Letters to the Editor
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Why don't they just have a bake sale, kiss and make up.
They can use the proceeds to pay for an overseas phone call that will be monitored by a telecom of you choice. Thank you George Orwell. I must admit when I read that book oh so many years ago, I had an image of a decrepit totalitarian state in my mind's eye, Apparently I was wrong. He was illuminating what America would be like n the 21st century...
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Is it true...
That right after Sept. 11th, the city of Berkeley refused to let local firefighters hang the U.S. flag from their trucks and fire stations - because Berkeley has a city law banning the flying of the Stars & Stripes?
I remember hearing this on news radio back then and thinking, "Wait - they are, whether they like it or not, a city on U.S soil. Can they actually ban the national flag?"
At least this town illustrates the difference between progressive-minded, Anti-Bush liberals and anarchist Anti-American extremists. Sheesh.
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Well, THAT's no surprise
Six Republican U.S. senators had even vowed to cut federal funding for several Berkeley programs, such as Alice Waters's Chez Panisse Foundation, which provides school lunches at Berkeley's public schools.
Ha! Well, who would've thunk? To paraphrase Kruschev's words about Berlin: money is Berkeley's testicles; if you want to make Berkeley squirm, you squeeze the money. So... what's the message here? "Never, but never question the Military or your we take food away from your kids?" Wow. Way to protect our freedom, ladies and gentlemen of the U.S. Senate!
Which makes me wonder: WHICH U.S. Senators did this? Was Dianne "I Do Everything Bush Asks" Feinstein one of them? I think that list should be widely published. Yes, I know, none of these people will be hugely affected, but I think I (as a citizen of Berkeley) ought to know which U.S. Senators see it fit to threaten to deprive schoolkids of FOOD so that the Marines could later recruit them and drag their arses off to Iraq. (And we all know what the military has to do nowadays to fill its ranks.)
Ugly, ugly business.
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Free Proton, good one
They said repub, but DF could count as one
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the flag does fly in berkeley
Is it true...That right after Sept. 11th, the city of Berkeley refused to let local firefighters hang the U.S. flag from their trucks and fire stations - because Berkeley has a city law banning the flying of the Stars & Stripes?
i lived in berkeley -- the flag flies there, there is no ban. just another smear by the right.
yes, berkeley is definitely a liberal, progressive place that sometimes has crazy notions. however, in light of what most of this country is i think we need a counter-balance on the far left to keep us from going too far right.
i noticed in all the articles and photos i read that the anti-protesters were all from out of town. i find it interesting that they feel they can come protest the berkeley city council about a matter than only deals with berkeley, but you know they'd be up in arms if the "hippies" from berekeley came to their town.
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@ FreeProton: why feed a mouth that bites you?
Is it really all that irrational for the 6 senators to threaten to withdraw funding for a Berkeley progam?
If this city's people hate the federal government and a federal institution such as the Marines, isn't it a tad hypocritical of them to expect funding for a federal welfare program such as the "foods for kids" deal?
You can't have it both ways. Either be Anti-Marine, Anti-USA etc. and be consistent by funding your own programs (I'm sure George Soros and Sean Penn would feed the Berkeley kids)
Or show just a teeny bit of respect for the young men and women (most of whom can't remotely afford to live in Berkeley/the Bay Area anyways) who are fighting wars not of their choice - and have Big Brother feed those needy kids' tummies.
Looks like they went with B.
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Anon-mouse!!
So if I jab at unemployment insurance for not giving me service or my check fast enough, the government should be able to cut off my benefits? Sounds fair (to you)
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Just plain embarrassing
Events like this go a long way toward providing ammunition for the right.
First, the city council issues a rash, poorly thought out, grandstanding statement condemning a whole branch of the military. Then, unable or unwilling to acknowledge that - gasp - there might be fallout, they immediately back down when there's a ruckus, but only a half-hearted passsive-aggressive way.
Thus, by its actions, the city council proves that it's both stupid AND cowardly.
Besides, why are the kids of Berkeley special? Why should military recruiters be allowed to go everywhere but there? It couldn't be because of the residents' comparable wealth and privilege, could it? Oh, I forgot, they're "liberal".
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@ optimacy
If by "jab" you mean call them unwanted intruders, well then why should the larger government "intrude" in your life by providing you benefits?
Lemme break this down into a much simpler analogy for you.
It's Halloween night. A kid in a costume comes to your door for trick-or-treating.
As you open the door, the kid says: Damn, your house is old and ugly. You are fatter than a cow, and your pants are ridiculous. By the way, your wife and daughter are incredible whores.
Now, where's my candy?? You are SUPPOSED to give it to me, because it's Halloween!
How much candy do you give him?
(If you are a pacifist, I'm guessing shitloads - in exchange for meaningful dialogue as to why you think your daughter and wife are precocious, and not quite whores...)
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Way to go, Berkeley city council
You just stuck a sharp stick into the eye of the Right Wing nazi types, and got them all riled up. Really really effective there folks.
How can people continue to do incredibly stupid stupid things like this?
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It's only acceptable to complain about things that bother conservatives.
IRS, Welfare, Medicaid/Medicare, immigrants, DFH's, liberals: all acceptable subjects for derision and denigration. One may never, ever, complain about the military.
I hurts Jesus' feelings...
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I don;t get the hostility towards the military
The military is great. I was in the army myself, I love it.
Right now there is an idiot as Commander-in-chief, but thank gos he'll be gone soon. Don;t blame us for stupid foreign policy, we dont get to make those decisions, the blame is at a higher pay grade. The government hands us a sh$# sandwich, and they hate us for having to eat it...that does not make any sense. Nobody in congress asked me if I wanted to go into Iraq, now I have to clean up after their mistakes, all the while taking guff from a bunch of know nothings, c'mon get real.
You might as well blame the police for marijuana being illegal.
How about this, you want to make a statement that makes sense....:
go ban every senator that voted for the war.