When you think the far left, liberal, unhinged can stoop no lower... they do.
From CBS 5:
BERKELEY Marine Captain Richard Lund recruits college students and graduates as candidates for officer positions in the marines. But carrying out that job in Berkeley is not always an easy task.
He has listened to a variety of complaints from members of the anti-war group Code Pink in recent weeks.
"We are so shocked and horrified that the Marines have come to Berkeley to prey on our children," said Zanne Joi, a Code Pink member.
Last week, the Code Pink group protested by defacing the recruiting center and calling the recruiters liars.
In the face of all this, one might ask why would any recruiter want to come to Berkeley?
Lund says that the office is close to the UC Berkeley campus and a BART station that it is convenient for recruits.
But what about the Berkeley attitude?
"It was a little bit of a consideration," Lund said. "But this is my home. This is America. I'm from the Bay Area. I don't mind being in any city, any neighborhood. To me it's all home."
The Marines did receive a couple of visitors who approve of their presence.
"It seems to me by trying to shut down recruiting on or near college campuses, you're really violating the principles of free speech. And I find that repugnant," said Berkeley resident Nancy Klein. "But we have to be a little bit crazy here, it's kind of our persona."
Captain Lund has also written an open letter to Code Pink, which can be found in The Berkeley Daily Planet.
While the protest that you staged in front of my office on Wednesday, Sept. 26th, was an exercise of your constitutional rights, the messages that you left behind were insulting, untrue, and ultimately misdirected. Additionally, from the comments quoted in the Berkeley Daily Planet article, it is clear that you have no idea what it is that I do here. Given that I was unaware of your planned protest, I was unable to contest your claims in person, so I will therefore address them here.
First, a little bit about who I am: I am a Marine captain with over eight years of service as a commissioned officer. I flew transport helicopters for most of my time in the Marine Corps before requesting orders to come here. Currently, I am the officer selection officer for the northern Bay Area. My job is to recruit, interview, screen, and evaluate college students and college graduates that show an interest in becoming officers in the Marine Corps. Once they’ve committed to pursuing this program, I help them apply, and if selected, I help them prepare for the rigors of Officer Candidate School and for the challenges of life as a Marine officer. To be eligible for my programs, you have to be either a full-time college student or a college graduate. I don’t pull anyone out of school, and high school students are not eligible.
I moved my office to Berkeley in December of last year. Previously, it was located in an old federal building in Alameda. That building was due to be torn down and I had to find a new location. I choose our new site because of its proximity to UC Berkeley and to the BART station. Most of the candidates in my program either go to Cal or to one of the schools in San Francisco, the East Bay, or the North Bay. Logistically, the Shattuck Square location was the most convenient for them.
Next, you claim that I lie. I have never, and will never, lie to any individual that shows an interest in my programs. I am upfront with everything that is involved at every step of the way and I go out of my way to ensure that they know what to expect when they apply. I tell them that this is not an easy path. I tell them that leading Marines requires a great deal of self-sacrifice. I tell them that, should they succeed in their quest to become a Marine officer, they will almost certainly go to Iraq. In the future, if you plan to attack my integrity, please have the courtesy to explain to me specifically the instances in which you think that I lied.
Next, scrawled across the doorway to my office, you wrote, “Recruiters are Traitors.” Please explain this one. How exactly am I a traitor? Was I a traitor when I joined the Marine Corps all those years ago? Is every Marine, therefore, a traitor? Was I a traitor during my two stints in Iraq? Was I a traitor when I was delivering humanitarian aid to the victims of the tsunami in Sumatra? Or do you only consider me a traitor while I am on this job?
Go read the rest of his letter...
Gateway Pundit has a lovely picture of the Code Pink lunatics with John Murtha as the were honoring him.
Recently, John Murtha was honored by Code Pink Co-founder Gael Murphy.
Code Pink is the group that mocked wounded soldiers during their weekly protests at Walter Reid Army Medical Center and defended their actions.
Doesn't that just make you warm and fuzzy?
More at the Gateway Pundit link also.
Red State's title makes his feelings known, loud and clear and echoes many others sentiments here.
"Assassination" is spelled with *four* esses, you ignorant, military-hating buffoons.
And I'd like to note for the record that I am not questioning Code Pink's patriotism. I am flat-out denying that, institutionally, they have any at all:
Dan Riehl reminds us that Code Pink is the group that the Democrats invite to their Washington Hearings.
You might remember the last time the Democrats allowed Code Pink to interrupt, you know, when General Petraeus was testifying?
(For those getting this via email from the feedburner subscriptions, this video doesn't show in those emails, so the video of Code Pink being removed from that event can be found at YouTube, here.)
Bay Area is such a nice place, isn't it? I mean just posted about it here and here , when the Oakland Airport wouldn't let our returning heroes into the terminal.
From Stop the ACLU:
But DO NOT question their patriotism! Yeah right, these traitors wouldn’t know patriotism if it hit them in the face….
Captain's Quarters waits for the Left to demand an apology from Code Pink... yeah right!!!
I'll be waiting for the Left to demand an apology from Code Pink. I'll be waiting for a Senate condemnation of their slander against the Marine Corps, one of the finest institutions in this nation's history, and for whom my father-in-law flew missions in the Pacific in both World War II and the Korean War. I'll be waiting for Media Matters to demand the cessation of funding for Code Pink and its donors to thoroughly reject the organization.
I'll be waiting, but I won't hold my breath. Their silence will show the jaw-dropping hypocrisy of the Left on the Rush Limbaugh smear, posing as the defenders of military honor while their allies fling mud at the Marine Corps. I think the troops themselves can see the difference in support between Rush and Code Pink. Certainly, the Marines at the Berkeley recruiting office have recognized it.
This is your anti-military, far left, liberal, unhinged portion of the Democratic party.
The ones that the Democratic politicians are letting dictate their actions.
Theres that warm fuzzy feeling again.
