The Marines Have Landed, But They Can’t Use The Bathroom
By Chuck Hyde, Editor of StandBesideHer.com
Another day and yet more attacks on our troops from the liberal left. From
Berkeley to Oakland, California the US Marines are finding one of the
most hateful countries to be in is their own. I must say I have never visited
California but would love to one day because it appears to be a beautiful state.
With this said though, there does seem to be a pattern here.
The Berkeley city council voted on a resolution against the US Marines recruiting center stating
that the US Marine Corps "is not welcome in the city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they
do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders." Meanwhile the city council passed an ordinance
giving the anti-war group Code Pink a parking space in front of the center and a permit to
exceed the noise ordinance to protest once a week. According to the Mayor of Berkeley this
is all done in the name of free speech. This stays in line with the age old liberal belief about free
speech in which only the people they agree with get it.
Much to the frustration of the city council, the resolution made national news and the
city has been the target of a backlash. This has led the mayor to propose revisiting the resolution
to “clarify” it. He now wants to make clear that the city supports the troops but opposes the Iraq war.
I believe the most ironic part about all of this is that these people really believe what they are saying.
They believe they can attack the troops, say they support them, and think we are going to buy it.
To further show support for the troops, Code Pink is proposing an initiative for the November ballot
in which it would be illegal to have a recruiting center near homes, parks, schools, churches, libraries,
or health clinics. The result of the wording of this ordinance is that recruiting centers will not be
allowed because it would virtually be impossible to find a location that would not be near one of
these types of buildings. This essentially equates the military to porno shops and child molesters.
What is happening in our country when the men and women who risk their lives defending the
right of these cretins to oppose them can be compared to a child molester?
There has been legislation proposed by U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C to
strip Berkeley of all federal funding because of the city council resolution. If he really
follows through with his threat, it will be interesting to see how the Democrats in Congress
vote. Will they support the troops as they claim to or will they march in lock step with the
liberal extremists of their party as they have done in the past.
This takes us to the Oakland International Airport. The airport denied access to
the terminal for 200 Marines and soldiers on layover during their trip home from Iraq.
The airport fell back on the notion of miscommunication between them and federal
agencies responsible for the movement of troops and the regulation of airports.
(I find it incredible the total inability of liberals to communicate, as this is the first
excuse they go to explain whatever) Airport officials released a statement that
they could not provide the troops "an adequate level of escort and control of
such a large group of military personnel in or around the terminal area," and
were further concerned about the weapons they carried. Evidently the officials at
the Oakland airport receive the New York Times and read the article on troops
rampaging and pillaging out of control around the country. To recap this incident, these
brave men and women returning from risking their lives in Iraq were denied access to
food and the use of bathrooms on their layover.
One of the troops reported the incident to Rep. John L. Mica, Florida Republican and
said that it "felt like being spit on." Mr. Mica and Rep. Tom Petri, a Wisconsin Republican are
calling for an investigation and have promised to follow up on it.
To make these incidents even more distressing is the story this past week out of
Iraq that al-Qiada used two different women in two different suicide bombings, killing
dozens of people. What makes these bombings more repulsive than the usual murderous
attacks by the terrorists is that these two women had Downs Syndrome. So our brave
men and women of the military are risking their lives in Iraq fighting people who are
stooping to using women who are unable to undrstand what they are doing but these
same troops are not allowed to recruit in Berkeley or use the bathroom or feed
themselves in Oakland? The question has to be asked: If the the city council in
Berkeley and airport officials in Oakland don’t support American troops, who do
they support? That’s what’s on my mind.
Note: At the time of this being published, the Berkeley City Council voted to rescind
their attack on the Marines, sort of. While they admitted that their earlier resolution
stating that the presence of the US Marines "is not welcome in the city, and if
recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders." was
an embarrassment to the city, they still refused to apologize or retract their
suggestion that people refuse to cooperate with the Marines. Further, they
refuse to rescind the special exemptions given to Code Pink to protest the
Marines and are not attempting to head off the ballot proposal that would
equate the Marines to child molesters. So this wasn’t really an apology as
much as the city council saying “don’t cut our funds”. I say take the funds. If
Berkeley cannot support the US, the US should not support Berkeley.
About The Author: Chuck Hyde is editor of StandBesideHer.com. He is
also a husband and father of two teenage boys and a younger daughter.
His family lives in the northern Midwestern rural United States, where they
enjoy camping, fishing, and other outdoor activities together. Chuck is a
Registered Nurse in an inner city emergency room and has had a lifelong addiction to politics.
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