The Marines v. The Pinkos

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"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality." John F. Kennedy, June 24, 1963

Showdown in Berkeley

To summarize, in January of 2007 the United States Marine Corps Recruiting Division opened an Officer Selection office at 64 Shattuck Square in Berkeley, California. In September (eight months later) a group calling itself code pink finally noticed the Marines and began protesting in front of the Recruiting Center using homemade signs and banners. Their numbers were few, usually only a handful of protesters here and there and things might have died down naturally had it not been for the Berkeley City Council who fanned the flames by writing a letter to the United States Marine Corps Recruiting Center in late January of 2008 telling them they were "unwelcome intruders." The entire country was outraged and lawmakers threatened to withdraw Berkeley funding at which point the Berkeley City Council amended their letter on February 13, 2008 to indicate they support the troops, however oppose the war. The pinkos, however, continue their protests and there appears to be no end in sight.

Terrorism
Websters Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines Terrorism as "the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion." Terror is defined as "violence committed by groups in order to intimidate a population...into granting their demands."

The pinkos have vandalized property, defaced buildings, littered sidewalks, verbally and physicially assaulted people and impeded, by force, the ingress and egress of the Marine Recruiting Center by use of physical obstruction. They have disrupted the rights of others to go about their businesses and the situation has become nothing short of harassment.

It seems the irony of their situation is lost on the pinkos...by the looks of them, however, I'm guessing it's a rare day one of them cracks open an educational book to read. Fortunately, for the rest of the intelligent world, we have a group of individuals who have sworn an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against ALL enemies, whether those enemies be foreign or domestic.


Governor Schwartzenegger is strangely silent on the matter...as is Nancy Pelosi. Not one word on the subject from either has been heard since the debacle in Berkeley began last September. Unfortunately for their future careers, their silence speaks volumes. Perhaps they're trying to remain neutral? It is now the end of March, 2008. There have been at least six months of terrorism in Berkeley against those who are turning the other cheek. (Capt. Richard Lund (USMC Recruiter) refuses to prosecute after being assaulted. The Berkeley Daily Planet, March 14, 2008)

City of Berkeley Police Department
The local police department, who have beefed up security detail, are "...trying to remain as neutral as possible." (www.YouTube.com Berkeley Protesting The U.S. Marines)

The video can be hard to watch as it shows the pinkos chained together, blocking access to the Marine Recruiting Center as at least one officer from the City of Berkeley Police Department stands by, refusing to get involved.

Law Enforcement attitudes seem to have changed since the day that video was made and today, if one walks up Shattuck Square toward the Marine Recruiting Center, one will find officers standing guard outside the doors with several more patroling the surrounding area. At least that was the case the day I visited last week. At 8:30 a.m. I counted 5 police officers and by the time I left, several hours later, more had been added. How ironic a group claiming they promote peace would create such havoc costing so much to contain. (The City of Berkeley has spent more than $117,000 on police overtime since Feb. 12, a city spokeswoman said Wednesday. Protest Marks Iraq War Milestone, ContraCostaTimes.com, March 21, 2008)

The pinkos appear to spend their time rearranging their chaos and holding their homemade signs while watching the passing cars, waiting for an occassional honk. The honks are few. By 9:00 a.m. the morning these shots were taken only 3 pinkos had arrived. By then I had been awake for 6 hours (4 a.m. MST). Perhaps the rest of the pinkos were sleeping in.

Not surprisingly, the Marines remain unflappable and it was business as usual at 64 Shattuck Square as I witnessed a group of highly polished officer candidates preparing for morning PT. These sharp looking men and women were very impressive and even in shorts and T-shirts were well groomed and fit, giving meaning to the words, The Few, The Proud, The Marines, for only a select few have the honor of becoming an officer in the United States Marine Corps.


The Mayor of the City of Berkeley
Mr. Bates, a retired Army officer and Mayor of the City of Berkeley has disgraced himself and embarassed and damaged the City of Berkeley. Businesses are closing and residents are moving away. "To the City of Berkeley...I've had it, my business has almost come to a stop, don't know if I can sue the city for my loss but have now made up my mind to sell my home and business...so be it...I quit." Don George, Richmond, California. (www.topix.com Live Blog From Berkeley Marine Recruiting Post.)

The City of Berkeley continues to lose business. Organizers of a pro-military rally at the U.S. Marine center downtown said they purposely spent $25,000 to $30,000 in neighboring cities to penalize Berkeley financially for its recent anti-military stance. March 24, 2008 insidebayarea.com (http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_8685349?source=most_viewed)

The Berkeley City Council owes the United States Marine Corps an apology. Sadly, it's not likely to come anytime soon. "I'm not prepared to apologize to the Marines who are recruiting our kids to go to this war.” (Mayor Tom Bates, The Berkeley Daily Planet, March 18, 2008)

Mr. Bates, you have insulted all service men and women everywhere, but it's an especially hard slap in the face to the United States Marine Corps who have fought for and defended this country since 1775. The United States Marines are among the first sent to the front lines in war and always the last to leave. The United States Marines volunteered for the job and your attempts to shut down a recruiting station will do nothing to stop a Marine intent on his or her mission.

Normandy
The United States Marines were among the first to land at Normandy on D-Day and the entire country of France cheered them on. When the Marines landed at Normandy, France was being bombed daily. Needless to say, the French welcomed the troops with open arms. Within 24 hours German forces began fleeing the country because nothing will stop a Marine intent on his or her mission.

Iwo Jima
The United States Marines were the first to land on the beaches of Iwo Jima and within 5 days they had secured Mount Suribachi and raised the American flag. Thirty five days later, the battle for Iwo Jima was over...the Japanese had surrendered and the Marines were victorious because nothing will stop a Marine intent on his or her mission.

Hamburger Hill
The United States Marines fought and won the Battle of Hamburger Hill, a famous battle that proved to be the turning point for ending the war in Vietnam, a battle that cost the lives of 70 men while fighting an enemy they could not see (underground tunnels and bunkers hid the enemy from air surveillance) yet the Marines persisted for ten days, driving to the top and finally defeating the enemy because, even though the odds were against them (they were outnumbered....again), nothing will stop a Marine intent on his or her mission.

Basher-52
On June 8, 1995, in what would become one of the United States Marine's finest operations, a photo was taken...one that would forever remain etched in the minds of those who remember. Air Force Captain Scott O'Grady aka Basher-52, an F-16C fighter pilot who had been shot down over Bosnia 6 days earlier, was rescued by an elite group of highly trained Marines under enemy fire. The photo and story made front page news across America. Capt. O'Grady had not only eluded an enemy that diligently searched for him for 6 days, but he survived and the photo of him and the Marines, wearing smiles of elation on their faces, walking away from the chopper used to bring him home has never left my mind. "If there's one thing I can get out tonight, it's that I hope everybody in America is supporting their troops in this endeavor because that was so inspiring to me in my time of need." Capt. Scott O'Grady, March 30, 1999, CNN's "Larry King Live"

Each year the United States Marine Corps heads up the TOYS FOR TOTS program, a highly successful program that has provided underpriviledged children toys for Christmas for over 60 years.

The United States Marine Youth Foundation was created and designed to offer young men and women the opportunity to live a healthy, drug-free life. Many of the young men and women who participate in these programs are exposed to positive role models for the first time in their lives. (http://www.marineyouthfoundation.org/)

Anyone doing a google search of Marines and Charity will find countless stories of men and women donating time, money and material goods to others half a world away.

And this isn't just about the Marines. It's about Military Personnel everywhere who deserve our respect for doing a job that most of the rest of us refuse to do. They don't get weekends off. They can't call in sick. They work holidays. They sacrifice their time with loved ones, risk their health, limbs, safety, relationships, sanity and sometimes even their lives. Why? To defend the freedoms you, Mr. Bates and the City of Berkeley, and many of the rest of us take for granted...and so people dressed in pink can stand on a street and call them names and tell the whole world how much they hate them.

Most of us will never know what it's like to try to go to the bathroom while wearing full body armor in 130 degree heat, or sleep on a cot every night never knowing whether the next round of artillery might kill us while we're sleeping or worry whether a rocket propelled grenade might be thrown into our vehicles as we're driving down the road. We'll never know what it's like to worry about sand mites infesting our clothes or scorpions hiding in our shoes and boots. We'll never have to drag a friend to safety right after his leg has been blown off because the car we were riding in hit a roadside bomb. Most of us will never watch a friend die right before our eyes.

What you have done, Mr. Bates, is abominable. You have insulted every veteran that has ever served this great country. We live free because of men and women who fought for it and I am horrified at what your actions have done to the moral of our troops, both past and present. They may hold their heads high, but your words and actions are heartbreaking.

I have Marine friends who fought in Vietnam. I have Marine friends who are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have family members who are in the United States Marine Corps and two of my brothers served in the Navy and the Air Force. My friends and family, and all Military Personnel everywhere who proudly serve our country, have made the world a better place simply by being in it... how many of the rest of us can say that?

"For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know." Found scribbled on a ration box in Khe Sahn, 1968

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Comments

[Perry]

They make me sick
Hey Debbie good to hear from you, I have been following Berkely and that code pink bullsht on the fox news network and some people need to get a life, they are just traitors. Perry