Gated Communities in Puerto Rico now required to have a Security Guard and special entrance for Jehovah's Witnesses

by Alfred 37 Replies latest watchtower scandals

• 

  moshe

  I'm not certain why public streets would be gated.

  I saw those gated streets 15 years ago when I vacationed in PR- I was going to rent a car, until I found out I would probably get car jacked- don't stop at a red light at night, if there is no traffic coast right on through to avoid car jackers, I was told. OK- I pass on the rental car- a taxi will work for me. Shopping mall parking lots had armed guards in scaffold perches with binoculars to keep thieves from breaking into shopper's cars. Homes regularly had tall wrought iron fences around them- if you want to keep anything safe in San Juan, it has to be fenced and locked up.
• 

  skeeter1

  Nah, there are "sharing" type agreements where the association gives the police the right to enforce traffic and other laws inside the community's private roads. This is not a hired policeman, it's just part of each homeowner's property taxes. The police can even give tickets for speeding, wearing seat belts, drunk driving, helmet laws, etc. There is no distinction between police and private property, if there is an agreement.

  But, that is where it stops.

  I feel very badly for the communities. The cost of a guard in our community was $300,000 a year for 24 hour/7 day a week service. The cost of that is split between each paying homeowner. It's a hefty pricetag. I don't think the private citizens are going to want to pay for this. It's not going to make for "happy" householders, if you get my drift.

  Skeeter
• 

  rebel8

  WTF?! Honestly.
  
  1) The Bible--alleged holy book of dubs--says NOT to preach at people's homes.
  
  2) In pioneer school TM , they told us people who lived in locked apartment buildings/gated communities had made a decision to not allow themselves access to jehoopla's wunerful truths TM , so they were marked by the angel of death as having made their choice. No need to break in just to help jehoopla separate the wheat from the chaff. Or something like that.
  I contacted the Freedom From Religion Foundation and I encourage you all to do the same.

  My concern is this is the United States so now there will be a precedent in the rest of the states. Sheesh.
• 

  LV101

  Yeah -- same concern, rebel8.

  pioneer school sounds like God the Judge --- thought w/tower was only the mouthpiece.

  Thanks for link.
• 

  rebel8

  By that I meant, that's my worry. I don't know how/if what happens in their courts translates to the rest of the US.
• 

  Band on the Run

  I skimmed the article but other Courts of Appeals that cite the PR case are not too pleased with it. Not having read the later cases myself, I don't know the criticisms. So only one circuit is affected and only public streets. The quasi-public stuff makes me nervous, though. It seems to be very limited. Imagine how receptive the PRicans will be after paying for all this JW access. They must now for the great privilege of an uneducated, superiority complex person preaching to them about Armaggedon.

  I think the remedy is very drastic. If it goes to the Supreme Court, it will be interesting.

  PR is that dangerous?
• 

  rebel8

  I had heard years ago they were going to gated communities b/c of crime.
• 

  Paralipomenon

  The comment about the 40's/50's being they heyday for Witnesses as they fought many legal battles for freedom of religion reminded me of this article:

  How Jehovah's Witnesses helped kill Prop 8