Bye Bye Marines

[krasnoludek]

The US Marine Corps opened a recruitment office in the middle of downtown Berkeley a year ago. After a half a year, Code Pink started protesting on the other side of the street, saying they the office was recruiting soldiers to potentially die for an unjust war. I really don't know what the Marine Corps was thinking opening up in the anti-war

Comments

[justanothergeek]

"run around without regard for the city's inhabitants"? What exactly are the Marines doing to harm the city's inhabitants?

I found this action to be completely idiotic. We're not even talking about on-campus recruiting here, which I do have some qualms about. The Marines rented space in a business district and are abiding by all relevant laws. Berkeley is simply acting -- yet again -- in a way that makes it the laughing stock of the rest of the country. There's nothing to be proud of here.

[krasnoludek]

What harm are they doing? Only that they are encouraging the young men and women of Berkeley to enter in a contract where they risk their lives for multiple years to fight a war begun on a lie and which has continued for unjust reasons. I'm only guessing, but I think how Berkeley's citizens view the recruiting center as a harmful influence. Now that it's present in their backyard they are taking action against it.

And what action have they taken? They have issued a statement saying that the recruiting center is not welcome in the city. That's all. They are not overstepping their legal authority--it is not an eviction (which they have no power to do). It simply makes it clear to the recruiting center what the populace's opinion is. I think an official statement like this was necessary, because unlike a corporation they are not likely to go away even after a private campaign such as a boycott

[rdore]

What harm are they doing?

They're destroying the credibility of having a fair government so that they can feel better about their pet cause.

Only that they are encouraging the young men and women of Berkeley to enter in a contract where they risk their lives for multiple years

There are plenty of jobs where people risk their lives. Should we harass crab fishing recruiters if they want to set up an office in the city?

which has continued for unjust reasons.

The argument I've heard for not leaving Iraq is that the chaos created would result in more loss of life than staying. I don't really buy such an argument. But to call that an "unjust reason" seems pretty over the top to me.

They are not overstepping their legal authority

If what they're doing isn't illegal, it must be ok.

Many towns and cities prevent liquor stores and porn shops (and abortion clinics? not sure) to be within X feet of schools, so this is another case of that same theme.To me, many of the restrictions on both alcohol and pornography in this country are

[krasnoludek]

The "What harm are they doing" was an echo of justanothergeek's quote and comment: "run around without regard for the city's inhabitants"? What exactly are the Marines doing to harm the city's inhabitants?. That was not a statement denying the city coucil was doing harm.

With respect to the council, the city is exhibiting partiality, which is hurting its reputation from the scope of the rest of the country's standards. At the same time, it's representing the will of its citizens. As I said before, typical citizen action such as boycotts are not going to work well against a non-business adversary like the Marines, so the only recourse was for the citizens to take their protest to a governmental level. The result is an official city statement about their presence and the enabling of a citizens' protest, things that were already happening. But now there's a more serious voice behind them, making the citizen's protest and opinions more difficult to brush off as insignificant.

There are plenty of jobs where people risk their lives. Should we harass