BERKELEY ANTI-WAR RESOLUTION RESULTS IN ECONOMIC BACKLASH

Berkeley Businesses Fear Boycott
Anti-War Resolution Results In Economic Backlash

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By NATE TABAK
Daily Cal Staff Writer
Friday, October 19, 2001

Berkeley officials expressed worry Thursday that a boycott of city businesses by people opposed to the city's newly approved anti-war resolution may hurt the city economy.

Berkeley has seen an economic backlash in the few days since the council approved a resolution calling for a stop to U.S. bombing in Afghanistan, with hundreds of people refusing to spend money in the city.

Local businesses have reported that customers, upset about the council's action, have decided to stop buying in Berkeley.

Mayor Shirley Dean, who has received over 600 e-mails urging a boycott, said a boycott may do a lot of damage to the city, which has already been affected by the national economic slowdown.

"I really think it's a big problem," she said. "Berkeley, like every place in the U.S., is in an economic downturn. You add this kind of problem and, that, to me, adds up to a major problem."

The resolution passed the council amid a nationwide uproar Tuesday.

A San Francisco man told city officials that he is organizing a boycott of Berkeley. He will soon begin to distribute hundreds of fliers at BART stations, which read, "Boycott Berkeley—Support Our Troops—Let Berkeley sell their products to the Taliban."

A software company already reported losing a $60,000 contract because of the council's anti-war resolution, Dean said. Additionally, she said that a number of restaurants have seen their clientele drop.

Bill Lambert, manager of the city's Office of Economic Development, said it is unfortunate that politics could be detrimental to local businesses.

"The sad part is if people do boycott, the ones that will hurt the most are the innocent businesses that don't make public policy," Lambert said. "It would once again be punishment inflicted on innocent bystanders."

The moderate and progressive sides of the council are blaming one another for bringing on the boycott. Progressives, who hold a five-seat majority on the council, supported the resolution, while the moderates all voted against it.

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, a progressive, said Dean was responsible for escalating a boycott by publicizing threats of a city boycott.

"I thought that it was extraordinarily irresponsible to publicize the idea of a boycott," Worthington said.

On Wednesday, Dean appeared on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," where she talked about the economic backlash of the council's resolution.

Worthington said that if the public understood the resolution, there would be less of a public outcry.

"There's a lot of hatred, fear and misinformation, and people are saying that we are terrorists and traitors," he said. "If the leadership of the city sends clear messages, I think a lot of it can definitely be minimized."

But Dean said the simple approval of the resolution is fueling anti-Berkeley sentiment.

"I didn't bring the resolution up," she said. "I have only responded to questions I have been asked."

Dean said the boycott could likely be stopped if the council nullified the resolution.

"There's not much I can do," she said. "The only people that can rescind the resolution are those people who voted for it."

Lambert said city officials have been discussing ways to counteract the effects of a boycott.

Meanwhile, the White House remains tight-lipped about the anti-war resolution, the only such resolution approved in the country.

"The President is gratified by the way Americans from coast to coast have unified in the face of an enemy that seeks to destroy the security, freedom and way of life of Americans," said White House spokesperson Ken Lisaius. "His visit to California (Wednesday) reflected that."

See no evil

Thursday, October 18, 2001

Editor's note: Purchase a copy of Bill O'Reilly's new book, "No Spin Zone," autographed and personalized, and receive a free "No Spin Zone" bumper sticker and a free three-month trial offer to Whistleblower magazine. Take advantage of this exclusive offer now.

By Bill O'Reilly

© 2001 WorldNetDaily.com

BERKELEY, Calif. – America's most liberal city has come through again. By a vote of 5 to 4, the Berkeley City Council has approved a resolution demanding that the federal government stop bombing Afghanistan.

Instead, the council endorsed a "police action" to apprehend Osama bin Laden. When asked what exactly that "action" would be, Councilwoman Dona Spring was vague. "We must follow the rule of law," she opined.

Now, we've been hearing this kind of mindless nonsense from Berkeley for more than 40 years. But this time something very interesting happened.

Immediately after Ms. Spring appeared on my television program "The O'Reilly Factor," Americans began canceling hotel reservations they had made in Berkeley. Also, a number of business contracts were terminated, according to the mayor. It seems the political correctness that dominates the Berkeley power structure is simply not acceptable anymore to many Americans.

The same thing happened in Rocklin, Calif., a suburb of Sacramento. There, an elementary school principal put up a sign on the school grounds that said "God Bless America."

There are more than 600 students in the school and one parent objected to the sign. She contacted the ACLU and it complained. The principal stood firm and would not remove the sign. Litigation may result.

But here's the kicker: The woman who contacted the ACLU has been ostracized by her community. Her little girl is no longer able to go to school because the other kids are angry with her. That, of course, is a shame. But it demonstrates that the majority of Americans are in no mood for irrational nonsense.

"God Bless America" is a patriotic slogan. It does not encourage church going or spirituality or religious ritual. The powers at the ACLU don't refuse to accept U.S. currency, do they? Maybe they haven't noticed the words "In God We trust" on that currency.

There has been an enormous change in the thinking of everyday Americans since the terror attacks began. No longer do many of us accept the pressure tactics of paranoid special-interest groups. And we are fighting irrational thinking with our words and our wallets.

Here's how bad it is in Berkeley and other places bordering the land of Oz: The pacifist line is that we can win "the hearts and minds" of our enemies with love and understanding.

Sure.

Seventy percent of Afghans are illiterate. Even if we drop food on them, they can't read the messages that go with it. How are we supposed to convince them that we are not hostile? By dropping the Phonics Game?

Few in the Islamic nations have television. And if they do, they get a steady diet of "Omar's World" because the government controls the programming. Omar doesn't like Americans and even Phil Donahue can't change that.

The appeasers and the wind-chime people see the world the way they'd like it to be, not the way it is. The terrorists love Berkeley, Calif., because many in that town "see no evil" no matter how brutal the situation.

And unseen evil can grow and get stronger. Thank God most of America sees that fact very clearly.

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