Berkeley City Council moderates anti-Marine position

[cigsandcoffee]

Source: CNN

BERKELEY, California (CNN) -- The Berkeley City Council voted early Wednesday to rescind a previous vote that said Marine recruiters are "not welcome in this city," but held tight to its anti-war stance. The vote came after more than three hours of animated citizen input and council debate. More than 100 speakers took turns at the podium. Each speaker was given up to a minute to comment.

In a 7-to-2 vote, the council said it would no longer send a letter to the local Marine Corps Recruiting Station and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway saying recruiters aren't welcome in Berkeley.

Instead, the city is now simply stating it's opposed to the war and the billions spent on it. However, "we recognize the recruiter's right to locate in our city and the right of others to protest or support their presence," the council said.

The council also said it supports and respects the men and women of the armed forces.


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/13/berkeley.marines/#cnnSTCText

[Auggie]

1. The Marines have as much right to do business in Berkeley as Wal-Mart

[Javaman]

2. Someone got to them. nt

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. Their constituents?

:shrug:

[gratuitous]

3. Bummer

One dissenting voice against our national religion of redemptive violence, and the big, bad Marines get into such a tizzy! There, there, you poor dears. Can we get you a cup of tea? Here, lie down on the chaise lounge before you're overcome by the vapors.

[davidinalameda]

4. thank goodness they pulled their collective heads out of their butts

let them protest against the war but we still need the military

whether anyone likes it or not, we have to have a standing military

[atreides1]

5. Why do we need the military????

It's not like the military has performed its duty to support and defend the Constitution, they're nothing more then cannon fodder for the current administration, and they will continue to be cannon fodder.

The civilian populace affords them some cultish hero status that in my opinion isn't deserved!!!

And then the very same civilians who worship these troops, do very little when they come home with pieces of their bodies or minds missing. Members of congress put on a good show before the cameras, but in the end they keep sending them out ot die for no good reason, except the fact that some Democrats are afraid of not getting re-elected.

So, why do we need the military, and how much freedom are you willing to surrender to have one????

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. "the military has performed its duty to support and defend the Constitution?"

You would prefer how things go in Latin America, where the military stages a coup when they believe that the civilian government is overstepping its bounds?

[cigsandcoffee]

9. In case we need them.

It's happened before.

[ToughLuck]

8. I can't stand idiots like these who think this is a "liberal" stand against the war.

To even suggest that the Marines are not welcome is just stupid..I am as against Iraq as anyone. Dumb liberals as bad as dumb conservatives.