Stardate 20011027.1258 (On Screen via long range sensors): The Berkeley city council voted a resolution expressing displeasure with the US war against the Taliban; the original proposal was much more strongly worded than what passed. The result has been a massive outcry of horror, disbelief and condemntation from both within and outside of the city, and in particular there is a massive and seemingly spontaneous boycott of the city and its businesses. The City Counciler responsible for the resolution says:
"I never expected to be so misconstrued."
"All the intentions were good."
The resolution that finally came to the council condemned the Sept. 11 attacks, expressed concern for both military personnel and "the innocent people in Afghanistan," asked for a national campaign to reduce oil dependency in the U.S. and inserted "as soon as possible" into the request for an end to the bombing. "It was pretty mild," Spring said. "I mean, who doesn't want the bombing to stop 'as soon as possible'?"
She doesn't get away that easily. The respons is not to what passed, but to what she had originally asked for: an immediate end to the bombing irrespective of whether the war had been won, and a condemnation of US policies. That's what she was thinking when she proposed the measure, and everyone knows it. (There isn't any secret about this.) She didn't ask for "as soon as possible", those words were added in debate. The boycotters are right here, and Spring is trying to cover her ass.
It should be understood that Spring has a perfect right to make any political statement she wants as a private citizen. In her own person she can grant interviews, issue press releases, or march down the road with a sign. The problem here is that she and her four accomplices on the city council hijacked the political structure of the city of Berkeley and misused it as a platform to give support to their position. That was completely inappropriate. If she'd stuck to issuing these kinds of statements on her own, there would have been no backlash. But by forcing a government body to take a position counter to the best interests of the nation, and by using it as a platform for things which are none of its business, her city deserves everything that is happening to it. City councils should have no involvement in foreign affairs; the Constitution reserves that power to the US government. I hope that the damage to Berkeley is deep and long lasting; with any luck this will convince the voters of Berkeley that Ms. Spring is a luxury they cannot afford. Then she can go back to being a private citizen, where she can express her repugnant opinions in an appropriate way. (discuss)
