Personal Injury Orange County

I read a couple months ago about a woman in Orange County who was forced to remove her hijab in public before a court hearing. For those who don’t know, a hijab is a head covering worn by practicing female Muslims. They must be worn at all times by a woman who is outside her home, especially in the presence of men outside of her family. However, she was forced to remove the headscarf and spent the rest of her time in pre-trial detention and during the hearing trying to cover herself the best she could.

This was simply wrong.

Regardless of whether you are a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Christian, or an atheist, personal rights and religious freedom are a staple in today’s society. Now, I can understand if a detention center doesn’t allow a practicing Satanist to sacrifice an animal or cut themselves before a hearing. That act causes harm and therefore is ruled dangerous by the penal system. However, what harm was a headscarf doing? Were they afraid she was concealed firearms under there? Did the scarf make her unidentifiable to the court?

No.

So why did they make her remove her scarf? Would they have done so for a white woman who was simply wearing a scarf to look nice? I don’t know. My guess, however, is no. They would have let her keep it on. So why do we allow such blatant disregard for religious freedoms? Just a thought to ponder this week.

Recently, an Orange County city was sued by none other than its own police officers. Several officers of Latino decent who work for the Orange County police department are suing for racial discrimination after promotions were continually given to under-qualified white officers. According to reports, while a few of these officers have received distinctions and awards for their service, younger white officers without as many distinctions were given promotions and higher pay.

Now, this is a prime example of why we have personal injury laws. The personal injury laws in the state of California protect all individuals regardless of race, religion, or creed. And they specifically protect those individuals who have been victims of any type of discrimination. After all, isn’t our country based upon the claim that we are all created equal?

While this case has yet to be decided in court, I believe it is the responsibility of every Orange County resident and each American to follow it closely. For if this country is truly to be the land of the free, then we need to start looking after our fellow Americans.

Okay Orange County – What is the world coming to when a disabled man cannot even enjoy a visit to the happiest place on earth? Back in November 2009, Jose Martinez was left in his wheelchair on a broken “It’s a Small World” ride while Disneyland workers evacuated all able-bodied visitors. Not only was he subjected to that horrible song for over 40 extra minutes, but he also suffered from dysreflexia while on the ride and was in serious danger.

While Disneyland representatives say that there are safety measures in place for every type of person who chooses to visit the park, that didn’t seem to be the case for Mr. Martinez. This opened Disneyland up for a sizeable lawsuit, one that I hope he wins.

Honestly, this is not the first time that Disneyland has mistreated a disabled visitor. Just last month on February 7th, workers refused to let a disabled girl on one of their rides, telling her and her parents that if she couldn’t stand up to the height line, she couldn’t ride the ride. The girl, who was tall enough for the ride, has a condition preventing her from standing and requiring that she use a wheelchair. The park employees, however, would not take this as an answer and management had to be called.

This was a direct violation of Disneyland’s own rule regarding disabled visitors, yet the family was giving no compensation. In fact, they were told that they were wrong – every park employee knew the rules and would follow them. (Just like the Disneyland spokesman for Mr. Martinez’ case claimed “Disneyland Resort is accessible to guests with varying needs, including those with mobility disabilities.” But that wasn’t the case for Mr. Martinez or for the disabled girl.

Okay, first of all I should state that I am a bit of an atheist. I believe if our accomplishments as people, individuals fighting for a better world. I also believe that everyone has the right to be heard. However, a San Diego school recently trampled that right, which equals censorship and discrimination.

In a promotional bricks drive at their children’s school, two moms purchased bricks to be used as pavers for the new walkway. As a part of the promotion, messages could be carved into the bricks, which would then be placed into the walkway for the students to see. The bricks cost quite a bit of money, but the cause was a good one and getting to write a message to the students was also a bonus. However, the bricks of Sheryl Caronna and Lou Ann Hart were never placed into the walkway.

As the situation unfolded, it was reported that these two moms quoted Scripture verses on their bricks, which the school said violated the separation of church and state laws. So they did not use the women’s bricks, nor did they refund their money. The only problem with that argument: other bricks with inspirational and religious messages were used. And while those bricks did not contain “Christian” messages, they did contain religious references, including a Hindu quote.

Personal injury law protects more than just those people who are physically harmed by another’s actions or inactions. The law protects against sexual harassment, all forms of discrimination, and even invasion of privacy. So a lawsuit against a school that purposefully accepts all other religious messages except Christian ones is a valid case, no matter what your beliefs are.

Honestly, this school is making everyone look bad. Now, I firmly believe in the separation of church and state, but that isn’t the case here. Of course, if the school removed all bricks with religious quotes or inspirational messages on them, then they would have a valid argument. Heck, I hope that they do, as that truly is a church and state issue. As it stands now, though, I hope these moms win their case.