Giants & Midget Minds

The picture above is copied from the home page of the New York Giants, and it is a picture I didn't think I'd see this year. You'll recall in a recent post I noted the 12 point spread and questioned the sanity of the linemakers, with the proviso "if I were a gambling man". I don't put money on the Super Bowl anymore. As a freshman in college in 1969, the approaching Super Bowl featured the Minnesota Vikings against some AFC team coached by some guy named Hank Stram. Having watched only NFL teams up to that time, being 18 and cocksure, I was pontificating about the outcome of the game when I was asked to put my money where my mouth was.

I was so damn smart, I gave the guy 10-1 odds on a $10 bet.

I can assure you that shelling out $100 in 1970 was a lot more devastating than it appears to be now, and I have always kept the two promises I made to myself after the Vikings were humiliated by the Chiefs:

1.) Never again bet on the Super Bowl

2.) Never again give 10-1 odds on anything unless you have a note from God assuring you of the outcome

Congratulations to the New York Giants. Rising from the ashes of an 0-2 start, they reached the pinnacle because they were a team - all pulling together towards a common goal and setting aside any personal foibles that would hurt the team.

A concept that the folks out in Berkeley, CA will never grasp. At the risk of making this post rather lenghty, I am including the entire resolution that was unanimoulsy endorsed by the Berkley City Fathers:

Peace and Justice Commission
CONSENT CALENDAR
January 29, 2008
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Peace and Justice Commission
Submitted by:Steve Freedkin, Chairperson
Subject: Marine Recruiting Office in Berkeley

RECOMMENDATION

(1) Direct the City Attorney to investigate and report back to Council within 60 days on City options for enforcing Chapter 13.28of the Berkeley Municipal Code, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, with respect to military recruiting offices in Berkeley;

(2) direct the City Manager to send letters to the Marine Corps Recruiting Station at 64 Shattuck Avenue and to General James T. Conway, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, advising them that the Marine recruiting office is not welcome in our city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders; and

(3) 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.

FISCAL IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDATION

Staff time to research the City’s options for enforcing Chapter 13.28 of the Berkeley Municipal Code, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, with respect to military recruiting offices in Berkeley.

CURRENT SITUATION AND ITS EFFECT

The United States has a history of launching illegal, immoral and unprovoked wars of agression and the Bush Administration launched the most recent of those wars in Iraq and is threatening the possibility of war in Iran. These wars have produced catastrophic loss of human life, both civilian and military, as well as physically maiming and deforming and psychologically destroying countless numbers of civilians and military personnel.

The United States Marine Corps is being used as one of the means of perpetrating and prolonging illegal, unconstitutional and unnecessary wars of the United States. Military recruiters are sales people known to lie to and seduce minors and young adults into contracting themselves into military service with false promises regarding jobs, job training, education and other benefits. Many enlisted persons never see the benefits they are promised and find out they are not eligible for the educational benefits due to loopholes and they did not receive the training promised or it did not qualify them for jobs outside the military.

The United States military discriminates by refusing to hire gays, lesbians, or bisexuals. By ordinance (BMC § 13.28.030; Ord. 5106-NS § 1 (part), 1978), the City of Berkeley prohibits such discrimination; requires employers to post a notice that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited by law; and provides for a fine of up to $50 per offense for failure to do so.

BACKGROUND

At the meeting of January 7, 2008, the Peace and Justice Commission approved the following motion: M/S/C (Meola/sorgen)that the Council of the City of Berkeley approve the following recommendation:

WHEREAS, the Peace & Justice Commission advises the City Council on all matters relating to the City of Berkeley’s role in issues of peace and social justice [Berkeley Municipal Code (BMC) Chapter 369.070]; and

WHEREAS, the United States has a history of launching illegal, immoral and unprovoked wars of aggression and the Bush Administration launched the most recent of those wars in Iraq and is threatening the possibility of war in Iran; and

WHEREAS, the United States armed forces, including the Marine Corps, explicitly refuse to hire openly non-heterosexual individuals, and will discharge an individual in their employ “who engages in, attempts to engage in, has a propensity to engage in, or intends to engage in homosexual acts” [10 USC § 654(b)(2), “Policy Concerning Homosexuality in the Armed Forces”]; and

WHEREAS, Berkeley Municipal Code § 13.28, “Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation,” provides that “It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to fail or refuse to hire, or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment on the basis of such individual’s sexual orientation” [BMC § 13.28(A)(1)], and applies the same standard to employment agencies and job-training programs [BMC § 13.28(A)(3), § 13.28(A)(5)]; and

WHEREAS, these wars have produced catastrophic loss of human life, both civilian and military, as well as physically maiming and deforming and psychologically destroying countless numbers of civilians and military personnel; and

WHEREAS, the people of the City of Berkeley have long voiced their stand for peace and against unnecessary wars; and support people following their consciences to do what is morally and ethically right to resist illegitimate authority; and

WHEREAS, the United States Marine Corps is being used as one of the means of perpetrating and prolonging illegal, unconstitutional and unnecessary wars of the United States; and

WHEREAS, military recruiters are sales people known to lie to and seduce minors and young adults into contracting themselves into military service with false promises regarding jobs, job training, education and other benefits; and

WHEREAS, many enlisted persons never see the benefits they are promised and find out they are not eligible for the educational benefits due to loopholes and they did not receive the training promised or it did not qualify them for jobs outside the military; and

WHEREAS, the people of Berkeley should want the Marine Corps present near Berkeley High School,Berkeley City College, and University of California no more than they would want other violent influences downtown.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Peace Camp; Justice Commission recommends that the Council of the City of Berkeley direct the City Attorney to investigate and report back to Council within 60 days on City options for enforcing Chapter 13.28 of the Berkeley Municipal Code, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, with respect to military recruiting offices in Berkeley.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Berkeley direct the City Manager to send letters to the Marine Corps Recruiting Station at 64 Shattuck Avenue and to General James T. Conway, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, advising them that the Marine recruiting office is not welcome in our city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Berkeley 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 avtively, by nonviolent means, the work of any military recruiting office located in the City of Berkeley.

Ayes: Unanimous; Absent: Brody, Cohen, Litman, Seaton, Sherman.

CITY MANAGER

The City Manager takes no position on the recommendations of the Commission. However, it is unlikely that the City has the ability to enforce Chapter 13.28 against the United States military.

CONTACT PERSON
Steve Freedkin, Chairperson, Peace and Justice Commission, (510) 595-4626
Robert Meola, Peace and Justice Commission, (510) 644-1102
Manuel Hector Jr., Secretary, Peace and Justice Commission, (510) 981-5110

Now that your back from the bathroom, having been driven to nausea and upheaval by the block-headed bozos in Berkeley, I'll finish this quickly so you can go rest.

Given that in America you have the right to free speech, these feeble-minded politicians have been able to craft so callow a statement that you have to wonder how these people manage to do anything other than breathe without direction.

Now that we've established the fact that they are free to have their own opinions, we must also recognize the fact that actions have consequences - another concept that appears to be alien to them.

This little charade is all for show - they have no power to enforce this idiotic dictum. It makes them feel good because they hate George Bush, Dick Cheney, and anyone who has the least inkling as to how the world works. However, should they pass the issue, I would immediatley cut off all federal funding given to the City of Berkeley - for everything.

If you don't want the United States Marines in your city to protect your chicken-asses so you can spout your idiotic pablum, then go it alone, as we don't particularly care if the big one hits and you end up as part of China. I'd love to see you try your back-stabbing routine over there in Tienamen Square and see what you get.

Dissent is one thing, insulting the volunteers that put their lives on the line for you is another, and as such, the City Fathers of Berkeley are worthy of all the scorn and derision you wish to laud them with. The phone numbers are listed in their manifesto, and here's the email address:

webmaster@ci.berkeley.ca.us;

Let them know just exactly how you feel about what they're doing if you are so inclined - I intend to.