Posted on 02/09/2008 8:00:26 AM PST by coffee260
OK, so 200 Marines stationed in Grand Rapids, Michigan, piled on to five buses and came to Toledo, Ohio, yesterday to practice some urban patrol exercises. The Toledo police knew about the request for the three-day exercise well in advance, but somehow Mayor Carty Finkbeiner didn’t see the memo requesting permission for the event. So when when the first bus arrives at 3:20 p.m. and Staff Sergeant Andre Davis steps off, he is greeted by a city employee and told that the mayor wanted him and his soldiers out of town by 6 p.m. “I wish,” Sgt Davis drily remarked, “they would have told us this four hours ago.”
Indeed.
I gather that Mayor Finkbeiner (a Democrat, readers will be surprised to learn), like the folks in Berkeley, California, can’t think of the United States Marines without having the first lines of “The Destruction of Sennacherib” float through his head (“The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold …”) “The mayor asked them to leave because they frighten people,” said Brian Schwartz, the mayor’s spokesman.
Gee, isn’t that a shame?
Lance Corporal Brandon Bukrey-McCarty recalled how useful such training was when he had been deployed in Fallujah in 2006-2007. The training, he said, “got me used to looking up on rooftops, looking around every alley, every open door.”
Too bad, Brandon! Carty Finkbeiner thinks having U.S. soldiers in town will frighten the voters, so your comrades will just have to do without that training.
The company’s commanding officer, Major Jeffrey O’Neill, was disappointed by Carty Finkbeiner’s cold shoulder—it would, he noted, be difficult to find a suitable alternative venue for the exercise—but “we’re Marines,” he said, “We’ll adapt and overcome.”
I have no doubt about that. I hope part of the adaptation will be to present the City of Toledo—or maybe Carty Finkbeiner himself—with the $10,000 tab that the aborted exercise cost the Marines.
Mayor Finkbeiner can boast on his official website that Tony Packos Restaurant in Toledo was “made famous on the television show M*A*S*H.” But when he has an opportunity to help the men and women who in real life protect this country, including the City of Toledo, he refuses to grant them the sort of permit he would routinely give to a bunch of anti-American activists who wanted to organize a protest march down Main Street. I think it’s disgusting. If I lived in Toledo, I’d be wondering when Carty Finkbeiner was up for re-election and would look forward to sending him out on a 6:00 p.m. bus at the earliest opportunity.
Hat tip for this item to Instapundit.
Next time they need the military, the military should just say “call code pink”.
Went to his website. He looks like a sissy-boy. I wrote a letter telling him what I think of him. Had to make my disgust known. Some people didn’t learn a thing from Berkeley, unless he is jealous of the attention.
Hard to imagine anyone except the enemy being afraid of US Marines. Of course, living next to Cherry Point MCAS—Havelock NC—we’re far more used to seeing Marines than not seing them!!
Camoflauge, big trucks, and guns don’t get much of a reaction here. Besides the military, most of our regular guys dress like that on an almost daily basis. LOL
What a wonderful opportunity for the people of Toledo to over ride the mayor! Would send a powerful msg. over the whole continent!
Congress isn’t going to do anything. Do they have any military bases? I suggest the military bases at these two states basically shut down supporting the surrounding cities for a month.
Those Marines are welcome to come to our farm and train,camp,shoot and do whatever they want-anytime.We aren’t urban but if they want to practice recon and ambush in a wooded area or open ground-come on out.
bump
Carty Finkbeiner thinks having U.S. soldiers in town will frighten the voters,.......
Right! Like Blanco thought the National Guard would frighten the (voters?) of New Orleans.
You are all looking at this the wrong way..... of course the very presence of Marines will scare the voters. Scares voters AWAY from voting Democrat.
Maybe the Mayor ought to reimburse the Marines out of his own pocket.
marines scare the citizens but the gangs, crack houses and drug dealers don’t?
how about asking them to leave? oh yea... they help insure the next generation of dem voter.
You are incorrect. Don’t be a fatalist, DO SOMETHING.
Start thinking of people you know who would be outraged to know this and send it to them.
Start informing those who aren’t outraged and EDUCATE them why they should be.
Each one, reach one. The battle is for the mind. The battle is for the soul.
I’d like to see your hands (and many others) together praying as well.
Cheers.
If they wanted a road trip they should have went to Detroit!
Most of that city looks like a war zone already and the “brothers” are armed. What a perfect place for war games practice.
Locals should move out.
Oh, right.
They are in droves.
It’s turning into “Little Detroit”
“and told him I will not visit his hateful city.”
Bwaaa! Believe me, there has never been a reason to visit Toledo! People try to escape Toledo, not visit!
I am just happy that one of the buses didn’t roll over an IED entering Toledo-istan.
The little preppy wimp
|
Who do they frighten? Babies? Wusses? Hollywood actors?
I misread your post. I thought you meant the Marines scared the marines scared the gangs, crack houses and drug dealers. We couldn't have that!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.