Daily Californian On The Wrong Side of Dissent

An introduction:

One of the absurdest ideas that has arisen regarding the Berkeley City Council’s now-abandoned resolution telling military recruiters they were not welcome in the town, is the idea that “freedom of speech” for military recruiters was at stake. The internalization and reproduction of this idea by many people who supposedly are on the left, cautiously dissenting–in their heads, without action–against the American occupation of Iraq has also been startling. The Daily Californian and The Daily Clog are no exception.

No official paid representative of the American government has a right to say whatever he or she wants to say in an official capacity (this is different from their free ability to share their opinions, and to lie, unofficially). And certainly nobody should agree that representatives of the American government are allowed to lie, deceive, or trick citizens without consequence, especially minors. This is one of the allegations that has been raised against military recruiters, who are situated near Berkeley High School–that they exaggerate the benefits to students of joining the military.