http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/07/ber...sts/index.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,329866,00.html

http://demint.senate.gov/public/inde...e-bdcccad26a06

What do you think of this bill?

The City Council of Berkeley voted 8 to 1 to issue a statement that US Marine recruiters were unwelcome in the the city of Berkeley and that if they continued to operate there that they are doing so as "uninvited and unwelcome intruders". In response a group of Republicans have introduced the Semper Fi 2008 Act, which would strip Berkeley of $2,000,000 of federal funding (which are earmarked for things such as gourmet organic school lunches in the Berkeley School District).

Now does the City Council have an inherent right to freedom of speech? If so, does stripping $2,000,000 of federal funding constitute a reprisal for exercising that right and is unconstitutional?

 

I'm a Desert Storm Vet and I will tell you that yes war is terrible. It is ugly and ultimately no one can claim a victory of which involves such human indignity...and cost. If we don't have the military we don't have security,freedom,our way of life,etc. the list is endless. The Code Pink needs to find a better use of their time. SEMPER FIDELIS!!

 

I agree with stick 100%. I am all about freedom of speech but without the US military that freedom would not exist. If it wasn't for the US military we would all be speaking German or Japanese right now.

 

The right to freedom of speech is a great thing.

To have such an ignorant government body is just sad. I say strip them of the funds and let the city suffer maybe then the voters that elected these officails will make their voices heard. As a part of the government I dont necessarily think this falls under the right to free speech as it violates the marine recruiters right to assemble.

To just state point blank that we as a city dont want the marine recruiters here I say make them lose some of the funds as a community. I dont agree with the war but i believe in the freedom the marines protect the city council should be ashamed and should be brought before the city voters to explain their actions and why the city doesn't have some of the funds they at one point did then maybe we'll see the voters take notice

 

Pointless poliitical grandstanding on both sides of the issue.

How badly is Berkeley whining about losing the federal funds? Are they claiming that they have a right to a bigger share of the taxpayer pie than other cities because they're organic?

Why would Marines want to recruit people from Berkeley anyways? I suppose you might find some child of hippies who hates their parents and rebels by becoming an ultra conservative Marine.

 

uhhh... we're talking about a two separate types of people here.. yes.. there is a difference.... between an actual Marine.. and a damn recruiter.

I find recruiters annoying, and I honestly ignore each and every one that walks by on any college campus... or on the street... they have a different agenda than most people believe.

you show me a real marine.. I'll probably go up to them and say hi at the least.

but a recruiter? they can go someplace else to meet their quota.

stripping a City of federal funding because of that incident is abhorent and frankly unconstitutional.. with nonetheless makes the real Marines look more bad... the bill is stupid. period.

and recruiters can keep on trying... i don't know why they even try in area where they know that they aren't too welcome.. so... what people are they gonna really recruit?

they got a right to asssemble.. sure.. blah blah... but if they really wanna met their quota.... go someplace else... the slums maybe... find some poor fella who's got nothing to lose and enlist them in.

i can go on about crap like this... military stuff.. over-patriotic people with big egos forever... but really..

in the end... it's more like little children whining. people just need to grow up and stop being stupid. DeMint's statement? yeah... a guy with a big head with stupid comments and remarks. i don't agree with him at ALL.

the City Council can do what they so want.. but I didn't find their actions insulting whatsoever to our military overseas fighting the war... and Mayor Bates' comment? oh yeah... I COMPLETELY AGREE. (and coming from a retired Army Captain? hell yea.. he knows just as much as I do how stupid that bill from DeMint is..)

 

I'm not going to lie, the whole thing is retarded.

Every person in this country has the freedom of speech, and I don't think that the military is the only thing that protects that. Berkley shouldn't lose money for saying what they think and the government shouldn't freak out when the people don't want an institution there. Recruiters are not the same as the people actually fighting and I think making them unwelcome should not be a big deal.

Also, we aren't even fighting a war. We haven't declared war, and if people really wanted to "end" it, all it would take is getting congress to bring the troops back, hellllooooo, no declared war means that congress can make the president bring back all troops, and within 60 days at that. Otherwise, Bush can send as many troops as he wants as often as he wants. It's funny that Berkley is the place where Vietnam was protested ... Vietnam was just as pointless and it too wasn't even a war. "You take the hill, I'll take the hill, you take the hill, I'll take the hill, kill, kill, kill." That's what Iraq and Vietnam are. It's stupid.

My best friend of 9 years is in Iraq right now, and I couldn't be more proud, but I am still just as against it as I was before she decided to go, and if I want to say that, then the government shouldn't take action against me for doing so.

Oh well. Wonder what's going to happen with Iraq after the 2008 elections ... ???

 

semper fi.

they need to man up.