simply the ability to tolerate, to focus, to remember what's important. I really could not care less whether Code Pink needs to fabricate a victory before pulling up their tent and moving on. What's important is that they go away.

Zanne Joi was gone all Summer helping her daughter deliver a child. Despite having voiced her desire for that baby to be a future womyn like its grandmother, she seems to be coping with its (initial) maleness. As soon as she left, Code Pink abandoned Shattuck Square. I almost feel badly at the way in which Code Pink seems to have exploited Zanne Joi -- for a year they totally dominated her time, her truck, her place of business -- they've even co-opted her phone number as the contact number for their group. One obvious difference between Zanne and a suicide bomber is that she will now have years to wonder whether she ever got the respect and glory she was promised, and whether her sacrifice served any greater purpose. I wish her all the best in her career as grandmother, and a fresh start at a more meaningful life.

Protestshooter.com says they had an intern out serving as a placeholder from time to time, but the protest was basically over. It may be that others, like me, stopped paying attention after Judge Jacobson told those arrested and tried for trespassing that they had to stay within 4 feet of the curb, and not even touch the USMC OSO building... and Code Pink reported that as a win, too. A group loses credibility when it loses the ability to see or tell the truth about even minor issues.

I think even the City Council got tired of the protest -- and was distracted by the tree sit at CAL, a more interesting circus act this Summer. Code Pink's parking space sign disappeared on schedule and without comment. Captain Lund has moved on to a new post, the office continues to provide the service of facilitating the process of volunteers who choose to enter Officer Candidate School after college graduation.

So is this goodbye? Oh most definitely no. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, and in Berkeley something always seems to pop up again.

I want to encourage you to look at Protestshooter.com and Zombietime.com for ongoing coverage of this and other moments in Bay Area craziness, and I'll be watching what goes on.