Posted on 07/19/2005 1:03:41 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
It's Saturday evening, the end of a hot day, and a group of women and children have gathered at North Seattle's Meadowbrook Pool for their monthly swim.
Most of the pool staff has left, except for two female lifeguards, who on this day will be on duty for the next two hours.
The women and children — all Muslims — have been swimming in private once a month at Meadowbrook as part of a program organized by the North Seattle Family Center.
Because Islam requires Muslim women to fully cover themselves in public, swimming in pools or the ocean is largely off-limits for many.
But across the Puget Sound area, that's starting to change as public and private pools at times are sending home their male staff members, covering up their windows and allowing women of faith to swim alone and in private...
Access to these pools is not free; the groups, like all others that use these facilities, pay a rental fee....
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
WHy is it that when Baptists have a religious objection to mixed swimming, it's stupid, but when Muslims do the same thing, it is celebrated?
(I know, not many Baptists feel this way today. But 20 years ago, things were different.)
Have you seen the price on those things?! I'd go broke! LOL.
ROFLOL! When I read your first post to me, that is what I thought immediately..I was around during the bra-burning period. I can remember wondering why the bra burners were actually wearing them in the first place!
It proved to me that when you have nothing to lose..it's easy to be an activists!
I don't know this for a fact, but I would imagine that the same people who think it's stupid for Baptists, think it's stupid for Muslims. And the same people who take a different-strokes, live-and-let-live, attitude toward Baptists, take it toward privacy-seeking Muslim mamas, too.
And then there are those who come down to the poolside and want to fight about EVERY-freepin-thing...
You scratched the surface of what is available at the Seattle Parks and Recreation site posting what amounts to facts that support a conveniently incomplete picture of what is going on. Why is that?
Look at FACILITY RENTAL GUIDE Reservations & Payment:
Look at FACILITY RENTAL GUIDE Rules & Regulations:
So that we can maintain the quality of our buildings and keep our maintenance costs as low as possible, we ask your cooperation in keeping some activities out of certain rooms. For example, we don’t allow dancing in street shoes on wood gym floors. You will find a complete list of the Department’s Rules and Regulations in our Facility Use Rental Agreement Form. All rules and regulations will be strictly enforced. Please Note: Depending on the nature of your event, there may be additional requirements for facility usage including but not limited to:
Look at 2005-2006 FEES & CHARGES Athletic Facility Rentals Swimming Pools:
then I guess you think segeragation of the pools back in the 60's was "rather nice" too
Voluntary segregation (an Italian-American parade, a Black Student's Association, a women-only counseling group, a homeschoolers-only forensics meet, a men-only single-malt Scotch Whiskey club, a Muslim mama swim session) is an aspect of our First Amendment freedom of association.
In America, we believe we have the right to associate with (and that includes the right NOT to associate with) anyone we choose.
Freedom for all, and that includes you. Welcome to the USA!
It would be great. Then I could go swimming, lose weight, get in shape, etc. without the jokes & stares from men just because I'm not perfect.
Yes, you are correct. I actually saw the fees and they were so low I recognized that they must be subsidized and sought affirmation.
I live in NYC. Almost all public pools have been shut beacause of liability costs so I have some idea of the actual costs incurred by public swimming pools.
Basically the info you provided shows many rules were broken to accomodate a religious group of Muslim women. Where's the ACLU when you really need them?
Many of the rules are based on safety concerns so bending them also raises public policy concerns and increased liability issues. How safe is it to swim in a Burka?
Exactly.
What is it about the posters that refuse to see that renting a public facility for private use is PRIVATE USE.
You can rent a municipal skating rink for private use. You can reserve a picnic pavilion at a public park for private use. You can even rent the local Colosseum for private use. That rental allows the restriction to the people the renter chooses. It's allowed under policies instituted by the facility management (set under public policy). If the renter abides by the agreed to terms in the rental agreement, then there's no legal problems.
What the griping posters want is public policy that bans Muslims. While I agree with the real risks that Isolamofacists groups pose to the security of the USA, the pool rental scenario doesn't address that problem at all.
Solving lax immigration policies is surely necessary. Securing the border is essential. Effective monitoring terrorists activities in Mosques is absolutely necessary. Allowing racial profiling at airports is a good idea from a practical stand point.
Banning swimming pool rentals by Muslim women and children is just ridiculous.
I'm sorry, I just don't see that (maybe you have more information)
What rules were broken?
Alas, my old eyes. I missed that. Could you list a few of the "many" listed rules that were broken?
My post #263 clearly reveals, directly from the Parks Dept, that these are not Rentals but User fees that only partially cover costs which are then subsidized by the Government.
This was no private rental. Merely private use.
Anyone who is unhappy should write the Parks Department and suggest that they raise the user fees to fully cover the cost of private use. Of course, if the users are local taxpayers, then they are paying some of the taxes that are partially subsidizing the cost of the facility use.
Rather complicated ... and best dealt with through the democratic process.
" Bless your heart. You have a nice day."
Thanks, I generally do. :)
I love how Hillary says she, err I mean they (her pinko posse) are going to have to take things away from us (Christian) Americans while the rules are bent, changed and ignored in favor of the Christian hating, women hating radical islamo-fascists males. I bet muslim women don't dare "expose" one inch of skin pool side or beach side PROBABLY because we would see black and blue bruise marks all over their bodies from the honor beatings they "tolerate" (PC joke).
"ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
We are committed to equal access and opportunity to our facilities for our citizens. Under federal, state and local (Seattle Municipal Code Section 18. 12.280) law, and in compliance with our own policies, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, political ideology, age, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, or presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability."
http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/reservations/rentalguide/ada.htm
I am confident that there are rules about the appropriate dress for swimming within the pool. As I said this is a safety concern. I can not access the entirety of rules.
Please also see my post #263, #312, and #315. This was not a Private Rental merely a Private Use.
Rules do not apply to Muslims in PC la-la-land. Even violating the city's own descrimination rules is okay.
Wouldn't the chemicals used in the pool deal with any safety concerns you've got? IIRC, young children not toilet trained have been the cause of the disease outbreaks associated with pools/water parks in recent years, and those would be around all the time, or not at all, depending on the local regs.
So when my tax dollars go to their Madrassas on the theory that they also pay local taxes that will be okay too?
"Rules do not apply to Muslims in PC la-la-land. Even violating the city's own descrimination rules is okay."
Of course mass confusion, chaos and reverse discrimination is okay when the communist anarchy manifesto is doing it.
How else are they going to intimidate Christian Americans into a silent, obedient majority.
Your local school district provides vouchers for private school use, including religious schools? That's a very unusual situation; where do you live?
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