Move America Forward
vs. Berkeley City Council

Move America Forward is taking on the Berkeley City Council. On January 29, 2008, the City Council in Berkeley, California, voted to send a letter to the local Marine Officer Recruiting office, with a copy to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, suggesting that they retreat.

Retreat? The United States Marine Corps? I don't think so!

Actually, the letter called the Marines "uninvited and unwelcome intruders," and suggested that they close the recruiting office in downtown Berkeley. The City Council encouraged citizens to impede the recruiting activity at the center, and went so far as to grant Code Pink, a foul-mouthed anti-war group, a reserved parking spot directly in front of the recruiting office to facilitate their weekly protests.

The basis for this outrageous action? The Berkeley City Code prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, so the Clinton Administration's "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy on homosexuals in the military violates the Berkeley City Code.

Nevermind that interfering with military recruitment has been a federal offense since World War I. Nevermind that when state or local law conflicts with federal law, federal law prevails.

No, the City of Berkeley, that well-known liberal enclave whose history of anti-military activism and disrespect to our troops dates back to the Vietnam war era, has decided it can ignore the law of the land, and enforce its own City Code in violation of federal law.

Despite numerous demands and support-the-troops demonstrations to counter Code Pink's protests, the Berkeley City Council refuses to apologize to the members of America's Armed Forces.

The idiocy of this position is that they are asserting their own rights, and aiding the anti-war group Code Pink in asserting its rights, by trampling on the rights of the very group who, with its blood left in places like Tripoli, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Baghdad, guaranteed them the rights granted by our Constitution, including the right to show their disrespect.

I guess those who sacrifice to give the right to others don't deserve those same rights themselves?

Reminds me of the banner I see on a number of Milblogs -- "Free Speech by those who help make it possible."

You will find links below to our earlier pieces on this subject, if you need to be brought up to speed.



Move America Forward has put together a television commercial, which will begin airing nationwide next week, to tell the Berkeley City Council, as well as every other city in America, "We're not going to take it any more!"

We received e-mail today from Catherine Moy, Executive Director of Move America Forward, asking for your help in making sure this ad is seen all over America.

We'll turn the rest of the page over to Cat:

"During the past few days I had the honor to work with the veterans and military mom who are featured in our new ad that battles back against the Berkeley City Council.

Our ad is already having a tremendous effect. In the first 24 hours the ad was posted online it received 5 Honors from YouTube. It was highlighted as one of the most blogged about video clips by Google Videos. And the news story on the ad is the 2nd most-watched video on the NBC affiliate in San Francisco.

Please continue to share the link to the Move America Forward video with others.

Next week we take this message over the airwaves - reaching millions of people.

The young Marine, Eamon Kelly, the stout Army veteran, John Bringuel, and Marine Mom, Deborah Johns, have all asked me how much of an impact I thought this ad campaign will make.

I told them the truth: "I don't know."

It all depends on how much we can get this ad seen - not just in Berkeley - but more importantly across the nation. We're drawing a line in the sand, to let it be known that not only will we not allow Berkeley to attack and dishonor our troops, but that we will not allow ANY city in America to act this way.

This is a huge moment in American history. With a new Commander in Chief coming to power soon, and with the debate over the war on terror taking on a new tone, we cannot "lose" this chapter of the battle to the anti-military folks who occupy the ranks of the "Blame America First" crowd.

I looked our veterans and military families in the eye this week and promised them that I would do everything I could to make sure this new TV ad is seen by every American.

Please, help me make this a reality. I need for every person reading this email to make a donation to Move America Forward's ad campaign, even if you've made one already.

If you've already contributed - thank you. Please just donate $5 or $10 more.

If you haven't yet contributed then please give the most generous amount you can conceivably afford. I need about 100 people who will contribute $200 or more. Will you please - please - be one of those people?

We need you to contribute online here.

Or you can contribute via PayPal here.

We will not give up this fight - but if we are to win it, we'll need some ammo, and that means money to get our message heard.

I really am counting on all of you to do whatever you can to help.

- Cat Moy, Executive Director
Move America Forward

P.S. One thing you can do to help is to also rate our video at YouTube and post a comment."

The City Council in Berkeley, CA, takes an anti-military stance. This page includes:

• Video News Report with the background of the story
• Michelle Malkin's Feb. 6 article titled, "Berkeley vs. America, Again"
• Video of a US Immigrant putting things in perspective
• San Diego businessman Brian Dennard's letter to the Berkeley City Council announcing his boycott of anyone doing business in Berkeley, and his appeal to all other companies and individuals with whom he does businesses to follow suit.
• Memo from the Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission to the City Council recommending the anti-military action, going so far as to "encourage all people to avoid cooperation with the Marine Corps recruiting station, and applaud residents and organizations such as Code Pink, that may volunteer to impede, passively or actively, by nonviolent means, the work of any military recruiting office located in the City of Berkeley."
• Contact information for Berkeley City Officials

Grannys Gone Bad.

Berkeley Chamber of Commerce Weak-Kneed Response to San Diego businessman and resort developer Brian Dennard, who has promised a boycott of Berkeley businesses.

Berkeley Chamber Makes a Weak Appeal, essentially saying, "Don't blame us, we didn't vote for them." The writer suggests that pro-troops non-profits apply for their own reserved parking spaces in Berkeley, leaving no space for business customers, and that perhaps the Mayor should forfeit his military retired pay.

Sound off! Post your thoughts about this farce and let the Mayor and City Council know, "We're not gonna take it any more!"