Flashermac Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 BERKELEY, Calif. - As six Republican senators devised a plan to yank $2.3 million in federal funding for Berkeley programs, the mayor of the famously liberal city apologized Wednesday for his hard stance against a Marine recruiting center. Two City Council members vowed to soften their stance as well. At their Tuesday council meeting, leaders will discuss scrapping a letter that might be perceived as targeting the center or the Marines. The letter said that the recruiting center was not welcome on Shattuck Avenue and that the Marines were uninvited and unwelcome intruders. "That letter will probably be pulled back and maybe more moderate language will be put in place which is appropriate I think," said Berkeley mayor Tom Bates. "Subtly stated in the resolution is perhaps an impugning of the soldiers fighting for us in Iraq and other places," Berkeley City Councilman Laurie Capitelli. "And that was never the intention but that really needs to be cleared up. As I walked to my car that night I realized I regretted it and I had made a mistake." Bates said the city didn't mean to offend anyone in the armed forces and the focus should have been on the war not the troops. "There's really no correlation between federal funds for schools, water ferries and police communications systems and the council's actions, for God's sake," said Bates, a retired U.S. Army captain. "We apologize for any offense to any families of anyone who may serve in Iraq. We want them to come home and be safe at home." More Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 The city went too far in my opinion. Make a city resolution against the war or whatever, but its counter to what Berkeley is suppposed to be to ban a group because it disagrees with it. Some people are only open to groups they believe in and this country was partially founded on the freedom of unpopular groups not to be oppressed by the majority or the people in power. Ban Tottenham or Man Yoo if it feels the need to ban something evil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Typical as to what we see happening to these "freedom" groups...after a while it becomes, ...if you don't follow along with our idea, then you are cast out (or whatever)...the freedom is replaced by a mandatory "do it our way or else"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Most political science classes say that ideology isn't a line but a circle and that the far left and the far right end up meeting each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanaHunter Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 those sorry aresed Berzerkly morons who embraced the Berkeley Bard as the offical paper in that town. Look I attended that University in the early 70's and got gassed going to class because on of the main halls for my progams was Barrows and that is right behind Sprowl and the famous Plaza for all the people who did attend school there but came to disrupt those of us seeking high education! Berzerkeleyites are nuts good buy Berzekeley! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Munchmaster Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 ....Berzerkeleyites are nuts good buy Berzekeley! Which probably explains why you are nuts. :smirk: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogueyam Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Things aren't so simple for Berkeley these days. A lot of folks are not going to just stand by and allow the hippies to disrespect and interfere with the Marines with impunity. The Berkeley City Council will be revisiting this issue at their meeting next Tuesday, Feb. 12. There will be a range of voices heard on the subject then. It will likely be an enthusiastic and colorful event, to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh_Hoy Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 I saw a clip on the news of the protesters. 5555555555 Mostly a 60-year-old + group of gray-hairs reliving their hippy days as Viet Nam War protesters. I guess some people never get a life...even after all these years. HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogueyam Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Here's a report from about a week ago (with photos and links) done by San Francisco's famous chronicler of Bay Area goofiness, "zombie": http://www.zombietime.com/berkeley_marine_corps_2-1-2008/ There are not so many of these far-left crazies about, but there are a few who seek attention and know how to get it. I think most people around here think these protesters are an embarassment and that it's wrong to slag the Marines, but the President and the war are so unpopular that the freaks are emboldened to take things too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCorinthian Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 People in small groups just do not realize how popular Marines are to the vast majority of the country. Add to that that just about 90% of the people born in the USA are related to a service member and you get the picture. I forget who it was in the US Congress that called Marines "Jack Booted thugs" or something like that in the 1990's, but she lost here seat and had to leave the state over the uproar. When we heard Berkley was trying this, believe me, we laughed our asses off, sat back, and let nature take its course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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