Berkeley City Council: The Aftermath....

Posted By Deebow

The smoke is clearing and we are counting the heads, redistributing the ammunition, consolidating our positions and preparing to counter-attack

Smells like victory...

Well, sort of, but I think it truly is victory in the first battle in this ongoing war with the libtards and traitors that man the front groups that continue to support our enemies.

I will just give my hat tips now and say thanks to MM and MAF for doing most of the leg work to cover this from the "Love of Country" angle.  They both have excellent posts and commentary on the way it all went down.  They also have excellent pictures of the protests and protesters, both for and against.

My favorite is this one...

The SFChron has the story and it seems to be fairly bias free.

There were a number of things that jumped out at me and I will address them as we go along here, so get a sandwich and get comfy...

Susan Killebrew, a Berkeley mother who brought her twin 7-year-old daughters, Aria and Sophia, to the demonstration, said she wanted the city to stand firm against the war and the recruiting center.

"We might have to suffer (negative publicity) as a result of it," she said before the meeting Tuesday, "but not as much as the children in Iraq who are traumatized by the constant military presence there. My heart is broken by this war. I marched against it before the invasion. It makes me sad that so many have died."

Just so you know Susan, let me show you the "traumatized children" of Iraq

WHEW!  She sure looks traumatized...

The earmarks are among the first things I would take from Berkeley...  And the City Council never really apologized...

Council members conceded that they had erred in passing a resolution Jan. 29 that condemned the Marines - rather than the war in Iraq - and some council members added that they felt they owed U.S. troops an apology as well the many Berkeley residents who were ashamed and offended by their position.

"To err is human but to really screw up it takes the Berkeley City Council," said council member Gordon Wozniak. "We failed our city. We embarrassed our city."

At 1:30 a.m., after nearly four hours of public comment and debate, the council voted 7-2 to rescind its action two weeks ago directing the city clerk to send a letter to the Marines that they weren't welcome in the city.

In a separate vote, the council decided not to issue a public apology for its action last month.

Well, isn't that special!  We take it back, but we won't apologize...

The City of Berkeley needs to have all of those earmarks removed and to have the FBI investigate the Berkeley Police Department for violating the rights of protesters for exercising their rights.  It is legal and this is from the FBI's website...

Preventing abuse of this authority, however, is equally necessary to the health of our nation’s democracy. That’s why it’s a federal crime for anyone acting under “color of law” willfully to deprive or conspire to deprive a person of a right protected by the Constitution or U.S. law. “Color of law” simply means that the person is using authority given to him or her by a local, state, or federal government agency.

This from MAF, and the parts with emphasis would definitely be points of discussion...

The cops were openly hostile toward the people who showed up at 5:00 a.m., never stepping in to protect the patriots from the assaults that took place against elderly folks, Gold Star parents, Blue Star families and Joe and Jane Citizen who were waving the flags and showing their pride in the Marines. The police allowed hundreds of Berkeley High School kids (accompanied by their teachers) to gather with CodePink, receive their mandatory face masks and F—k Bush t-shirts, and allowed them to mill around our PA where they tried to cut the power cords to the system.

Berkeley police repeatedly allowed CodePink to violate our permits, and never lifted a finger to stop their crowd from interfering with our activities until the very end, after we screamed blue bloody hell.

When Catherine Moy, the Executive Director of MAF called the police to tell them a riot was erupting in the early hours –THEY HUNG UP ON HER.

Cat called the Highway Patrol, who referred her back to the Berkeley police –WHO HUNG UP ON HER. 

It was positively shameful….

Just so everyone knows, this is what the Berkeley Police did by not acting to stop people from destroying MAF's property or hassling them.

CALIFORNIA CODES
PENAL CODE
SECTION 142-181

142.  (a) Any peace officer who has the authority to receive or
arrest a person charged with a criminal offense and willfully refuses
to receive or arrest that person shall be punished by a fine not
exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment in the
state prison, or in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both
that fine and imprisonment.

It usually all comes down to one person standing as the lone voice to embody what this is really all about...

February 3, 2008

Mr. Tom Bates,

I was appalled at the decisions that your City Council made at your last meeting, telling the Marines they were not welcome in your city and then granting Code Pink a parking place in front of the Recruiting office free for six months along with a free noise permit. I called and left a message last week for you to call me, a Gold Star Mother whose son gave the ultimate sacrifice. It doesn’t surprise me that you didn’t return that phone call. Trust me I won’t just go away!

My son Marc Alan Lee laid down his life 8-2-06 for American’s to have all of the freedoms that we enjoy. He voluntarily went to his recruiter to find out what opportunities would be provided to him and what would be required for him to be a Navy SEAL. He was treated professionally and never once regretted his decision to become a Navy SEAL. He was honored to serve his country. He was stationed in California along with half of the SEAL community. I’m sure you’ve heard of the elite of the elite, as President Bush calls them.

Marc’s was very pleased with his recruiter, and he was never lied to, tricked or deceived. His recruiter played the role of counselor or coach to Marc and helped him get the right schools, to be fit and prepared, and to understand what was ahead. Marc pursued his recruiter. Marc had a dream and a goal and he pursued the recruiter who showed him how to make his dream a reality!

My oldest son Kristofer went to a Marine recruiter’s office in July 2000 and signed to be one of “The few, the Proud, The Marines.” He also never regretted his choice and was also treated professionally and was proud to serve his country for 5 years. My son-in-law Christopher also visited an Army recruiter and proudly served his country for 3 years.

I wish that you served as a Mayor with the same pride and love for this country and those men and women who would defend you unconditionally! Our military defends your freedoms and has written a blank check to you and your city and every American and they have told you to fill in the cost of that freedom up to and including the cost of their lives and you are telling these people they are not welcome in your city? How dare you!

I’m sure you continue to enjoy those freedoms that every man or woman who has served in our military has fought for you. Who do you think would defend you if the terrorists attacked your city? Who do you think would come if an earthquake devastated your city? Who do you think would come if there were riots in your city? How dare you try to legislate and change the laws of the land. I am demanding that you publicly apologize to the Marines and to our troops, and to their families and that you resend the legislation that you passed last week giving special rights to Code Pink.

Demanding Respect for our Troops,

Debbie Lee
Proud Mother of Marc Alan Lee
First Navy SEAL killed in Iraq 8-2-06

God Bless Debbie Lee and God Bless everyone who has supported the Marines in this cause and let's keep up the pressure by contacting all the political outlets and parties involved in this.

Move America Forward, Senator Barbara Boxer, Rep. Barbara Lee, Senator Jim Demint, Berkeley Mayor and City Council, Code Pink.

I am still leaning forward...

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Comments

[SteveG]

Out at UC Santa Barbara yesterday there was an anti war demonstration that was triggered by a University sponsored event where the military was invited.

Photo in the Santa Barbara News Press shows a Colonel (or a Captain) Jaffin laughing his ass off at a girl who is pounding on the wall next to him while yelling.
The caption says he is "smiling"...

[malclave]

There's mention of the letter... but wasn't there also action pending (zoning?) which would effectively equate the military with pornography? What about the Council's active support of Code Pink (parking and noise permits) in its protests?

I agree completely that the FBI should investigate the BPD's actions.

These are much more significant issues, IMO, that the City Council posturing by sending the letter.

[Teresa]

I know Debbie Lee probably won't see this, but her letter made me cry. She has given more than to this country than the entire Berkeley City Council and the rest of the city idiots put together. My prayers are with her and my eternal thanks for men like her son who stood up for this country when it counted.

Once again I say - withdraw everything from Berkeley - let it sink or swim on its own. They deserve nothing from us. Their police force needs to be investigated for not upholding the law and their City Council and Mayor should be reviled around the country. They are disgusting.

[tankerbrosbrat]

I also chose your first picture as my fave for one of my posts. To me, that one picture really does say a thousand words....And no, I am SURE the harassment etc of the Marines by the Code Stinkos is not over yet......

I also believe there should be prosecutions along the lines you detail.... Judi Mcleod on Canada Free Press has a great post up about the message yesterday's inaction by law enforcement sends to Al Qaeda..I reference/link it in one of my own posts.

I also wonder if maybe we could be fighting back on the political front in Berkeley. Is there any such mechanism for recalling politicians who are derelict in their duty? Maybe investigate that angle? There has to be SOME folks in Berkeley who would rally behind ousting the sorry excuse a Council before their term is up.

[Diwata]

Anyone want to comment re the clearly visceral hatred that Mayor Tom Bate, who is a retired Army Captain, has for the Marines, to the point that despite the Council's semi-retreat, remains adamant that no apology is due the still-unwelcome Devil Dogs?

[jordan]

Students came with their teachers to support Codepink? What?

Berkeley should be erased from any planning scenarios for disaster relief, search, rescue or aid of any kind. Respect their sensitivities, and just refrain from providing DOD-related assistance, so as not to inflame their passions with uniformed SAR personnel, no matter how critically they're needed. Put the resources saved into a fund for children of fallen soldiers.

[ooogaboooga]

lol, "supporting our enemies". You can't be serious, are you?
oh wait, there is no logic circuit in an underdeveloped frontal lobe. Of course you are serious.

[JusCruzn]

I am addressing this comment to Susan Killebrew. During the first gulf war I worked for a US Airline and had a fellow employee who was of Iraqi descent. He had moved to this country (during the 1980' when the Iran/Iraq war was raging) at his father's insistence as Saddam Hussein was trying to conscript him into the Iraqi army. Under the guise of a honeymoon with his Iraqi fiance (who also had family in the US) he indeed left Iraq for the US and never returned. They settled in the US and had two children and never went back. After the end of the first gulf war there were many attempts made on Saddam's life. One of the attempts was apparently made by this man's brothers. One night at work two men who were well dressed came to the office of the facility where we worked. This man was called in to speak with them. It was later revealed that they were from the US State Dept. Apparently what they told him was that Saddam had captured both of his brothers and executed them, and his sister had also disappeared (turns out she was never found). The men from the state department were there to caution him that he should use caution just in case Saddam sent agents to this country. They also suggested that he make sure his wife and children keep their eyes open as well. Maybe you need to consider the freedoms that you seem to be taking so much for granted. I don't think this man or his family EVER HAVE!!!

[john Ryan]

Victory ?
The goal of Code Pink (et al) was publicity for their cause. When I looked on YouTube I saw fewer than 6 Code Pink people there on the first day Feb 8th.

[john Ryan]

Diwata seems to think that ALL who live in Berkeley should be punished collectively. This is just the way Saddam would have handled it.

[Cincinnati_Bob]

Diwata seems to think that ALL who live in Berkeley should be punished collectively. This is just the way Saddam would have handled it.

What do you suggest as a solution? We want the logistics, and the implementation plan for seeing to it that those who shun the Marines are punished vis a vie the withheld federal funds and those who support the Marines are not punitively affected.

I'm looking forward to your detailed analysis.

[Diwata]

Uh, John Ryan - you've addressed the wrong person. I raised the inquiry on Mayor Tom Bate's hatred for the Marines, as a retired Army captain.

[colorless.blue.ideas]

IANAL, and am far from Berkely (in many ways). If the laws cited are applicable, should not one of the good guys file a complaint with the appropriate authority (e.g., FBI)? Or is this a matter for a civil suit, in which case a legal fund is needed? Or is there really no legal recourse?

[Soldier's Dad]

"Diwata seems to think that ALL who live in Berkeley should be punished collectively."

A city is a Corporation...thats why they all have signs that say "Incorporated in 1903" or something. The residents(Shareholders) of the City elect the board of directors. No different than te stockholders of IBM electing their board of directors.

If the board of directors makes bad choices...then the shareholders end up being punished financially. This is how Corporations work. A good board of directors...the shareholders prosper, a bad board of directors...the shareholders don't prosper.

Cutting off Federal Funding for Berkely is really no different than Boycotting GM or Ford because they had factories in South Africa....one could make the argument that the employees of Ford or GM...who have no control over the board of directors are the ones being punished...but no one that ever boycotted any product ever thought twice about that.

[afortiori65]

The uber-libs there fail to recognize that their stance is exactly the same as those politicians that supported the Jim Crow laws in the south in the bad old days. It is the job of the politicians to protect the hated minority, in Berkley that being anyone who might serve their country in uniform. Thus while they might delude themselves with the arrogant notion that they are sticking to a highly moral stance. It was that very same arrogant belief that allowed racism to exist in the south. Oh My!!
What a paradox! This fact will clearly be lost on them as a liberal is never wrong.

Just my little two cents about this topic from a slightly different angle.

Semper Fi God Bless the troops

[Cincinnati_Bob]

I'd like to just add that this mindset of 'war bad, peace good' can be found in abundance in any 3rd grade classroom or beauty pageant.

So why do you peacenicks think your ideas are somehow elevated above us neanderthals.

And if you don't like war, tell the Islamaniacs to stop attacking our interests and killing our civilians around the world. They've been doing it since 19freakin70 and we ignored them up to and including 10-September-2001.

You're ignore/appeasement/diplomacy/pussified strategy didn't work for shit.