You may have heard that the City of Berkeley, California is trying to run the Marines out of town; they don't want a U. S. Marine Corps Recruiting Station there. The City Council of Berkeley approved in January 2008, a resolution which stated “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 encouraging citizens to “impede, passively or actively, by nonviolent means, the work of any military recruiting office located in the City of Berkeley.”

Kennesaw, Georgia has responded with a resolution of its own. The Kennesaw City Council passed a resolution on Monday, Feb. 4 in support of the U.S. Armed Forces, and opposing a resolution by the City of Berkeley. In part, Kennesaw's resolution states that the "City of Kennesaw pays respect and tribute to those who protect and defend our rights to enjoy the freedom of speech which is essential to the fabric of this Nation ..."

You can get the full resolution by visiting the official web site of the city of Kennesaw, Georgia, at www.kennesaw.ga.us or go directly to the resolution page at www.kennesaw-ga.gov/documents/City%20Manager/Release%20-%20City%20of%20Kennesaw%20resolution%20supports%20military%2C%20opposes%20Berkeley%20resolution.pdf.

As a Southerner, born and bred, I am proud to stand with the City Council of Kennesaw, Georgia in their public opposition to the actions and intentions of the pinheads in the city government of Berkeley, California.

I want to state publicly and forcefully that not all Californians are kooks and flakes or extreme leftists who take unappreciative actions such as the City of Berkeley has taken. However, that being said, I defend their right as citizens of America to freedom of speech even though they would prefer to deny that same right to others. I defended that right with 26 years of military service, both in war and peace; I stood in defense of that freedom, among the other freedoms everyone living in the United States enjoy, whether citizens or not.

Also, I must note that not all of Berkeley is “wacko”; the city hosts one of the great universities – the University of California.

Herman W. Hughes, Ph.D., Captain, USNR (Retired), Professor Emeritus of Pepperdine University, lives in Lakeport.

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