“...make ourselves feel better.”
I don’t think anyone should want to make themselves feel better. I think we should pour all our support, respect and give due dignity to our Marines who are on the front lines which hopefully will make THEM feel better about doing their job. It is the very least we owe them.
I think some people are misguided in attacking the business community (which they do because they are an easy target) as opposed to the real culprits, the City Council. I think they do this because it makes them feel better, that they are “doing something” when in effect they are only spraying their ammo wildly around in the hopes of blindly hitting a target. Then they can come back here to FR and high five everyone for their small victory...while other bodies lie around them.
I don’t know the political make up of the Chamber of Commerce and business community, I would guess that as a group they are more conservative than the rest of the area, so to me this is a situation of a friendly fire attack. IMO, they are most likely people in that area for a partnership and/or cooperation on making something actually happen. Instead, people on this thread treat them as an enemy, attack them, call them names and try to force them into complying with their demands.
This is no way to win a battle like this. The goal should be the removal of these people from the Council at election time and to do that you need allies, not adversaries. Even if you are not successful, you can make them uncomfortable enough that they think twice next time before doing something boneheaded.
Unfortunately, the first reaction among many on FR is to simply and blindly lash out at anyone within arms reach. It’s easy, it’s cheap and you go home thinking you’ve accomplished something, but it really is a selfish reaction with a selfish goal...”make me feel good today”. Why is it the first thought is to destroy something rather than to fix it?
The hard part is thinking clearly and then soberly developing a long term strategy to achieve victory and following it even it takes months or years.
See my tagline.
My letter to the Chamber;
“Mr. Peterson,
The recent issue of the Marine recruitment station has obviously raised some tensions. Unfortunately, in their effort to show support for the military, some have focused their attacks on the CofC and called for not only boycotts but urging business to relocate out of Berkeley. These people are well intentioned but misguided. It would be far more productive to view the Chamber as an ally rather then an adversary.
I noticed your website has a note and pics about your support for the military. In an effort to move the ball in the proper direction would your Chamber members be willing to partner with these groups in an effort to more directly demostrate that support? I believe they would be willing to provide you with window posters that would say something to the effect “Members of the Miltary Welcome Here”. The language could be mutually agreed upon, for instance you may wish to add a little something to soften it for your more neutral customers like “No Matter Ones Position on the War in Iraq, Our Veterans and Military personnel deserve our respect for their sacrifice. They are welcome here”. You get my drift.
If you see some possibilities here, respond and I will help get the two sides together.
Cordially,”
Tis better to light one candle than curse the darkness.