Red, white, and blue in Berkeley
Update 7:50pm Eastern. SFChron covers the “clash.” (hat tip – reader Daniel)
***
Reader Dr. Zoo sends photos of the Move America Forward pro-troops rally at the Marine recruiting center in Berkeley. More coming. Wonderful sight to see the Code Pinkos outnumbered and outflagged on “their” turf. Kudos to Melanie Morgan, our vets, and all the supporters who came to counter the recruiter-bashers:
More from the Free Republic here.
Another pic from MAF:
***
Meanwhile, the city government of Berkeley continues to wage war on the recruitment center:
“It’s very unfortunate that they opened a recruitment office in Berkeley,” said City Councilmember Linda Maio. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for this town. I don’t think it reflects the sentiments of the citizens.”
The City Council plans to voice its disapproval of the center’s mission through its Peace and Justice Commission, which is spearheading a proposal to make Berkeley a sanctuary for officers who choose not to serve in the Iraq conflict, meaning the city would not assist in locating or prosecuting war resisters.
“Berkeley already had resolutions passed in the ‘80s and ‘90s that involved making it a sanctuary for conscientious objectors,” said Commissioner Bob Meola. “The most patriotic thing a person in the U.S. military could do today would be to refuse to fight, because the war in Iraq violates international and U.S. laws, it’s unconstitutional.”
The proposal reaffirms a year-old city resolution in support of Ehren Watada, an Army First Lieutenant who refused to deploy to Iraq may face a court martial.
“There’s a growing number of the military and members of the armed forces who are seeing that the Iraq war is immoral,” said Steve Freedkin, chair of the city commission. “As we saw in Vietnam, when there starts to be a strong opposition in the military, it has a huge impact on public policy.”
Despite the opposition, the center has no plans to relocate, said head recruiter and Marine Capt. Richard Lund.
“I think the vast majority of people understand that my mission of helping college students become Marine Corps officers is not somehow driven by the conflict in Iraq,” he said. “This office was functioning before the war and it will continue to function long after the war.”
Lund said he chose to move the Marine Recruiting Center from its previous location in Alameda in order to be close to UC Berkeley.
See what others have said
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- Right Voices » Blog Archive » PRO-WAR SUPPORTERS OUTNUMBER PEACE ACTIVISTS IN BERKELEY…
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- Pablo Paredes Another Leftist War Hero at Forward Deployed
- A Soldier’s Mind » Putting Code Pink In Their Place
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- Code Pink vs Patriots in Berkeley
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Awesome! Just awesome!
Wish my job would have allowed me the time off to go up to join them. Things like this counter protest give me some hope for the future of my country. We CAN take our country back!
Outnumbered, outflagged and outclassed. Way to go MAF!
Great job guys. I am glad there are people willing to stand up to those brain dead idiots.
Does this old vet’s heart good to see that … thanks to all that got out there to support these Marines … I noticed the USMC flags in the pics as well … I left a voice mail of support on their phone earlier today … I hope all of this does not go unnoticed in the rest of the media … Thanks to Michelle and to Melanie Morgan for helping to make this display of support come to fruition … the pinkos on the other side of the street look a little confused as to what to do …
Looking forward to more pics when they come in …
How degraded they must have felt. ROFLMAO….
I’m going out on a limb here and assuming there were no reports of fresh vandalism of the recruiting center?
Mark this date down. I believe we may have reached a tipping point.
Thank goodness they didnt show their Boobs this time. ew.
Love those pictures and damn Melanie Morgan can turn the patriots out can’t she? God Bless the ol US of A.
aj – Coffee. On. Keyboard.
Bravo!
Well done!
Thank you all for your participation.
Go get ‘em, Melanie!
One for the good guy’s!
Kewl. troop-hating smacktardism is the ruling opinion in Berkeley, therefore troop support is a dissenting opinion.
and as we all know from our reading:
Dissent is Patriotic.
Excellent!
OT but related (since it’s mentioned in the referenced article):
1LT Ehren Watada is still trying to avoid prosecution under UCMJ. He’s successfully delayed (again) his trial, this time from the 9th of October until sometime next week… hope you’ll stay on top of that story, MM.
Lt Watada Seeks Discharge
Good for them.
As for a recruitment center not being “appropriate for this town” and not “reflect[ing] the sentiments of the citizens”, I say that any town that will not allow our military to recruit, train, or have a presence there should be blacklisted from protection. No National Guard coverage, no military bailouts. If there’s a terrorist attack, don’t call the Army – have the Code Pink folks come in and take care of the situation.
Any university or college that holds the same sentiment should be on the no-go list for GI bill students, and they should not get a penny of federal money.
If they don’t want the military there, let’s make that wish come true.
It’s time we stopped letting these people benefit from military protection as they spit in the collective face of every single man and woman who served – and died – for our country. I’m sick of it.
It sounds harsh, but if you don’t like America, don’t live here. Don’t reap the benefits of a nation you so clearly despise.
Looks like there were some former grunts in the crowd,the Code Stinkos got flanked in a classic ambush.The commissioner who stated that many in the military are against the war has full of *^%$ syndrome.I just came off a long tour and did not hear of one case of war opposition.During Vietnam the only ones we had were guys that smoked too much wackybacky.
Pink, The New Yellow
Wish I could have been there.
This is one of the few times I actually wish I could have been in Berkeley.
Way to go Patriots! Thanks Michelle and thanks Melanie.
This old soldier is also very proud of those that answered the call.
englishqueen01
time to newly print up some of the old bumper stickers that said –
America – Love it or Leave it
yeah dl, or
moveon.outahere
for sure aj
I suppose I should no longer be surprised by the idiocy that comes out of the Berkeley City Council, but I seem to recall when I took my oath of office, I swore to suppport and defend the Constitution of the United States, and to obey the orders of the President, and the officers appointed over me. There are plenty of opportunities for conscientious objectors to get out of the military, or to not volunteer in the first place. But these people who think they can pick and choose what orders to follow, and which conflicts to take part in should be tried for cowardice and shot. Any Berkeley City Council member who thinks they have the constitutional authority to shelter deserters needs to re-read the document.
Maybe I should switch to decaf.
aj… you left that unfinished …
moveon.outahere.now
englishqueen01,
Solomon Amendment (USC 983), Yale lost the suit, and has caved in.
now … about prosecuting those that vandalized the recruiting offices before and any that may do such things in the future … time to show these idiots that there is a difference between protesting and destruction of government property … and that the latter comes with a high price to pay
I’m confused. They don’t want protection from terrorist attacks? Or do they not think that terrorists would target a city that hosts crowds of 50,000-73,000 in a confined venue six times during the fall? What O’Reilly said about San Francisco applies to Berkeley as well. They don’t deserve the protection. But fortunately for this poster (who visited Berkeley as recently as last week), the military does protect Berkeley wackos.
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
Thank you Michelle and Melanie!
I truly enjoyed that. That must have been something to see THAT in BERZERKLY! Makes me want to come out of the closet!
Considering this is your typical Bezerkley-ite, probably not because THEY DON’T GET IT!!!
PS. Thanks Michelle – I LOVE SEEING this out here. It does my heart a lot of good knowing people can see we are not all leftist loonies!!!!!
San Fransicko and Berzerkeley need to be carved out of California and Floated off on their own. These people aren’t Americans!! They don’t belong here, any more than illegal aliens.
Nuff said!!
#30 – Mike
That’s the one.
Melanie is great!
You seem to forget. They think they are the good guys, and since they are protesting against the “evil US Military/Industrial Complex” and that they support Palestine and the genocide of the Jews that all the terrorists will look on them as bretheren and leave them alone. After all, there is no Islamic terrorism, since the real terrorist is Bush and his “Gang of Repulican Thugs and Criminals” Why would they need protection?
As for this “growing number” of dissention and desertion in the ranks…where exactly is this person getting those figures from? Or is this just another one of those statistics they make up on the spot, such as the number of Iraqi dead which bounces from around 300,000 to somewhere in the millions.
At the rate that Libs keep saying we are killing Iraqi civilians, there will not be a civilian population left within weeks.
Great news Michelle, thanks for the update.
May God Bless America!!
My son drove by and had to say this about what he saw
God Bless those who were there.
As for Berkley, what a group of idiots. The 60’s are over people, get your heads out of the sand. Those who are in the military have volunteered, they were not forced to go there. I think it’s time the feds cut off all money to Berkley and to San Francisco as well as Oakland. Sorry, if you can’t treat our military with respect, you’re absolutely lower than doggie doo.
As for Ehren Watada-I spent quite a lot of time protesting him while we were living in HI. I protested him whenever he was giving his “chats” at the “church of the crossroads”, I wrote letters, and I called the local talk radio guy, Rick Hamada everytime this fool came up. There were a number of us who felt and still feel that he joined to make a statement, waiting until he received deployment orders. His old man spat on the military folk during Viet Nam and was damn proud of it. As I said numerous times in HI, this tool does not need to deploy as he puts Soldiers in danger by his actions. As a former enlisted person I would have been scared to death to have had him as my platoon leader at age 18. I was blessed with a great platoon leader who is still a good friend of mine as we went to grad school together and she met her husband at my wedding. She knew how to lead, Watada does not.
Okay, off my rant now!
The reason criminals like Lt. Watada want to choose which orders to follow is the same one all liberals are in love with; “Civil Disobedience.” They want all kinds of useless laws passed, and then they pick and choose which ones to follow and claim “it’s a right.”
Illegal immigration? No such thing! We have a sanctuary ordinance that supercedes federal law! Illegal drugs? No such thing! We have a permission slip from our doctor that supercedes federal law!
But those damn conservatives better register their guns. There’s a law, you know!
I hope Watada gets the max time at hard labor. He’s just another liberal freeloader. Get the gov’t to pay for their livelyhood but no responsibility for the consequences. Of course, he’ll serve his time and then get elected to congress (D-WA). Maybe he could move to PA and takes Murtha’s place when he retires.
Take that you dirty Berkley hippies! lol I love how the troop supporters outnumbered the pinkos on the pinkos home turf. Kinda makes you rethink the whole “everyone is against the war” bull crap that the left likes to spew.
Love that line, funny stuff.
Way to go, people! I love it.
JohnHolliday
I understand what you mean but once they have joined the military it is no longer “Civil Disobedience” but rather it is “disobeying a lawful order” which in time of war is tantamount to treason and is punishable by death … just wanted to clarify that if they think that is what they are doing they are wrong …
I wrote Capt. Lund when Michelle first brought this story up around October 5th, letting him know of my support and that of all who have posted here on Michelle’s site.
I was pleased to get a response from him today – thanking me for the thoughts and prayers.
Also found out he’s got family here in Wisconsin…lol.
Thanks to all who showed up today and displayed to Code Pink and Berkeley, California what true American Patriots look like.
This is wonderful. I wish I could be there to lend support. Those in Berkeley who don’t support our troops should hang their heads in shame.
As others have said, it is very gratifying to see the Code Pinko’s upstaged (at my Alma Mater, no less).
And yes, it is possible to attend UCB and live there without going insane
.
My job (which apparently most of the Pinko’s don’t seem to have) kept me from joining the much-appreciated Move America Forward folks.
Any possibility of organizing one of these valiant protests on a weekend?
Keep up the good work MAF!!
A very beautiful thing.
This part however is not:
Because all the citizens of that town think like Linda Mao and the city council. Or else.
Presumably the Marines have had some success in recruiting from UC Berkeley, or they would not maintain an office there. Apparently these Berkeley recruits are not worthy of being called citizens. They would no doubt make good candidates to populate Linda Mao’s re-education camps when she comes to power however.
Sadly, hanging their heads in shame isn’t on their agenda. After all, when you have your head so far up in the nethers you don’t see the same daylight as your fellow citizens (I use the word very loosely) and so far out of touch with reality it becomes your only reality. The elitist thought process is that everyone else (you and I to start) is wrong and misguided. I miss Berkeley and San Francisco – but, there are other places in this great country to put down roots and learn to love. I’m so proud of those that turned out to counter code pink….God bless the USMC.
I can’t thank those that were able to take the time out and confront the traitors of Code Pink. What a showing! It does this old crippled Air Force aviators heart proud. For all the USMC has done for this country to secure our freedoms they have earned our support and thanks. All I can say is Wow and Thank You!
As usual the city council of Bezerkly needs to buy a clue. I would really like to see Federal funds without from such communities that feel they no longer need to live within the limits of US laws. Those that refuse to obey orders in an all volunteer Military are only heroes to those on the left. To me 1st Lt Ehren Watada is a disgrace to his service and it is too bad I won’t be able to sit on his Courts Martial. If it was up to me he would be facing a firing squad.
It was reported that several of the Berkeley liberals were overcome with patriotism and had to be resussitated.
Isn’t there a big difference between a “conscientious objector” and a deserter?” And wouldn’t the council be aiding and abetting criminal flight from prosecution if they didn’t assist the military in finding those designated as deserters?
Just asking…
#30 Mike…
Thanks for posting the oath. I recited that in 1968 and it remains very inspiring today, almost 40 years later.
See feebs, you’re not nearly as alone as you thought. There are good Americans even in the Bay area. We don’t need to throw out the baby with the bath water. Just flush the Pinkos and the Berkeley City Council.
It just goes to prove that we are America the brave, and not moveon’s slave.
#41 terrig
Retired military, and working on Ft Lewis.
I’ve got three 8&1/2X11 posters in the back window of my car:
Watada – the “Cowardly Liar”
He’s a traitor – Sentence him (with a nice picture of the Saratoga monument to Benedict Arnold’s left leg)
and his Class A picture with bold red letters that read:
You wouldn’t believe how many soldiers have stopped me to say thanks for putting them there…
I agree that he must’ve had an agenda when he joined, and his initial assignment to Korea only furthered his credibility.
Gah!
Last night I watched Midway which came out in the mid 1970’s. I was thinking if the Japanese fleet had won at Midway and then eventually vanquish the Hawaian Islands what would be next? West coast cities were already nervous about a Japanese attack and Berkeley would be right in the thick of it if that had happened. What would the anti military folk think of that? Its easy to blame the military when you think you are far from any threat.
Rick Moran
I agree with your analysis of the difference between a “Conscientious Objector” and a “deserter” as a general comparison … however I do not know if Watada ever actually went “AWOL” … which is step 1 toward proof of desertion … I believe there is a specific time-frame that must pass before it goes from being “AWOL” to “desertion” … step 2 is whether the individual discards his military identification … which is considered proof of not having any intention of returning to duty …
I think this is more in the guidelines of disobeying orders as I mentioned in #45 … but in time of war that can still be considered treasonous … which is often considered more serious than desertion …
Uh-oh, are these the “overt displays of patriotism” that Obama is so frightened of?
Larry D.:
Thanks for the information.
Good going for Move America Forward, the Freepers, and everybody else who showed up. Bet those Code Pinkos were surprised!
As for the Bezerkley City Council, I agree…if they hate the military so much, then they shouldn’t expect or receive assistance from the military the next time a fire like the one in 1991 or a major earthquake or some other calamity occurs.
Typical from the SF Chronicle. Paredes didn’t “leave” the Navy — he was kicked out with a dishonorable discharge for being AWOL and “missing movement.” Also, being a weapons-control technician, he would never have been on the “front lines.” And his position that “people of color like himself bore the brunt of military service” is a lie and he knows it. The economic, ethnic and racial demographics of the military are public record and show that the leftist canard that the poor and minorities bearing the “brunt of military service” to be a complete and utter lie. In addition, all of the “people of color” in the military that I know personally think that Paredes and his ilk are scum.
Update: The Pinkos vs. the Marine recruiter
Traveled to Berkley today for the counter protest against Code Pink. I’ll try to attach some pixs to illustrate the balance of numbers between them and the Marine supporters. Basically, there was roughly 7 or 8 of Marine supporters vs. the Pinkos.
We got to the demonstration exactly at noon and it was not hard to find. There were so many USA and Marine flags flying you could see it from two blocks away, and it was so loud you could hear it from three. The Pinkos had some bullhorns but they were easily drowned out by the pro Marine group who had none.
The groups were separated by the street and the police on site (who were very professional and calm). The separation didn’t last too long as the Pinkers came over to mingle with the pro crowd, at least until someone on the “good” side of the street reported being accosted by a young man with a knife. No harm done and the perp took off when the police were informed of what had happened. After that they re-separated the crowds.
The KSFO radio personality, Melanie Morgan, chair of Move America Forward, made a moving speech with many references to people in the crowd, many of the Mothers and Fathers of currently serving Marines, and had them come forward to talk to the crowd about their family experiences. One Father (whose name I did not get, wish I had) spoke of 19 year old Son, a L/CPL who was killed in May with 8 other Marines. I was in tears from his speech, and his insistence that what his Son had died for was, in the long run, the freedom for his country. No two ways about it, it is the REAL reason we serve, and the honor in this man’s voice drowned out the pain and sorrow of his loss.
At the end of the day, I don’t imagine anyone’s mind had been changed by the demonstration. But that isn’t the point; when faced with active and vocal support for the Marine recruiter and the Marines in harms way, Code Pink showed what shrill and venal harridans they are.
This made my day.
CodePinker sayz: “You can’t talk to people who won’t listen”
A statement that perfectly describes the traitors of CodePink.
Press release I’d love to see:
—
Washington, DC, October 18, 2007 (via TraitorNet)
The Department of the Navy released the following communiqué from Assistant Undersecretary of the Navy for Training and Morale, Lucian V. Patriot:
“The Department of the Navy, speaking for the Department of Defense, accepts with pleasure the application of the City of San Francisco, California and the City of Berkeley, California, to be the new sites of its live-fire training and exercise facility.
Since the closing of the Visquenes facility in Puerto Rico, the Navy has been searching for a replacement site for live-fire exercises of Navy and Marine assets, prior to deployment on active duty.
We are pleased to announce that San Francisco, with it’s passage of a prohibition of flyovers by the US Navy Blue Angels, prohibition of using San Francisco streets to film USMC commercials, cancelling high school ROTC, refusal to base the USS Iowa memorial museum, and other measures to “opt out” of participating in the national defense, along with its Bay neighbor, Berkeley, whose hatred of all things military, especially the US Marines is legendary, has been selected to permanently host the new San Francisco Bay Area Military Training Facility.
While plans are still in a formative stage, it is expected that the new facility will extend to several sites in the Bay Area.
Part of this facility, “The San Francisco Nest of Traitors Live-Fire Training and Exercise Area,” will host intensive urban warfare training, using live ammunition, for segments of America’s military including most units of the United States Marines, Air Force, Army, and of course the US Navy. Projected activities will include finely tuned Tomahawk Missile and army/naval bombardment artillery strikes on buildings such as City Hall, the Transamerica building, and the Embarcadero, which will also be used for amphibious landing training.
Other activities, including live bayonet exercises and massed riflery fire, will be conducted across the Bay in Berkeley at the new “Berkeley Nest of Traitors Live-Fire Training and Exercise Area at USC Berkeley,” on the campus quad for both Marine and Army infantry units, and the use of the Berkeley City administrative center for air-to-ground practice for both
Navy, Marine Air, and Air Force squadrons. Other city and university facilities in the Bay Area will be utilized for exercises and will feature use of Marine and Army armored vehicles and rotary winged aircraft.
Separate exercises will be conducted in defense against bio-chemical warfare using live agents in these urban environments. Techniques on urban war fighting in that environment, as well as practice in the offensive use of these weapons, will be taught within the Facility, which in effect, includes the entire San Francisco Bay Area but which will center on the Cities of San Francisco and Berkeley.
The Cities of San Francisco and Berkeley and university campus at Berkeley, long reservoirs of hatred against the United States military, and ardent supporters of countries and political philosophies hostile to the United States, will also serve a useful morale purpose, giving personal validation to military personnel as they train for insertion to areas of similar anti-US hostility such as Iraq.
Dates to begin operation and the schedule of individual training exercises will be announced shortly.”
### 30
I wonder if these folk would be willing to help us (SF Voice for Israel) counter-protest the leftist kooks at the next ANSWER rally in San Francisco on Oct 27th…
I was going to suggest withholding Federal funding. I like the idea of Live Fire Training much better.
After SF and Berkeley have been honored with LFT, could the guns be re-aimed a bit South-ward? CSUN, UCLA, and several other SOCAL schools have been trying to drive out the ROTC. It would give me great pleasure if they could be shown the error of their ways. (-:
Yay!! This is wonderful! Support the troops!!! Go home Code Pink!
Outstanding work Patriots!
If you can’t stand behind them, stand in front of them.
If you chose to do neither…STFU and STFD!
Go USMC, MAF, USA!!!
Which we all know is code speak for “They won’t let me rule the conversation, and they won’t agree with me, so it’s THEIR fault they won’t ‘listen’…”
I loved the photo’s the SF Chornicle used and how they wrote about the story. Notice they also didn’t mention the fact about there being 2-3 times the number of supporters verse the protestors?
Some of you may disagree and these people may very well hate their country and for sure the military but the millions that have served guarenteed their right to think and say what they feel and want. Even though I have developed a DEEP hatred for those kind I know that if they were attacked or a catastrophe should strike, the military would come running in full force to defend and save them because the military is full of honorable people that uphold the values of this country and will die for it without the need for thank yous.
magicfy thank you for going down to face-off with the haggard shrews from Code Pink. It’s great to hear from someone from the event. Thank you again!
georgej if only it were a real press release. Of course we would have to get that last few remaining conservatives out of the target zone and through enemy lines before training operations begin.
One can only hope that the next 9/11 takes place in Berkely, of course the twoofers would blame Bush.
Wonderful pictures – wonderful people! Heartwarming to see the kind of patriotism I grew up with. Proud to be an American, a Marine’s grandmother and Gold Star Sister WWII. We never forget. Thank you all.
I think many here need to see this as the potential for the silent majority in the Bay Area when we are organized.
I am tired of hearing the phrase “San Francisco values”, and seeing comments here from posters like nfbailey # 35. San Francisco and the Bay Area are very much a part of the United States and we need to support our country not advocate death, destruction or separation.
#65
Enough is enough
What a great Idea #65. I hope they run with it.
SuperSean, can you help to explain how the Bay area elects a loon like Starks?
Way to go MAF and others.
One day the dumbarse politicians are going to realize that while the active duty are just a small voting block the veterans are a VERY large voting block
The candidate to take our country back is being ignored at our own peril. With Tom Tancredo, America will come home: http://www.teamtancredo.typepad.com