If the drive-by rightists were such superpatriots, they'd be trying to bring the troops home from Bush's failed war - not trying to draw more troops in to feed this bizarre war fetish they have. Patriotism means acting in your country's interests.
That doesn't mean you're a big Iraq War hawk just because you're not a member of Code Pink. But when a city at the other end of the country makes an effort to keep its young people out of the war, you should respect it. It's that city's decision - not yours or mine.
Many Americans live under local governments that are out of step with the public they're supposed to serve. It happens in my area, as voters in central cities become more progressive while their governments trend to the right. And it happens in small towns not too far from here. Like Delbarton, West Virginia. In a lot of places like Delbarton, most folks aren't Berkeley liberals, but they damn sure aren't Bushists either: Bush lost Delbarton's county 56% to 43% in 2004, after the war was already under way.
Those are statistics, not ivory tower assumptions. Bush lost the area. Get over it. But that doesn't stop Delbarton City Council from telling its own citizens and the rest of the country what to think. If you think Berkeley went too far, don't do what Berkeley did. Simple. I'm a nice guy, and I won't boycott your town for it. But leaving another city alone isn't enough for Delbarton City Council, which has passed a resolution backing Jim DeMint's efforts to slash Berkeley's school lunches because of its politics.
So City Clowncil is going to bat for a right-wing demagogue like DeMint, who never served in the military but expects everyone else to?
It's bad enough that totalitarian chickenhawks like Jim DimWit abuse congressional power to punish cities for their politics. But now a town government is trying to impose its own views on another city by backing DeMint's bill!
If Delbarton City Council is going to poke its nose into Berkeley, then I'm damn sure going to keep an eye on Delbarton - seeing how most folks in Delbarton actually agree that their City Council is out of line. Geographically there's much less distance between me and Delbarton than between Delbarton and Berkeley, so who's a bigger threat to local autonomy: me or Delbarton City Council?
If you want to show your patriotism, how about passing a resolution demanding that the military stop stealing bonuses from injured troops when they can't complete their service? Such a resolution would do America's brave military personnel a lot more good than bellyaching about one city's supposed snub.
Meanwhile, Berkeley has softened its stance in this controversy. This may not matter, because any type of dissent against the war is enough to cause Bush's chickenhawks to go ballistic.
I say support the troops. And fuck Jim DeMint.
(Source: http://www.williamsondailynews.com/articles/2008/02/12/news/doc47b10090a7284842072974.txt;
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/13/berkeley.marines)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Town council backs DeMint's idiocy
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First, I would like to applaud you for your eloquent response to a subject that you feel so strongly about. You have exercised your first amendment right, not unlike this council.
ReplyDeleteAs a member of the council in the town of Delbarton, I think it is important to clarify a few things. First, I feel that it is very important to make individuals aware that this was not the central topic of discussion during the meeting. Among the things that were discussed during the session were improvements to a local facility, discussion of creating a new little league baseball field for our youth, the idea of establishing a drug and alcohol awareness program geared towards our youth, a brief discussion over establishing a community park with a walking track for the people of our community, talks of how to generate more businesses in our town, and discussing improving the pay of the officers who serve and protect our community on a daily basis. This “topic of discussion” took place during the last five minutes of the meeting after the town business was complete.
I would like to defend Councilman Totten and his motives because he is concerned about his country and our birthright of Freedom. The idea that town and city councils’ across this country (including ours) would state that “Marine recruiters are not welcome in this city" sets a very dangerous precident and the voice of those who disagree with this feeling should have an equal time to state their opinion. It was quite a relief to see the softened stance that the Berkeley council stated, “we recognize the recruiter's right to locate in our city and the right of others to protest or support their presence".
I felt that our resolution was a statement in support of our troops and their freedom to recruit and organize anywhere they choose fit, and should be viewed as just that. The fact that we are on opposite sides of the country is irrelevent, as we should all be willing to defend our rights and liberties as Americans around the globe.
Sincerely,
Councilman Jeremy Davis
Town of Delbarton
Sorry, but what Jim the Mint did (so named because he has a lot of money) sounds like it's straight from the anals of Saddam.
ReplyDeleteWhen Saddam destroyed villages for not supporting him, that's no different than what Jim DeMint is doing now.
It does not help the troops at all to have guys like DeMint pulling funds for school lunches from Berkeley because of their politics. That is not right, and I am shocked that anyone would support it.
Maybe if more cities did what Berkeley did, and the military couldn't have as many recruiting offices, then the military might demand an end to this war. It looks like that's the only way this is going to end anytime soon.
Bandit is right...This war is not sustainable and has to end.
If what the Berkeley council tried to do occurred in almost any other American city the responsible council members would be voted out the next time they were up for reelection, even if most people want the war to end.
ReplyDeleteBerkeley was doing what its citizens feel should be done. What's the problem with that?? We may not agree with it, but it's their city.
ReplyDeleteAren't the Repukes supposed to be the ones who are FOR states' rights?? DeMint's law is no different from the Solomon Amendment (Bandit has talked about this before) that pretty much does the same thing, only to universities.
On Bandit's profile he clearly states he is from Bellevue, KY (NOT Berkeley!!). Doesn't exactly sound like a big west coast liberal city to me, does it? The fact that someone in Bellevue, KY can be so against the war really says something.