Berkeley, California, City Council and Berkeley Anti-War Group "Code Pink" Organize American Flag Burning Over Marine Recruiters Remaining In City
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The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is furious with the Berkeley, Calif., City Council, calling their actions “outrageous and idiotic” following their recent vote to give the boot to a U.S. Marine Corps Recruiting Station.
“The resolution is a direct insult to not only the Marines Corps, but also to all members of the nation’s armed forces,” said George Lisicki, national commander of the VFW, the nation’s largest organization of combat veterans. “Their recent actions represent a calculated effort to legalize harassment of one of our nation’s most elite military organizations. If there were ever a prize awarded for lack of appreciation and awareness for what our military has contributed to preserving our way of life, the Berkeley City Council would certainly win the trophy.”
The Berkeley City Council, on Jan. 29 by a vote of 6-3, told the Marines at the downtown recruiting station that they are not welcome in the city. Furthermore, by an 8-1 vote, the council voted to give anti-war groups the right to harass the Marines, even giving protestors a parking space in front of the recruiting station. The only council member to vote against both proposals was Gordon Wozniak, with council members Betty Olds and Kriss Worthington joining Wozniak in voting against the council’s resolution to boot the "unwelcome intruders."
“The city council leaders need to be reminded that all the freedoms we enjoy as Americans have been earned by generations of patriots who were willing to fight to protect the liberties we, as Americans, enjoy,” said Lisicki, a Vietnam War veteran from Carteret, N.J.
What Lisicki said also troubled him was the failure of city authorities to do nothing when Code Pink, an antiwar group who originated the complaint against the Marines, defaced the front door of the recruiting station by altering the sign “U.S. Marine Corps Officer Selection Office" to "U.S. Marine Corps Officer Assasination [sic] Office."
“If anyone has earned the right to have a presence in any community in this nation, it would be the U.S. Marines,” said Lisicki. “The Marine Corps is welcomed in every city and town across the America except for the City of Berkeley and by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Afghanistan."
The national commander also is encouraging its 2.3 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliaries to e-mail or call city council members.
City of Berkeley
2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
TEL: (510) 981-6900, TDD: (510) 981-6903, FAX: (510) 981-6901
Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
E-mail: clerk@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Voted for Resolution
Mayor Tom Bates
E-mail: mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Phone: (510) 981-7100
FAX: (510) 981-7199
Linda Maio
E-mail: lmaio@ci.Berkeley
Phone: (510) 981-7110
FAX: (510) 981-7111
Darryl Moore
Email: dmoore@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Phone: (510) 981-7120
Maxwell Anderson
E-mail: manderson@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Phone: (510) 981-7130
Dona Spring
E-mail: spring@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Phone: (510) 981-7140
Laurie Capitelli
E-mail: lcapitelli@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Phone: (510) 981-7150
Dissenting Votes:
Betty Olds
E-mail: olds@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Phone: (510) 981-7160
Kriss Worthington
E-mail: kworthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Phone: (510) 981-7170
Gordon Wozniak
E-mail: GWozniak@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Phone: (510) 981-7180Comment -
Nice find there Aces. I'm all for respectful dissent, but to aggressively go after our own troops is where I draw the line. And then to organize a burning of our own flag??? **** 'em. Let's seal off Berkeley and let our Guantanemo detainees run loose there if they can't respect the right to free government they receive by the very men and women whose flag they burn.Comment -
Kent State 1970 comes to mind.Comment -
Liberals in California against our troops. Imagine that. Suprised they didnt show a photo of Jane Fonda straddling a missile.Comment -
I would like to see Code Pink come to the State of Alabama and try this. Not just Alabama any state other than California.
I dont always like what my government does. They ticked me off when they screwed around with internet wagering but I'm not burning flags over it. Americas not perfect but its pretty damb good. Not to offend the other nations represented here I've spent time in Africa Asia Europe and Canada and I've met many interesting people. I've Partied my way from Disengof Station in Isreal to the CN Tower in Canada but America is home. The protesters burning the flags are nutty. Send these morons to NYC to look at Ground Zero send the pinkos to DC to Arlington to look at the graves of the pentagon victims. Better yet send the pinkos and the Berkley city council to Iran and let them burn an Iranian flag I dont think they'll enjoy the outcome.Comment -
I'd love to see them try and do that in Texas.Comment -
We are constantly told the "California Liberals" are the most intelligent, progressive thinkers our nation has yet they consistently reveal themselves to have a level of ignorance on par with even the reddest of rednecks. I suppose the nicest phrase one could use might be to call them "out of touch". There are few places in this country where you are more unwelcome if you aren't part of the rank and file. Berkeley is a community of people that abhors anyone who thinks differently than them.Comment -
Not only would I cut off all federal funds to that city, which I believe is in the works. Some house members need to put a bill in motion to cut of all federal funds to the state of California.
laterComment -
Word.
Hate is not a family value.
My son is a Marine stationed at MCAS New River (North Carolina). Last phone call home he complained that everyone in his unit recently had to have an hour of training on NOT reacting if they find themselves being taunted by some of these chuckleheads.Comment -
This is just silly......Cant believe people would go out of their way, or waste their time on a cause that is so worthless.....write a letter it would do more.Comment -
I don't agree with the Berkeley crowd but as a recent Vet I can tell you that the average recruiter is scummier then the average used car salesman... recruiters are some of the least respected people in the military by those actually in the military...Comment -
I don't agree with the Berkeley people however this country allows such protest to take place and that is exactly what happens when you allow that to proceed. It's called freedom people.Comment -
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Sorry to drudge this up again, but I got a kick out of this update story. Seems there's now a Marine supporter protesting the protesters.
The lone Marine supporter in a group of about 25 people said he drove 450 miles to Berkeley on impulse Thursday night after watching a television report on the scheduled protest.
Orange County resident Roger Young said he jumped in his car around midnight following the newscast. He said a wave of frustration came over him.
"Just the angry resentment that hit me on the 11 o'clock news last night," Young said. "I got into my car and drove all night."
Young continues to stand in defiance of the larger group, letting his sign do most of his talking: "The U.S. Marine Corps: Defending Berkeley's right to be a laughingstock since 1775."
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