2008 Woodie Awards
'PINK' organization lacks impact
Andrew Browning
Issue date: 2/18/08 Section: Opinion
Berkeley, Calif., has always been considered a Mecca for hippies. Their staunch anti-war views and liberalism have been allowed to flourish there, and when the Marines opened up a recruiting station in the heart of Berkeley, the women who belonged to CODEPINK began choking on their vanilla lattes and vegan muffins.
According to its Web site, CODEPINK "is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars and redirect our resources into health care, education and other life-affirming activities." While I may believe in some of their viewpoints, the insanity they have been causing in Berkeley is ridiculous and somewhat laughable.
People have gotten so bent out of shape about the Marines' recruiting station that CODEPINK now has "exclusive use of a parking spot for four hours one afternoon each week, for the next six months." If that wasn't enough, the group has also sought legal action to try and have the Marines kicked out of the city.
One activist said, "If you're going to join the Marines, you're going to join the Marines … but you don't have to join the Marines from our town." If a young woman or man is interested in joining the Marines, they should not be hindered from doing so.
You might be wondering how the Marine Corps is dealing with this. For them, nothing has changed. In a time of war, you are always going to run into people who disagree, people who refuse to objectively view the other side. It is "business as usual" as a Marine Major said, and they definitely seem to be acting more appropriately than CODEPINK on this one. When CODEPINK begins to protest, the Marines lock the door, close the blinds and wait for the kumbaya circles to dissipate.
CODEPINK activists act like they just now found out some recruiters lie and manipulate the truth to get civilians to enlist in the military. Of course not all recruiters are purveyors of misinformation, but have been stereotyped that way.
According to its Web site, CODEPINK "is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars and redirect our resources into health care, education and other life-affirming activities." While I may believe in some of their viewpoints, the insanity they have been causing in Berkeley is ridiculous and somewhat laughable.
People have gotten so bent out of shape about the Marines' recruiting station that CODEPINK now has "exclusive use of a parking spot for four hours one afternoon each week, for the next six months." If that wasn't enough, the group has also sought legal action to try and have the Marines kicked out of the city.
One activist said, "If you're going to join the Marines, you're going to join the Marines … but you don't have to join the Marines from our town." If a young woman or man is interested in joining the Marines, they should not be hindered from doing so.
You might be wondering how the Marine Corps is dealing with this. For them, nothing has changed. In a time of war, you are always going to run into people who disagree, people who refuse to objectively view the other side. It is "business as usual" as a Marine Major said, and they definitely seem to be acting more appropriately than CODEPINK on this one. When CODEPINK begins to protest, the Marines lock the door, close the blinds and wait for the kumbaya circles to dissipate.
CODEPINK activists act like they just now found out some recruiters lie and manipulate the truth to get civilians to enlist in the military. Of course not all recruiters are purveyors of misinformation, but have been stereotyped that way.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Krystal
posted 2/17/08 @ 9:55 PM CST
Amen...that's all I have to say
Ryan
posted 2/17/08 @ 10:12 PM CST
They are your basic, ordinary nutjobs, nothing new there. Congratulations Andy on finally putting something out that is somewhat balanced and doesn't indict one group or another for having a view or opinion. (Continued…)
Latte drinking vegan (LOL)
posted 2/18/08 @ 6:16 PM CST
Unbiased? Andy rightfully debunks the stereotype that all Marine Corps recruiters mislead people to get them to sign up. At the same time he fosters the stereotype that ALL Code Pink members are vanilla latte drinking, vegan eating, kumbya singing nut jobs. (Continued…)
Alan Stout
posted 2/18/08 @ 7:23 PM CST
The petition
We, the undersigned condemn the Berkeley City Council's treasonous attack on US Marine Recruiters stationed in their city. We ask that Congress cut off funds from any and all municipal entity within the confines of the city of Berkeley, California, until such time as the city council withdraws it's action. (Continued…)
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