Letters to the Editor
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@ anonymous re: optimacy
So in responding to this person your next discussion tactic is to infer that his wife and daughter are whores?
You see, you now lose your place at the table. You've self-identified as a scumbag. "That's me!" you wave, eagerly, "Offical Whining Asshole, right over here."
Feh.
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I can understand not wanting recruiting offices in their community
But they did go way to far in their comments, but the republican senators came off just as bad, worse actually, for retaliating by trying to take food out of children's mouths. School children have nothing to do with what the Berkeley city council says or does.
In trying to make a valid point, they showed their true colors, we should support our troops, but we should also support our nation's children, not try to starve them, no matter how much we may disagree with their parents.
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Anon, sadly hyperbole will get you everywhere these days
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.
WOW that's a zinger! Now if the council said that about the Marines I would have issued a STRONGLY WORDED STATEMENT!!!! "unwelcome intruders" has nothing on this!
Hey I'm not saying what the council did was smart, but the response was just plain stupid. It's like hitting your dog when you trip over your shoelace and get mad.
A better, smarter solution might have been to relocate VA centers, or take away/reassign National Guard money - anything to take away the benefits of military presence.
Ok, so I have an even simpler (less hyperbole, and probably heard every day) one for you: If I said the government "sucks" and they are slow and incompetent, should you take my UI benefits away?
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"why should the larger government "intrude" in your life by providing you benefits?"
I believe it's called "compulsory taxation." You know, that thing that keeps that boondoggle called The Pentagon running. I think we had a revolution once about some notion like "taxation without representation," but noble ideas like that seem to have far less currency these days.
Oh, and, tired straw men (and lame insults based upon them) do not an intelligent or effective argument make.
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Both sides wrong!
Both the Berkeley City Council and the assorted right-wing Senators involved in this dust-up have shown a stunning lack of concern for the most basic principle upon which this country was founded-- free speech.
The Marine Corp has every right to maintain -- in a storefront presumably leased from a private party-- a recruting station to deliver their message to potential recruits who CHOOSE to walk in the front door. The city of Berekley is perfectly entitled to permit protests nearby and even voice their displeasure over the Marine Corp's message.
But, in this case, both parties actions have been vindictive and unreasonable. Threatening to yank federal funding over an OPINION? Telling someone with whom you disagree that they are not welcome within your city limits? Ludicrous and un-American actions by both sides.
To have such an encounter, literally less then 1000 yards from where the Free Speech Movement was born, is a sad irony. Shame on all of you!
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@ Rance Spergl - LMAO
Wow...how did this simple analogy fly so wayyyy over your head?
I did not at all imply that "optimacy" had whores for a wife and daughter. Heck, I have no idea who he/she is, their family make-up or anything like that.
What I did was set up a (purely hypothetical) scenario where someone would deeply insult "optimacy" - and then proceed to ask for handouts.
I then asked what he/she would do in this situation...and continued on to parody what a stereotypical blanket pacifist would do/say.
^^^^^^^^^
I could have easily done the same thing by replacing 'wife and daughter = whores' with, say, "nana nana boo boo you look retarded!" -
in which case the pacifist would give shitloads of candy, while trying to initiate a meaningful, sincere dialogue abou whether he/she was developmentally challenged or not, and to what degree...<-)
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@ optimacy: I actually agree with you there *gasp!*
It makes more sense for the Senators to threaten to take away military-related benefits, such as National Guard presence, funding, VA centers and so on.
Taking the "feed the kids" program would indeed be punishing children for the actions of their parents; in general, it would be a federal fund like any other that could be removed...
...but the military-related benefit withdrawal makes more sense.
^^^^^^^
Where we keep disagreeing is this: does everyone have a right to free speech? Of course!
But does not a person, group or government also have a right to not give handouts to a person or group which openly loathes its presence?
I mean, look: if you want to paint a portrait of Jesus performing autofellatio at a gay BDSM bar, that's fine. You are well within your rights to do that.
But having done that, are you right to demand that the Catholic Church give you charitable funds? If they wish to, fine. But if they refuse - well that's their right as well, no?
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The Pusher
In most cities, there are shady characters hanging at street corners, selling drugs. They'll ignore adults, but aggressively pursue teenagers and college students - great customers, at least until they die. Most cities try to get rid of the pushers - and do things like pass special laws to move them away from school districts. Most people support the cities in these efforts, since getting hooked on drugs is harmful and often fatal.
The military recruiter is extremely similar - he ignores anyone over 25, he hangs around schools, he aggressively pursues high school seniors. If he manages to get your child hooked, the chances of them being killed or maimed is extremely high. Yet, people constantly defend the military - even though the actions in Iraq, or Afghanistan, are not worth losing your life over.
I'd much rather have my child hooked on drugs than be in the military. Addiction is curable - being blown up by an IED is not.
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dear ps
"I'd much rather have my child hooked on drugs than be in the military."
you win the prize for silly comment of the day.
Congrats!