Berkley wants to treat Military Recruiters like Porn Dealers

[CaptainChewbacca]

Link

In response to a Marine Corps recruiting office established in Berkeley last year, local activists are trying to make it more difficult for future recruiting centers to open in the city.

If passed by a majority of Berkeley voters, a proposed initiative would require military recruiting offices and private military companies in Berkeley to first acquire a special use permit.

To obtain this permit, a business must hold public hearings and a public comment period.

If the initiative passes, recruitment offices could not be opened within 600 feet of residential districts, public parks, public health clinics, public libraries, schools or churches.

Currently, a recruiting office is held to the same standards as most other businesses, which do not require a public hearing or have limits on where offices can be established.

The author of the initiative, Berkeley-based lawyer Sharon Adams, modeled the initiative after current zoning law that restricts the location of adult-oriented businesses.

“In the same way that many communities limit the location of pornographic stores, that’s the same way we feel about the military recruiting stations,” said PhoeBe sorgen, an initiative proponent and a member of the city’s Peace and Justice Commission. “Teenagers that really want to find them will be able to seek them out and find them, but we don’t want them in our face.”

Berkeley Councilmember Dona Spring said she supports the wording of the initiative, but said she would prefer the issue be passed by council so it can be enacted faster rather than waiting for the initiative to be placed on the ballot in November.

“I think we should just go ahead and pass it,” she said. “We can’t take everything to the voters.”

You know, if you keep pissing on the military, maybe they won't show up next time you want them. Seriously, I lived in the People's Democratic Republic of UC Davis for 7 years and I've never heard of anything this insane. Military = Porno? Come on!

[Kodiak]

This is complete and utter BULLSHIT. To require the US military to obtain special-use permits and have public hearings to open recruitment centers is the epitome of Berkeley gone-wrong.

When I was at San Jose State, I spent a few years in the AFROTC. I couldn't believe how difficult the student-body tried to make it for the detachment to function on campus even though we did MORE community service than any other organization on campus: blood drives, clean-ups, and all that other fun stuff you do in college. The student body actually tried to have the organization removed from campus, at which point the government stepped in and said in effect: "You're perfectly within your rights to remove the detachment, and we're perfectly within our rights to revoke your federal funding." That shut them up really quick, but we still had to deal with vandalism, insults, and all kinds of idiotic protesting during my time there.

This makes me think of the guy in "Thank You for Smoking" who joined the National Guard so he could shoot hippies. I share his dream.

[Rye]

Military = Porno? Come on!

Yeah, that's crazy. Porn kills lots less people.

[Xisiqomelir]

So, is this going to pass?

[CaptainChewbacca]

So, is this going to pass?

Berkeley Councilmember Dona Spring said she supports the wording of the initiative, but said she would prefer the issue be passed by council so it can be enacted faster rather than waiting for the initiative to be placed on the ballot in November.

"I think we should just go ahead and pass it," she said. "We can't take everything to the voters."

Another shining moment for democracy. 'You can't be trusted to think what we want you to, so we'll shove it down your throats.'

Yes, yes, I realize that goes both ways.

[Adrian Laguna]

I feel Chewie is reading too much into a throwaway line that's meant to be an analogy more than anything. The point they're trying to make is that they consider military recruiters to be an undesirable and corrupting influence on the community.


That said, I strongly disagree with their sentiment insofar as the United States military is concerned. Private military companies, on the other hand, can be banned entirely for all I care (and this coming from someone who's defended PMCs in the past).

[Darth Raptor]

If recruiters had something resembling scruples, I'd have something resembling sympathy. As far as I'm concerned, so long as they continue to behave like con artists, they can continue to be regarded as such.

[Lonestar]

Will it close down recruitment stations within the criteria set?

Will it prevent little booths set up at sports events?

And,

What, oh what, will the city of Berkeley do if there's a major Earthquake and the NG need to provide help?

[Lonestar]

If recruiters had something resembling scruples, I'd have something resembling sympathy. As far as I'm concerned, so long as they continue to behave like con artists, they can continue to be regarded as such.

They are con artists if you are a complete retard, yes.

[Darth Wong]

If recruiters had something resembling scruples, I'd have something resembling sympathy. As far as I'm concerned, so long as they continue to behave like con artists, they can continue to be regarded as such.

They are con artists if you are a complete retard, yes.

Ahem ... all con artists specialize in going after people who are easily fooled.

[Stark]

I honestly find all the hysterical 'oh noes x group doesn't Support the Troops so we should never use the military to assist them' stuff to be really, really lame. Let's make a 10-point system for military assistance, assessed yearly, so we know which parts of the country to bother defending! You're not AMERICAN enough to rescue!

[Lonestar]

Ahem ... all con artists specialize in going after people who are easily fooled.

Fair enough, but I wonder what the thought process is when someone is shocked, yes, shocked that they may be sent overseas/away from the their family/put in mortal danger after they sign up for the military. There was one of 'em in my recruit division at Boot Camp. And he signed on to be a submariner.

[Surlethe]

I honestly find all the hysterical 'oh noes x group doesn't Support the Troops so we should never use the military to assist them' stuff to be really, really lame. Let's make a 10-point system for military assistance, assessed yearly, so we know which parts of the country to bother defending! You're not AMERICAN enough to rescue!

More to the point, it sounds like people assume the military should behave like a business, where if you don't pay in, you won't get pay out.

[Havok]

This is par for the course when it comes to Berkeley. And it's not like it is that big of a city. Hell, you can hop the 51 (AC Transit) in Berkeley and ride for 20 minutes and probably hit 3 recruiters in Oakland and Alameda. This really isn't that big of a deal.

[Kodiak]

I honestly find all the hysterical 'oh noes x group doesn't Support the Troops so we should never use the military to assist them' stuff to be really, really lame. Let's make a 10-point system for military assistance, assessed yearly, so we know which parts of the country to bother defending! You're not AMERICAN enough to rescue!

Damn, they'd never save California.

[Hawkwings]

I honestly find all the hysterical 'oh noes x group doesn't Support the Troops so we should never use the military to assist them' stuff to be really, really lame. Let's make a 10-point system for military assistance, assessed yearly, so we know which parts of the country to bother defending! You're not AMERICAN enough to rescue!

That's awesome

Anyways, if this does go through and the Feds don't step in an do anything, other schools will definitely do the same thing. So I predict government intervention.

[Aaron]

What's the big deal? Do you really need more than two recruiting centers in the state anyways? Some Provinces in Canada only have one or two, meaning that if you live in Northern BC or the Interior you have to drive or fly into Vancouver (could take over a day) but they will pay for your expenses.

[Stark]

Damn, they'd never save California.

God damn those liberals, we need punitive taxes to bring them back into line!

[Stark]

What's the big deal? Do you really need more than two recruiting centers in the state anyways? Some Provinces in Canada only have one or two, meaning that if you live in Northern BC or the Interior you have to drive or fly into Vancouver (could take over a day) but they will pay for your expenses.

GHETTO: In all of Brisbane, there's one recruitment centre. Brisbane is a 2-million person city, one of the biggest in the nation. There are roving recruitment booths/stands etc in malls, universities etc.

[Rye]

I honestly find all the hysterical 'oh noes x group doesn't Support the Troops so we should never use the military to assist them' stuff to be really, really lame. Let's make a 10-point system for military assistance, assessed yearly, so we know which parts of the country to bother defending! You're not AMERICAN enough to rescue!

"Hey man, if you don't like it, move!!"

From what I gather, recruiters do employ a lot of morally dubious tactics that amount to "you're in poverty/unsure about what to do/depressed with school and desperate? Joining the military solves all your problems!" and spamming. Often, it seems to me as an outsider to be taking advantage a bit. Given the misery that can result of being thrown into a warzone and swarming like vultures around teens that don't know what to do with their lives, I can understand the wish to rezone recruiters more than I can pornographers.

[Aaron]

GHETTO: In all of Brisbane, there's one recruitment centre. Brisbane is a 2-million person city, one of the biggest in the nation. There are roving recruitment booths/stands etc in malls, universities etc.

I occasionally see a recruiting booth in the major malls. But they don't harrass anyone, rather they sit there and wait for you to come to them.

[Havok]

I honestly find all the hysterical 'oh noes x group doesn't Support the Troops so we should never use the military to assist them' stuff to be really, really lame. Let's make a 10-point system for military assistance, assessed yearly, so we know which parts of the country to bother defending! You're not AMERICAN enough to rescue!

Damn, they'd never save California.

You bet your ass they'd save California. We got MCRD SD and Camp Pendleton, along with the Skunkworks, Mirimar (Top Gun), China Lake, Travis, Edwards and Vandenburg. Not to mention with out California, you have a clear path for all those dirty Mexicans to get into the states and do all the crap jobs that keep the economy running... oh wait.

[Havok]

I honestly find all the hysterical 'oh noes x group doesn't Support the Troops so we should never use the military to assist them' stuff to be really, really lame. Let's make a 10-point system for military assistance, assessed yearly, so we know which parts of the country to bother defending! You're not AMERICAN enough to rescue!

That's awesome

Anyways, if this does go through and the Feds don't step in an do anything, other schools will definitely do the same thing. So I predict government intervention.

No, it's not the University that is proposing this, it's the City Of Berkeley.

[Pablo Sanchez]

What, oh what, will the city of Berkeley do if there's a major Earthquake and the NG need to provide help?

Yeah, I mean, it's not like any tax revenue from the people of Berkeley goes into supporting the NG and other military units.

[Lonestar]

Yeah, I mean, it's not like any tax revenue from the people of Berkeley goes into supporting the NG and other military units.

I bet you their tax revenue can be mostly made up with the sweet contract that UC Berkeley got to run some of the National Labs, for example.