Code Pink defends Berkeley

(Kavanna reporting from Berkeley, CA) Binah provides his insights from the rarefied atmosphere of the Boston area, while I have the pleasure of reporting sightings from the Left Coast.

Recently, while driving up Shattuck Avenue toward the Gourmet Ghetto in Berkeley, my wife and I passed a zaftig woman adorned in a pink t-shirt and combo mullet-mohawk. Given the woman's dual-watermelon-like upper body, her large t-shirt only reached to her midriff.

She was standing near the USMC recruiting center beside a graffiti-splattered panel truck. The truck was parked in the spot so graciously provided gratis to Code Pink by the Berkeley City Council. While driving past, I could only make out the word "womon" on the truck. The phrase is an analogue to "womyn," a feminist attempt to eradicate male cultural imperialism.

My wife, a former vegan, liberal social worker from Madison, Wisconsin (and now an omnivorous crypto-conservative) became enraged. She rolled down the window on our SUV, and yelled, "Who do you think is protecting your constitutional rights?" The womon responded, "I am." A similar question was asked by a correspondent for the Daily Show of another Code Pink protester, which can be seen at The Daily Show.

What is little known is that the Associated Students of the University of California at Berkeley (ASUC) passed a resolution against the Berkeley City Council's stance critical of the Marine Corps recruiting center. The resolution urged the City Council to submit a letter of apology to U.S. servicemen and women.

WHEREAS, the City of Berkeley (COB) recently made statements against the United States Marine recruiting facility in downtown Berkeley claiming they were “unwelcome intruders” and "not welcome in our City"; and

WHEREAS, the United States military possesses a fundamental right to recruit volunteers for the service of national defense; and

WHEREAS, United States military men and women do not determine the foreign policy positions or actions of United States and are simply performing their jobs in their distinguished careers; and

WHEREAS, even though the COB opted to withdraw the aforementioned Resolution voicing their opposition to the Marine recruiting office, their position still became widespread and known to the residents of Berkeley and to the entire nation; and

WHEREAS, as a large percentage of residents in the City, the students of the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) respect the service of our servicemen and women; and

WHEREAS, the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) and the ASUC Senate have the constitutional obligation to specifically promote “the welfare and interest of the students of the University of California at Berkeley”; and
WHEREAS, several federal and State lawmakers have threatened to pull funding from the programs within the COB including $975,000 for the Robert T. Matsui Foundation for Public Service at UCB; and

WHEREAS, the students of UCB should not share in the repercussions of the COB’s actions;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the ASUC does not support the COB’s rhetoric and methods used against the Marine recruiting station and strongly urge them to submit a letter of apology to our military servicemen and women.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ASUC strongly convey that the COB and the UCB are separate entities and firmly request that federal funds not be pulled from any programs benefiting UCB.

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the ASUC President and External Affairs Vice President send and submit the ASUC’s position to the Berkeley City Council and to any federal lawmakers threatening to remove funding from UCB programs.

Of course, part of the motivation for ASUC's resolution was to avoid the withdrawal of state and federal funds. Nonetheless, UCB should be applauded for not being so leftist as to outweigh common sense.