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Saturday, February 06 2010 - 04:24 AM
Federal Civil Rights Complaint Filed Friday Against Lancaster
Muslim Group Files Civil Rights Complaint Over California Mayor’s Christian Comment
AP
A Muslim group filed a federal civil rights complaint Friday after a Southern California mayor remarked that he was “growing a Christian community” in a state of the city address last week.
LANCASTER, Calif. — A Muslim group filed a federal civil rights complaint Friday after a Southern California mayor remarked that he was “growing a Christian community” in a state of the city address last week.
In a letter to the U.S. Justice Department, the Council on American-Islamic Relations claimed Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris violated the civil rights of non-Christians and shouldn’t have used his official capacity at a city event to advance a particular religion.
The civil rights group also said Parris referred to an April ballot measure that would endorse prayer at city meetings without restricting its content, including references to Jesus Christ, as a way to “validate a Christian stance.”
Such a mixing of church and state is “unhealthy, unconstitutional and very divisive,” said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of CAIR in greater Los Angeles.
“The role of any faith, of religion in general, is needed as much as the role of government… Our concern is when the wall of separation is blurred,” said Ayloush, whose letter requested a Justice Department investigation.
Parris, who was elected mayor in 2008, said he made the comment in a speech to Christian ministers at an event he paid for and thought it was appropriate. He said he was sorry if anyone was hurt by the remark, which was not his intent.
“I think it is totally ludicrous,” Parris said Friday. "Something very dangerous is happening in America when a profession of your faith can end up in actual government hearings.
“All of us get to express our opinion wherever, whenever we want to, including opinions of faith, and that is what I did and that is what I will continue to do.”
The controversy follows an uproar in the bedroom community about 40 miles north of Los Angeles about anti-Muslim remarks posted by a city councilwoman on her Facebook social networking page.
Muslim community leaders criticized Lancaster Councilwoman Sherry Marquez for a posting about the 2008 beheading of Aasiya Hassan in New York that reportedly read “this is what the Muslim religion is all about.” Marquez apologized for the effect her comments had on the city at a recent City Council meeting.
www.avnewstodayonline.com
dbeardw says...
What the heck. If the Criminal Justice department is going to visit Lancaster, why not check out everything about the City Council’s affairs and give it a totally clean bill of health. Anyone know the definition of Racketeering…..
“On October 15, 1970, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 1961-1968), commonly referred to as the “RICO Act,” became United States law. The RICO Act allowed law enforcement to charge a person or group of people with racketeering, defined as committing multiple violations of certain varieties within a 10 year period. The purpose of the RICO Act was stated as “the elimination of the infiltration of organized crime and racketeering into legitimate organizations operating in interstate commerce.” S.Rep. No. 617, 91st Cong., 1st Sess. 76 (1969). However, the statute is sufficiently broad to encompass illegal activities relating to any enterprise affecting interstate or foreign commerce.
Section 1961(10) of Title 18 provides that the Attorney General of the United States may designate any department or agency to conduct investigations authorized by the RICO statute and such department or agency may use the investigative provisions of the statute or the investigative power of such department or agency otherwise conferred by law. Absent a specific designation by the Attorney General, jurisdiction to conduct investigations for violations of 18 U.S.C. § 1962 lies with the agency having jurisdiction over the violations constituting the pattern of racketeering activity listed in 18 U.S.C. § 1961.2
In the U.S., civil racketeering laws are also used in federal and state courts.
Maybe Sherry was elected as a tool of the most High to bring attention on the city and make sweeping changes.
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dbeardw says...
I think Rex needs a good Campaign Strategist. He’s creating all type of lawsuits …. Maybe he should just write the city a blank check.
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Captain Jason says...
Truth is, it does not matter if he was paying for the event or not. He utilized his position as mayor to establish a religion for the City of Lancaster. That is a violation of the Constitution. Additional charges may come about due to the use of city funds (in the form of either equipment or personnel) to do so as well, but that is secondary to the primary issue of establishment of religion.
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marino says...
Good that it goes federal. People will wake up to this.
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dbeardw says...
Marino and CJ — Let’s just open the doors to Lancaster City Hall and bring it on once and for all.
Sometimes it’s called Divine Intervention when the people can’t make something happen and a Higher Source is needed.
I tell you, Sherry was doing good without realizing she was putting everyone in hot water.
We should give her a second term just to thank her for her ignorance.
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marino says...
Diana,
Maybe the next council meeting or 2 will be a little lively. Havn’t been to one for awhile.
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SantaTaco says...
This is absolutely asinine! not allowing certain groups of people to use certain bathrooms or water fountains or to eat in certain restaurants is a violation of civil rights. Letting it be known that you prefer Christians over Muslims is absolutely not a violation of anyones civil rights. The Muslims have a lot to learn about living in America.
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Captain Jason says...
Of course, once the USDoJ begins to investigate this, the other issues of Brown Act violations, due process violations, etc., etc., will also come to light. This should be interesting.
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Captain Jason says...
ST, if parris were expressing a personal opinion only, you would be correct. However, he used his official capacity to attempt to establish an official religion status for christianity for the City. Therein lies the difference.
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Mulder says...
It’s almost comical watching Rex do the political tango here. He likes the publicity that CAIR is giving him for the election because he thinks, perhaps erroneously, that it will help him with the Lancaster electorate. On the other hand, he, Visco, Gilley, Runner, et al don’t want the scrutiny that this will bring.
Where this will most certainly hurt him is that people don’t like controversy, and he’s bringing it in spades. If it were only on himself, that’s one thing, but now….it’s on the community as a whole. His polling will no doubt start showing that people don’t like the notoriety and they want it shut down. This, however, he won’t be able to shut down because the people keeping it alive don’t live around here and aren’t afraid of him.
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SantaTaco says...
All he said is he wants to grow a Christian community. What’s so offensive about that? How does that violate anyones civil rights? Heck, I’m an atheist and it doesn’t bother me one bit. I’ve gotta back the Christians on this. If saying you want a Christian community is a violation of civil rights, then so is Muslims telling Americans they’re subject to sharia law and can’t demean their pedophile prophet.
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lancaster says...
once again, (marino) where are all the
GOP’ers, repub’s, teabaggers, conservatives who whine, and whine, and whine about that SCARY black man, that’s spending they’re tax dollars?
i guess it’s OK if the big strong white man takes ur tax dollars and gives it to his church. (1.2 million) or his favorite auto dealer, (2 million), or his favorite developer, (7 million, armagosa creek)?
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Captain Jason says...
Again, ST, if it was a personal opinion, it wouldn’t matter. The problem, again, its that he spoke with the official capacity that establishes christianity as an official religion. Get the difference?
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lancaster says...
all he DID was have a “OFFICIAL” stat of the city luncheon, (read official city business), and ONLY invite christians, (which was pretty f#$king exclusive in and of itself), and state that is was GONNA BE THEY’RE CITY.
what could be wrong with that?? lololo!
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SantaTaco says...
what could be wrong with that??
Nothing, considering the Muslims would be tickled pink if they could impose sharia law upon the whole world.
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lancaster says...
AND AGAIN, ST, WHO, AS IN WHO ARE U TALKING ABOUT, HAS TOLD AMERICAN’S THEY ARE SUBJECT TO SHARIA LAW?
DO U THINK IF U SAY IT ENOUGH IT’LL COME TRUE?
CAN U TELL US OF ONE “OFFICIAL” SPOKESMAN FOR “AMERICAN” MUSLIMSTHAT HAS SAID THIS?
OR ARE U A LIAR???
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lancaster says...
ST,
have u even read the constitution, or the bill of rights?
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SantaTaco says...
Don’t you remeber what happened with the dutch cartoon? These people believe everyone is subject to their rules. That’s a fact, you can deny it all you want.
Convert or die. That is the message that Muslim terrorists sent by freeing two kidnapped journalists only after they “converted” to Islam on videotape at the point of a gun
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1692433/posts
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lancaster says...
these people? what people? dutch people?
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Captain Jason says...
SantaTaco says…
“what could be wrong with that??”
LOL! Now I know you’re pulling my leg! Good one, ST!
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SantaTaco says...
No not dutch people, Muslims. Maybe you should practice your comprehension skills.
And yes, I have a little pocket copy of the constitution I like to refer to from time to time.
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lancaster says...
why are u talking about dutch people when we’re talking about LANCASTER RESIDENTS?
do u even know where ur at or what country ur in?
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SantaTaco says...
Try to spin anyway you want, you’re pretty good at spewing hot air.
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lancaster says...
so was lil rex talking about muslims in denmark? cuz we don’t have any muslims causing problems in lancaster!
so yeah what are u talking about?
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SantaTaco says...
keep pretending you don’t know what I’m talking about, it only makes you look mentally hanicapped.
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lancaster says...
i’m spewing? i have some dumbass church telling me i need to be afraid of neighbors that i’ve never had a problem with. a CHRISTIAN CHURCH forcing they’re way of life on me, taking my money, but u want me to sweat muslims i’ve never had a dime of my taxes deverted to, or heard a peep out of.
but uv fallen right in line ST.
way to go!
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SantaTaco says...
Lancaster says: I have some dumbass church telling me i need to be afraid of neighbors that i’ve never had a problem with.
You don’t have to believe them. They bring pamphlets to my house too, I just politely decline.
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lancaster says...
u ok with them taking our tax dollars?
and this is baptist were talking about.
so when they outlaw dancing and drinking?
how about when we have them running the city? when our lady’s have to dress like sherry? skirts only, below the knee, shirts below the elbow?
when LBCers get business priority over other church members.
when all movies allowed in town will be
nothing over PG.
uv allowed one fanatic cult to take over, because of a religion that has never come close to influencing ur life, is said to be scary.
once again, who’s the moron?
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lancaster says...
it’s that bullshit “i got mine” syndrome.
socialism for the rich, capitalism for the rest of us. i think nadar said that!!
bbaaa
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mattkeltner says...
Lancaster,
What’s funny is that it’s always people who benefit — in way or another — from government programmes who scream the loudest about “socialism”.
Remember Larry Hobson (government contractor extraordinaire) always complaining about “socialism”?
Billy Bernier, king of the federally-funded Head Start programme, labelling everyone a “Marxist”…
Let’s see, then we have aerospace workers with government contracts complaining about “socialism”…
Lancaster Baptist Church leader Paul Chappell and his members deriding President Obama as a “socialist” while taking financial kickbacks from the city…
A Lancaster Baptist family calling the public schools “a socialist nightmare” but sending their kids to a public charter school because they can’t afford Paul Chappell’s tuition fees…
People living off of workers comp but complaining about “socialism” if it concerns someone else using food stamps…
Republican men deriding the public school system and unions as “socialist” while forgetting that their wives who are Teachers are part of both…
This, “as long as it isn’t benefiting me, it must be ‘*socialist*’!!!” phenomena is so fascinating!
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lancaster says...
matt, i had seen ur comment before, so the above was in response to it.
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lancaster says...
as far as i’m concerned, ALL religions have only one thing that might prove they’re arguments.
the lack of evolution of man. WE NEVER LEARN! AND ARE ALWAYS READY TO BE DIVIDED AND CONQUERED.
BBBAAAAA!!!
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fewenuff says...
lancaster: CAN U TELL US OF ONE “OFFICIAL” SPOKESMAN FOR “AMERICAN” MUSLIMSTHAT HAS SAID THIS? OR ARE U A LIAR???
Try a simple google search lancaster,
No lancaster you are seriously uninformed
No one but fundamentalist religious types are promoting theocracies. I would suggest that it is a safe bet that leaves out just about everybody but the lunatic fringe. No one can change a nut job’s mind which puts the onus on US to remain ever vigilant.
IMHO religion is NOT the enemy. The people that exploit religion to their own ends are.
THROW THE LYING BUMS OUT!!! and their little dogs too!
Lan Astaslem!
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Martel says...
Good Let Mr Parris explain this one, I wonder why Parris is always sweating when he is interviewed even in cold weather.Matt great post, funny but true.Remember most have the attitude I got mine the hell with everyone else.
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RealSteve says...
So I want to know what TRex is going to do.
What’s TRex going to do when CagyWolf and the other Rastafarian’s want to offer up a prayer during the opening of Lancaster Christian City Council meeting, along with an offering of the sacred weed.
How will the Church Lady react? Take a hit or not?
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RealSteve says...
Or what will happen when the Democratic club of the AV want to lead in prayers celebrating Gay Pride week? What will TRex do then?
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dbeardw says...
Santa Taco — Rex didn’t just put a Cross on the wall with his city made power point and dumb things about Christianity AS MAYOR.
He also told the ministers that he wanted them to get their congregations to beat the ACLU on the ordinance. HE TOLD THEM to go back and influence their flocks.
That’s the mayor directing people how to vote and bringing churches into the process.
He’s not thinking. He’s off on a tangent. Someone is leading him down a path of political destruction and it’s going to impact his law firm.
One of the things his wife didn’t like about him running for office was that she didn’t want it to spill over and impact his law practice. Hey, anything can happen now that he’s brought such scrutiny on the city and himself.
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dbeardw says...
I’ve got to say more about this China love fest Mayor Parris wants to establish. I think it ties in here too because of his omnipotent sense of doing and saying whatever he wishes.
I was reading the L.A. Times and found an article on Parris’ aspirations along with a picture of an F22. It seems he is preparing to send some powerpoint presentation to the Chinese to attract their attention for investing in Lancaster. I don’t get it.
The U.S. is arresting individuals who have been sending our military secrets to China for decades. The Counter Intelligence community states that China is raping us of our military secrets as we speak. It’s known that they have businesses coming over here to establish themselves and wella — they infilitrate us. Why would the mayor want the Chinese to have their fingers in the Lancaster pot where Edwards Air Force Base is not to mention Boeing, Lockheed and many of our military secrets and projects. . Isnt’ that like saying to the Chinese welcome to a buffet for you to choose what you want?
I know Parris wants to appear as a globally connected figure and the man of the hour but what about the potholes, the schools, the water problem, transparency in government, Walmart, and all the other problems that the average Joe needs solved. Parris is use to winning a case and moving on but there’s a difference in winning mega millions in a controlled courtroom environment and enthusiastically opening the door to an enemy who has raped the U.S. before. I just need to know who’s really benefitting from this assinine act when everything with Parris these days seems to be secret or undercover. He’ll explain later like the Eye In The Sky Project but there just may not be a later with this chinese deal. As the U.S. government fights with Chinese over counter intelligence issues, Mayor Rex rolls out the carpet. Do they need to own more of us then they already do and what threat comes with that expansion?
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dbeardw says...
Rex is sabotaging his own campaign. The volcano is about to erupt because true desperation will set in with his next set of poles.
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Randy Hall says...
Sorry DBW, our church recently said they were tired of the liberal agenda being pushed down our throats so they encouraged us to join: http://www.cacatholic.org/
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A V Observer says...
dbw is probably right. Rex must be distraught that he is in every major newspaper in America standing up for Christianity against the Radical Muslims.
The L.A. Times coverage of his efforts to bring jobs to the Antelope Valley from China are probably going to cost him the election.
If only he had kept paying DBW for her expert political advise, he could have avoided all of these blunders. Who knows, he might have become the the next Jim Ledford listening to the deafening applause at the mosque.
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lancaster says...
CHRISTIANITY TODAY
Weblog: Nigerian Christians Attack Muslims, Kill Dozens
Reports estimate that between 67 and 300 are dead after Christian ethnic Taroks attacked Muslim cattle-herders in the town of Yelwa in central Nigeria’s Plateau State. The Tarok ethnic group used machine guns mounted on jeeps, along with rifles and machetes, to attack the Muslim community. Possibly three mosques were damaged and at least 67 people have been buried, while hundreds more have fled or disappeared. Just last week, the Christian Tarok were attacked by the Muslim Hausa in the region.
In the most recent attack, the Associated Press reports that more that 100 were killed and 1,000 homes destroyed. “It will take time to account for the exact number of dead and missing. It’s mass murder, because machine guns were used, not machetes,” Justice Abdulkadir Orire, secretary general of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, told Agence France-Presse.
Orire told Reuters that the attack had been planned and received the help of local officials. “Police stationed in Yelwa had been withdrawn four days before the attack, despite complaints from local Muslims that they were surrounded by Taroks and tensions were rising.” Orire said. “It seems the governor is supporting the move. We heard that the government said non-indigenes should move out of the area. That is very bad. He should look after everyone in the state and not just his own tribe.”
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lancaster says...
Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) — Reports of at least 150 Muslims killed in recent religious clashes in Nigeria should be investigated, a human rights group urged Saturday.
Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that armed men attacked Kuru Karama in central Nigeria on Tuesday, “killing many as they tried to flee and burning many others alive,” the international organization said Saturday.
The assailants targeted Muslims, reportedly killing at least 150, Human Rights Watch said.
Community leaders from Jos, a city about 19 miles north of Kuru Karama, and journalists told the organization that later in the week they saw dozens of bodies lodged in wells or sewage pits. The bodies of 121 people, including 22 children, had been recovered, the organization said. Most of the homes in the town were burned down, along with three mosques, the group said.
Those interviewed by the group said they thought the attackers were Christian, Human Rights Watch said. When a Christian pastor tried to stop the attacks he was beaten, a Muslim imam told the group.
Human Rights Watch called on Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to open a criminal investigation into the deaths based on the reports the groups said were credible.
Officials are still tallying death figures in the latest round of violence, said H.A. Angulu, director of public communications for the Ministry of Information and Communications
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lancaster says...
Tribal Christians kill Hindu
Posted January 26, 2004
The Asian Age (Sunday, January 18, 2004)
Front page.
By Our Correspondent
The Asian Age (Sunday, January 18, 2004)
Front page.
No link available
Baroda, Jan. 17: One Vishwa Hindu Parishad member died and six injured after a strong mob of Christians attacked them at Alirajpur village of Bhabhara taluka of Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh late on Friday night.
About 50 members of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal were heading towards Aamkhud village to protest against killing of a nine year old Hindu girl by some Christians at a missionary school in the village.
She was allegedly molested in the wee hours of January 11 before being killed and her dead body was found at the missionary school premises.
The police investigation had pointed to the involvement of some Christian youths of the village that incensed local Hindus to protest. The local Hindu organisations at Jhabua had called for a bandh on January 12 and the situation in the area became tense. What added to the tension was a disciple of Hindu spiritual leader Asharambapu, Shri Krishna Didi had gone to the village for religious discourse. The local Christian population protested against the programme causing panic.
However, when the BJP, VHP and Bajrang Dal members from Jhabua were heading to Aamkhud village on Friday night, they were waylaid by a strong mob of Christian tribals of Alirajpur village.
The miscreants pelted stones and shot arrows at the vehicles and later set the vehicles ablaze. A VHP member Arjunpal Gokul 23, died on the spot and at least eight persons sustained injuries. Six of the injured were shifted to a private hospital in Dahod. The situation, however, remained peaceful on Saturday.
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lancaster says...
I MEAN, WE CAN PLAY THIS GAME ALL DAY
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Randy Hall says...
You are right lancaster, Christians in this country are guilty of far greater crimes.
“Malaria kills a million people a year in Africa – mainly in the poorest nations south of the Sahara. Most of these victims are children.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1677073.stm
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RealSteve says...
I nominate Randi Hall as the chief of the new Lancaster Grand Inquisitor office, to go with his role as head of the Lancaster Religious police.
Pants saggers, people living in sin, those that don’t keep Kosher, beware.
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RealSteve says...
Randi will be joined in his Religious police duties of keeping Lancaster a Christian city by Lancaster Councilwoman Sherry Marquez, who will checking skirt lengths, and screening all movies to make sure smut is kept out of Lancaster, the Christian city.
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lancaster says...
u know. just in case someone ordered HBO
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RealSteve says...
Headquarters for Randi’s religious police will be located at:
1255 West Avenue I
Lancaster, CA.
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lancaster says...
LOL. who knew toyboy, lil rex and sherry had acting careers!
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RealSteve says...
The uniform for Randi’s Lancaster religious police is still in work, however these early photos have been made available by Judge TRex.
lancaster says...
I GUESS PAUL AND REX MADE THAT LEATHER SHOW AFTER ALL!
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fewenuff says...
Will they be looking for mirrors on the toes or our shoes? They make me feel so naughty you know.
Not guilty though…
It is not like I killed millYUNs of citizens in the Gulag or on some silly arse Long March (millYUNs more).
THROW THE LYING BUMS OUT!!! and their little dogs too!
Lan Astaslem!
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RealSteve says...
fewenuff
Mirrors on your shoes will be a big deal to the Randi Religious police, and there will be an outright ban on patent leather shiny toe shoes in Lancaster….the Christian City.
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PKShaw says...
RS, I’m starting to wonder about you . . .
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RealSteve says...
PK
What you don’t want to get “behind” Randi and the Lancaster Christian City Religious police?
Shocking I tell you shocking.
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Randy Hall says...
See missy how easy it is for you to slip into your bully hat?
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dbeardw says...
Damn Randy, I thought RS created the best job in the world for you. Now we don’t have to worry about all that transmission fluid seeping into the water supply in your neighborhood.
Just don’t forget Randy has to practice Abstinence which he intellectually does anyway.
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RealSteve says...
I wonder if Randi will get a special Lancaster Christian City Religious police mobile, or will he just cruse the streets in an ice cream truck or something.
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Randy Hall says...
DBW, a bully has to have some success in their life to bully others. Since you have none you can’t be a bully no matter how hard you try.
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ragman says...
It won’t be too long before Sharia law is made part of everyday life here and that is the intention of many Muslim extremists. they want force their religion and way of life on us. I think it’s a waste of time and it is a ridiculous tactic to try and sue the Mayor. What are they afraid of anyway. If these were such good Muslims, then why haven’t they specifically spoken of the horrid crimes against women and the beheadings ? and why haven’t they proclaimed it as wrong ? It’s because it’s in Sharia Law that’s why. I know so many who were victims of Muslims Sharia law a fled Lebanon,Syria,Jordan to save their familes because they were Christians. Whole villiages were attacked and families wiped out. This was in the 50’,60s, and 70’s They know this is true and it’s one of those do as we say not as you want to do. I am not going accept their way of life EVER !!!!!!!!!! GOD Bless America not Allah AKBAR AMERICA
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newstoday says...
Well, its gone federal now folks
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