Posted By:
Catherine Moy
Permalink

It seems like an easy thing for folks who are way above the pay-grade of normal Californians. But the bureacrats and the so-called leaders of the state Legislature can’t seem to drag their butts out of the fancy restaurants and loblyist luncheons to pass legislation honoring families whose loved ones have given their lives for America.

My friend, Mike Anderson, a Gold Star father, is trying to get legislation passed would allow Gold Star families to buy special license plates honoring their sacrifices and the lives of their loved ones.

What’s the hold up?? Let’s put pressure on these folks who seem to spend all day looking for ways to raise our taxes and ignoring a simple gesture of honor to these families. Makes me think they don’t support our families.

Here’s Mike’s message:

Time Sensitive

Please Distribute Far and Wide

April 2, 2008

Once again, we are supporting the “California Gold Star Family License Plate” Bill, SB 1455 (Cogdill / Denham), and we need everyone’s help. As most of you may be aware, SB287 was killed earlier this year in the Senate Transportation Committee. We are back! Senate Bill 1455 would amend the existing vehicle code to allow family members related to a person killed in active duty, in any war to apply for special license plates.

This new bill was just introduced April 2nd, 2008, but a hearing date has not been set by the Senate Transpiration Committee.  Our voices must be heard!!  Please write a brief letter of support to the Senators listed below indicating your support with the following message:

(just as you see it here)

Senator Dave Cogdill

Senator Jeff Denham

SB1455

1308 West Main St Ste C

Ripon, Ca 95366

“I support SB 1455, the California Gold Star License Plate Bill”

(Please include your name, address, city and state of residence).

Please do not wait; these letters need to be in immediately!!

This Bill will afford recognition to the families that have lost a loved one who bravely served in our United States Military, and sacrificed their lives for our freedoms. These are known as “Gold Star Families”. The proposal is that a special California State Vehicle License Plate be available, in numbered sequence, for the families that have paid a premium sacrifice due to war – both past and present. The Fiscal Impact is very little, if any, due to applicable fees being collected at time of application. 

This recognition plate will bear “Gold Star Families” across the bottom, and “California” across the top, with a large gold star on the left side of the plate, and the four digit - numerical identification running left to right next to the Gold Star. The Gold Star dates back to the early days of World War I. The idea was that the Honor and Glory accorded the person for his supreme sacrifice in offering for his country, the last full measure of devotion and pride of the family in this sacrifice.

In California, we have several Environmental, Vanity, and Arts License Plates to choose from, including personalized. This would be a special recognition plate that specifically identifies the holder as a Gold Star Family member. We are proud of our son’s, daughters, wife’s, husbands, etc., that unselfishly gave of themselves in service to our country. This will help identify the grieving families left behind.  I speak from experience, as my only son, and first born, lost his 21 year old life in Fallujah, Iraq, on a cold December day in 2004. He was a Corporal in The United States Marine Corps.

The State of California is leading our nation’s state by state military loss, with a casualty rate of over 10%. Several states (14 to date) already have this type of plate available for their residents that have suffered a tragic loss due to hostilities abroad. California has always been a “trendsetting” state; we are falling behind on this acknowledgement of gratitude. We have tried to capture the contemporary spirit of our losses, all while trying to remain upbeat & positive about something so painful to us. We are Gold Star Families, NOT by choice.  This would be a permanent reminder on our states roadways that we, the unfortunate bearers have, and are still paying a Premium Sacrifice – due to our loved ones paying the Ultimate Sacrifice. The provisions in this proposal specifically identify family member eligibility.

Awareness is a key factor in support of this proposal. Please mail a brief letter of support today, and voice your support.

Respectfully,

Michael D. Anderson Sr.

Proud Father of The Late Cpl Michael D. Anderson Jr. USMC

Killed In Combat Action, Dec 14, 2004 Fallujah, Iraq “Battle For Fallujah”

www.cplandersonjr.org

mikesr@cagoldstarfamilies.org

Posted By:
Catherine Moy
Permalink

If you haven’t met Bev Perlson, then you don’t know excitement in red, white and blue. Bev is founder of the Band of Mothers, a proactive, grassroots pro-military group.

She is a HUGE supporter of our troops and we LOVE her! Well, she sent an email explaining what she’s doing next week. Everybody should support her efforts. And Nany Pelosi, you might want to watch out for this patriot:

Please spread the word that The Band of Mothers will be on the corner of the Cannon Bldg (where it is rumored Nancy Pelosi works but is rarely seen!) in DC on April 7th, 8th and 9th, from 9am until 5pm!  We will be carrying signs such as:  America Loves General Petraeus and on the other side:  Al Qaeda Loves Nancy Pelosi!  How about this one:  Murtha is Rotten to the Corps Free the Marines, and on the other side:  Murtha, Apologize For Lying About Marines Free Them!  and Safe since 9/11 Thanks Pres Bush, the General and Our Soldiers! and on the other side:  The Cost of This War?  My Families Safety is Priceless! 

These are just a few of the signs.  I have a permit to be on the corner and all is approved by the Capitol Police.  If you come by and join us, we will serenade you beautiful Patriots with heartwarming Patriotic music, all day long!  Last time I did this in December, the music drove the Dems CRAZY!  Hope to see all of you on the corner (New Jersey and Independence Avenue...the Cannon Bldg)!  We will be out there Monday morning at 9am Sharp!  Why not all just meet on the corner.  See you next Monday and please, spread the word!  Thanks

Beverly Perlson
The Band of Mothers

Give ‘em hell, Beverly! God speed.

Posted By:
MAF Blogger Danny
Permalink

Yesterday Move America Forward went to San Francisco to deliver a letter drafted up by our lawyers to the US Attorneys office questioning the legality of the actions of the Berkeley City Council in supporting Code Pink as well as some concerns about what we had to deal with on February 12th.

There was a press conference scheduled for 10 AM at the federal building on 450 Golden Gate which is also the building where we held our rally during the “Fight For Victory Tour”. Nancy Pelosi has an office up there, so it made sense as a rally location, and being back there brought up some fond memories or rushing around with my hands full of t-shirts or lugging tables out of a budget truck.

It was a more somber atmosphere here though, as we set up our dinky little podium (ha ha) which folds up very compactly for easy transport and convenience, with our MAF logo and set up mics for TV cameras and all that jazz. It is fun setting these things up and especially talking to the camera guys.

All of our guest spokespeople showed up right on time and gathered around Melanie and Cat as they opened up the press conference.

Melanie explained what the letter is all about and what we are asking the US Attorneys to do. Basically it’s pretty simple, we want to call the attention of the attorneys to these actions by the Berkeley City Council and by Code Pink (and allied groups)—actions which we think likely constitute a breach of the law and should therefore be investigated and punished.

Some of the questions from reporters who were there, or reporters who we spoke to on phones alluded to this idea that we are sensationalizing this stuff, or that if anybody had actually done anything wrong that they would have been prosecuted by now. Well it’s pretty easy to simply ask the attorneys ‘hey, have you guys seen or heard about this?’ rather than just assume.

In fact when we asked those questions inside, we raised some eyebrows! But I’ll get to that later!!!

For now, press conference! So Melanie went through the content of the letter, and what MAF’s intentions are, and then brought up some of our friends to speak about their experiences at the Feb 12th rally and how they felt it was handled by the City Council and the Berkeley PD.

Elizabeth Kelly and her son Eamon who is a recovering Marine and an awesome dude, were there with their pup, Buddy, who was there in support. Elizabeth was pushed, harassed and threatened by several of the young hoodlums we have seen so much of, and no one ever stepped in to separate them.

Kevin Graves had a kid pick up his skateboard and hold it two-handed like a club ready to beat Kevin’s head in. And while the kid never took a swing with his board, he stood there and taunted Kev, trying to get Mr. Graves to make the first move. Kevin said the kid was trying to draw him into a conflict with statements like “I know you want to hit me, come on just do it” and making verbal insults or name-calling. Brandishing a skateboard like that is something that is a very obvious threat to anyone near the situation and it’s obvious someone should have stepped in here.

Jim Minder and Bryan Weldon of the Lafayette Flag Brigade both had incidents to share, about protecting their audio equipment, which the anti-war protesters tried to sabotage and damage, while the police basically told Jim that they were NOT going to get involved even if they SAW someone from the other side damaging someone else’s property.

So I guess in Berkeley, everything is community property? Hah!

Sherry Perussina, a Blue Star Mom and Cat Moy our Executive Director were also on hand and shared their own experiences in trying to get help from a police force which did not seem interested in enforcing a permit (which we paid big bucks for too! Unlike Code Pink who never has to pay a cent for their permit)

It’s pretty sad that there are all these incidents and complaints about the Berkeley PD because I know they tried their best to keep order and keep people from being hurt, and I saw a couple people were detained when things really got out of hand but there were many times when I personally was asking the leadership of police force what they were doing about enforcing permits, and protecting citizens and they were very uncooperative.

But I don’t blame the police for any of this, because I really think the City Council deliberately wanted to make sure that this protest was unpleasant and as disruptive as possible for both parties. The City obviously didn’t know what it was like to have their business interrupted by people who don’t like what you’re doing and when they actually got protested THEMSELVES, they sure didn’t like it.

Think that gave them any empathy whatsoever for the type of madness they are orchestrating against the Marines? My thoughts exactly.

Well now that the press conference was over, Melanie escorted the delegation up into the building where they had a meeting with an actual US Attorney who discussed some very specific issues with us, I cannot go into detail about that discussion, but I will say it was…very encouraging.

When Cat, Mel and the rest came back down, another camera and another reporter had shown up to take more statements and conduct a few more interviews.

Biggest story of the day (for me)…NO CODE PINK

I guess they figured out that acting like complete jackasses on camera wasn’t going to get them anywhere (if you remember the shenanigans perpetrated at our DC press conference)

Then again, on second thought, looking like FOOLS on camera is what Code Pink does bust, and they love it… so why didn’t they show up? Perhaps they did not want to be questioned about their involvement in these activities, heck, maybe they were afraid that they might be arrest on the spot for the things they’ve been doing in Berkeley!

Who knows.