Posted on 12/23/2006 6:29:31 AM PST by Mr. Brightside
Officials torn over bus policy
Saturday, December 23, 2006
By Kyla King
The Grand Rapids Press
Documents released to The Press on Friday detail months of negotiations between The Rapid public bus system and American Civil Liberties Union lawyers representing a woman who was denied a ride because her face was covered by a traditional Islamic veil.
The talks stem from a July 3 incident in which a Rapid driver refused to allow Grand Rapids resident Tasha Douglas to ride because of a policy barring people with face coverings from boarding. The agency since has rescinded the policy and made the incident public two weeks ago, without releasing her name.
Douglas came forward last week, saying she wanted to educate others and promote sensitivity to religious issues. Douglas, who had been allowed to ride buses all year even though the policy went into effect in January, said she has felt uncomfortable riding the bus since and is seeking a monetary settlement.
To date, the two sides have not reached an agreement, and Rapid officials have said they are working to come up with a new policy that ensures passenger safety while being sensitive to religious dress.
Materials released Friday under the Freedom of Information Act show discussions included ACLU requests that the agency rework its policy, the bus driver apologize to Douglas, and the system provide diversity training.
Talks also touched on whether to give Douglas a year's worth of bus passes, offer a monetary settlement and whether to make the issue public.
The materials also included e-mails sent from people who read about the incident, urging the system to reinstate the ban to ensure passenger safety.
Rapid met with ACLU
The initial comment card filled out by Douglas on July 3, shows she provided only her
e-mail address as a contact. On the card, Douglas briefly described the incident and asked for "disciplinary actions to be taken (i.e. suspension, fines, & counseling)," against the driver.
The RADIO BIBLE CLASS of Grand Rapids and the De Haan's must get to doing a better job of helping these folks see that they don't need to wear veils to please the Creator Divine Designer.
Anyone running around our country with a rag over their face should be shipped back to the country where this is considered the norm. Screwem all, the long the short and the tall.
Sure-when a couple million of us have been murdered. The citizens will come to their senses, not the government, they'll be protecting the murders.
Whenever a follower of that 9th Century death cult boards a bus with his/her face covered the other passangers should get off the bus en masse.
I'd like to see how far you get boarding a bus or walking into a store with a ski mask on...this is NO different other than it is a "veil" of religion.
It won't be long before crimes are committed in a burqa...not by Moslem women, but by criminals using this "excuse" to hide identity. Precedent needs to be established *right now* that face veils are verboten ANYWHERE involving the public trust.
I know store owners that won't even let people in wearing a HOOD because the cameras can't catch their face. In fact I'd LOVE to see someone try to sue one particular friend over this policy and see how far they get. He'd litigate them right back to the dark ages they came from.
While you might have had a case recently, the escape from the UK of an islamowackoe wanted murderer who disguised himself as a woman and wore a veil wich was unchallenged by various wussy officials now makes it all too clear that permitting face coverings is too grave a security risk to tolerate.
Further if anyone of whatever gender, sexual, and/or religious persuasion is permitted to ride a bus on which US citizens are already riding, those citizens will have a reasonable claim that their safety is being neglected and will probably take legal action against the bus system and, of course, you.
In the meantime, please accept my sincerest wishes for a blessed Christmastide and this small gift of specially imported jock mites for your underwear and the underwear of those you love, or exploit, whatever it is that goes on in your families.
There is Tasha Douglas, black female, age 30, currently on probation in Grand Rapids for
Fraud - Welfare - Failure to Inform - $500 or More - Attempt.
Assuming this is the same person, she's a native born American.
"Sending her back" would be to prison for the completion of her 3 1/2 year sentence would have her out in Oct 07.
One veil at a time, one prayer room at a school/airport at a time, one city broadcasting the call to moslem prayer (Hamtramnk, Michigan) at a time, one public library (inundating it with moslem literature) at a time, one driver's license picture with veil at a time, one cry of "racial profiling" at a time, one prisoner in our prisons converted at a time, one congressman taking oath on a Koran at a time, one juror taking oath on Koran at a time, one demand at a time, one complaint at a time....
and thus a culture, a country, a civilization is lost.
It doesn't take tanks, or guns, or airplanes, ....
Just quiet persistence by an alien culture, overwhelming demographics (which they have), cash (which they have) and a burning ideology which they have - and a centures long quest is fulfilled.
America - my beloved country - this alien invasion aided and abetted by the democrat left wing is killing you one inch at a time.
Cry for the Beloved Country.
That was the first thing I noticed in this update. And the last thing I asked at the forum at that website. Was she white, black, asian, and was she a convert.
Should not be denied a ride, on the next plane out of the USA.
It doesn't matter. She's here and she stripping us of our birthright - our country.
This one is a homegrown "in your face whitey" system user.
Meanwhile, our friends the lawyers will take both sides of this issue, thereby proffiting regardless of the outcome, and producing nothing for the betterment of society.
This has to be the last straw; someone get a rope.
I hear ya!
I'll take a Feliz Navidad over an alla akbar anyday!
Concealing ones identity is simply not civilized.
Unfortunately, you are correct. Legal Islamism is its name. Our own system is being used against us, and most people are too stupid to realize it.
Nothing but that she wants $$$$.
Amen.
If the government allows problems like this to fester, we are going to see the rise of South-American styled Death Squads to deal with them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.