Tacoma Recruiter Protests
March 6th, 2008 by Republican By DefaultIt’s time for the city of Tacoma to stand up to these thugs. Tacoma’s track record stinks. Will they do as much to protect the military as they’re doing to keep Russell? What are they going to do about this?
The people of Tacoma love having the bases here. Tacoma has a rich military heritage that cannot be forgotten. Many active and retired military personnel call our city home and we need to show them our respect and support.
Here are some things the City of Tacoma can and should do:
- Pass a resolution denouncing the protests.
- Restrict the protests according to all city ordinances (Title 11, Chapter 11.15 - Special Events Permitting Code).
11.15.030 C - The following activities are exempt from the special event permit requirement:
- Funeral processions by a licensed mortuary;
- Activities conducted by a governmental agency acting within the scope of its authority; and
- Lawful picketing on sidewalks. (Ord. 27155 § 1; passed Oct. 21, 2003)
11.15.270 Unlawful to conduct or promote attendance at special event without permit.
A. It is unlawful to conduct a special event without a special event permit as required pursuant to this chapter.
B. It is unlawful for any person to conduct, promote, or manage any special event for which a special event permit has not been issued. (Ord. 27155 § 1; passed Oct. 21, 2003)
- Pay for the additional police presence required to protect the recruiters and their mission or require the event organizers to pay for it.
11.15.300 Cost recovery for unlawful special event.
Whenever a commercial or noncommercial special event is conducted without a special event permit, when one is required, or a special event is conducted in violation of the terms of an issued special event permit, the event organizer shall be responsible for, and the City shall charge the event organizer for, all City costs incurred for personnel and equipment for a public safety response caused or necessitated by the adverse impacts of the special event or the violation of the special event permit upon public safety.
(Ord. 27155 § 1; passed Oct. 21, 2003) - Begin investigating the backgrounds of those planning the protests to see if they have any ties to terrorists organizations (including ELF and those responsible for the apparent bombing of a recruitment office in New York.)
- Arrest anyone who violates any law who is associated with these protests.
- Prosecute anyone who was arrested for breaking any laws associated with these protests to the fullest extent of the law.
- Send a clear message that this city will not tolerate interference with any of the conduct of business of any organization that calls Tacoma home (the military included.)
If they (the city council) don’t show that they can take care of a military installation in our town, we’d better start thinking about the next round of base closures. If you think Russell Investment Group leaving Tacoma is big deal, just wait and see what happens when bases start closing.
I’m making plans to camp out nearby for the duration of the protest with my camera close at hand. I may even do some live-blogging. I’ll not only be watching the protesters, I’ll be watching the police as well. I’m sure the police will be doing their job and following orders. I’ll be watching to see what orders they’re given.
Links:
- Tacoma Mall prepares for protest BE Daily 3-6-08
- Special report: Tracing the Left’s escalating war on military recruiters MichelleMalkin.com 3-7-08 (a must-read)
- Back to the Berkeley Marine recruiting center MichelleMalkin.com 3-6-08
- Anti-war protesters visit mall TNT 11-16-07
- Tacoma still holding bill for protests TNT 10-3-07
- Departure runs smoothly NW Guardian 5-10-07
- Police conduct at port will get citizen review TNT 4-1-07
- War protest tries to stop Strykers using port TNT 3-6-07
March 6th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
you’re an idiot.
March 6th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Wow, I wasn’t planning on attending the protest, but now I might be, just to spite you. My favorite part of your post is probably the part how the organizers should be investigated as having ties to terrorists. Way to fear monger.
People aren’t protesting the existance of the military in Tacoma, but a war they don’t believe in, and recruiting that takes place on high school campuses, which is a highly debated practice. Pretty much every person who protests against the Iraq war will tell you that they support the troops and want them to come home and be safe.
Lastly, Tacoma police have stood up to protesters in the past. Are you sure you’re calling the right side thugs?
March 6th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
RR - strike two. One more time and you’re out. If you can’t discuss an issue without personal attacks you don’t belong here. Part of me would love to let you stay here and embarrass yourself, but I’ve already learned that it’s not worth it.
Ensie - if you’ll read the news release you’ll see that the protesters will be handing out anti-military literature. And there are ways to express opposition to a war without breaking laws, interfering with the ability of innocent people to earn a living or interfering with the military’s mission, which by the way, is to protect you, too. Remember that Seattle was also on an early list of terrorist targets prior to 9/11 and there are a lot of people who commute from Tacoma to Seattle, some of whom may work in the building that would have been the target. Innocent people that you know and care about could have died that day. Our military is making sure that never happens to anyone else in our country.
March 6th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
I apologize. I was wrong. The protest does appear to be anti-military.
I disagree that our military is necessarily making sure that an attack like 9/11 never happens to anyone in this country. Most experts in terrorism say that another attack like 9/11 will occur, it’s just a matter of time, military action or no. Where that attack will happen is an unknown. And playing up the fact that someone I know and love could have been a target is unfairly making the argument emotional.
Let me also state that bringing up 9/11 in the context of a discussion regarding a protest about Iraq is interesting. Considering the fact that 9/11 had nothing to do with Iraq until our President decided to make one up.
March 6th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
ensie - I apologize, my intent wasn’t to make it emotional. I was pointing out that we need the military and their mission at a very personal level. I have an old friend who’s a former roommate from here in Tacoma whose office was less than 100 ft. from where the plane struck the Pentegon. Had he not opted for a different meeting time that day he might have been killed. So it’s very personal for me.
As for the 9/11 - Iraq connection, it’s very well documented and more information is coming out as more documents from Saddam’s files are translated. He had many ties to terrorists, all of whom vowed to kill Americans. In addition, Bush’s intent was to fight terrorists over there, so the fact that more terrorists went to Iraq to fight us simply means that his strategy worked.
March 7th, 2008 at 7:31 am
[…] Counterrecruiters plan protest in Tacoma on March 15. Posted in: Berkeley, Code Pink, They don’t support the troops Send to a Friend Printer Friendly […]
March 7th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I’m not going to hash out the entire 9/11/Iraq argument here. However, the argument that “we’re fighting them there so we don’t have to fight them here” must be comforting at night (or any time, really) to the millions of people living in the Iraq. Or the entire Middle East, really. The fact that we have a whole
propagandaPR campaign to get Iraqis to like us even though we’re essentially using their land as a battleground to fight our war…it’s sweet really.I’m not saying I would prefer to fight the war here. I’m just pointing out the hypocrisy of the whole argument.
March 7th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
ensie, I hope we can agree that the war in Iraq is a complicated subject and that our reasons for being there cannot be hashed out in comments on a thread that is only peripherally related. I believe that the right choice was made to go there and that staying there is the right thing to do. You obviously disagree.
The real issue here is free speech and the rights of all concerned. A potential recruit has the right to go a recruitment office to discuss enlisting. If he doesn’t agree with the war he won’t show up.
Anti-war activists have the right to express their opinion. In Tacoma, at the mall, that means picketing on sidewalks. If that is what they do on March 15th, then I’ll celebrate their right to free speech, even though I disagree, knowing that the recruit who enlists is volunteering to protect their right to free speech.
However, if they try to interfere with the potential recruit’s right to enlist in the military, with the recruiter’s right to do his job, with the rights of patrons of the mall or even if they simply protest on mall property (interfering with the rights of the people who own and operate the mall) then they will have crossed the line of legality. Also, if they damage any property that belongs to someone else then they have committed vandalism.
At the point where laws are broken the authorities should take appropriate action and either cite or arrest the violators. Prosectutors should then do their job and prosecute the (alleged) offenders.
On a personal level, I would hope that the anti-war activists would take a moment to thank the armed forces for protecting their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
And on a political level I think the City of Tacoma needs to understand that having the bases in our area benefits us all. They’ve been taking them for granted for a long time, just like they did with Russell. Now we’re facing losing Russell, which is something that I think this city can survive economically. Losing the bases is a different matter. If any of the bases close the economic loss to the city would be devastating, not to mention the disruption of the lives of the military families that would be unnecessarily relocated. Tacoma would become a ghost town. Think Flint, MI.
March 7th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Special Report: Tracing The Left’s Escalating War On Military Recruiters…
This from Michelle Malkin about the Left’s war on the military recruiters.
Ideas have consequences. Inaction has consequences. For the past several years, I’ve chronicled the Left’s escalating war on military recruiters–and the……
March 7th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
As a student at TCC I hear and run into these anti military-recruiters quite frequently, and usually they are young ignorant kids who get their political analysis from Jon Stewart and the lead singers of their favorite bands. A few students in particular that I have debated in the TCC Myspace forums are affiliated with the Pitch Pipe Info Shop, a sort of anarchist booster group located somewhere in hilltop. I ABSOLUTELY WOULD NOT consider them a terrorist group, however I dont really trust them. I believe they tried to “shut down” downtown Tacoma a few months ago. The Tribune ran a story about it.
Protest is a constitutionally protected right and if they’re following the law, let them do it. If it gets out of line, arrest them.
March 10th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Protests against military establishments or recruiters’ offices are just plain foolish— to say it nicely.
I’ve had FOUR BROTHERS in Vietnam (one is on the wall in DC), nephews and nieces and my own DAUGHTER in the military! THEY ALL JOINED WILLINGLY wanting to PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS TO FREEDOM. No one was dragged into the recruiters office nor was anyone promised a rose garden. They were told that if they join the military they are LITERALLY SACRIFICING THEIR LIVES FOR OUR COUNTRY!
I remember speaking to the Commander at my daughter’s military graduation. I asked if my daughter would be spared Iraq because she was a female. His response was: “Mom, your daughter joined the Marines to give up her right to live. Expect her to go to war and lose her life because that’s reality. She may come home—if she’s lucky”. I walked away shocked. I never in all my life realized that these young men and women are actually giving their lives up for this country. They are told to expect death. But yet, everyday, men and women willingly walk into a recruiter’s office and surrender their lives.
My daughter, by the way, has a bachelor’s degree. She worked for Public Works in the engineering department before giving it up to join the Marines. She is an artist, plays the basson and every musical instrument you give her with the exception of bag pipes. She is beautiful, intelligent and charming. Yet, she has chosen to give up of herself so America can continue to be America.
I wasn’t happy at all when she joined the Marines. Especially since I’ve lost a brother in Vietnam (who volunteered to go back to Vietnam for a second time even though he survived the first time. He said he had to go help his friend’s out). I asked my daughter if she understood the ramification of joining the military and her response was: “mom, I would rather die fighting for our country than in some car accident. When it’s my time to die, I am going to die regardless of where I am”.
So, for protestors to assume that the military is dragging everyone into their office and promising a rose garden, it’s ludicrus! These men and women CHOSE to go there and sign up! By saying the recruiter’s office are luring young people into the military is to assume that those signing up are stupid.
If protestors don’t want their sons, daughters or grandchildren to be pulled into the military unwillingly, then they better knock it off! Because the only other choice for protecting our country is the DRAFT! Perhaps that would be more fair.
PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN MOTHER WITH A MARINE DAUGHTER SERVING OUR COUNTRY! GOD BLESS MY NIECE IN THE ARMY WHO IS ON HER WAY TO SERVE 16 MONTHS IN AFGHANISTAN!
March 11th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
As for the 9/11 - Iraq connection, it’s very well documented and more information is coming out as more documents from Saddam’s files are translated. He had many ties to terrorists, all of whom vowed to kill Americans.
Just wanted to update you - it’s been officially noted. No connection between Saddam and Al Queda. FYI.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200704/s1891857.htm