LOMPOC RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT TOLERATE RAPISTS OR DRUGS

Three loud cheers for Mayor DeWees and Police Chief Brown for demonstrating
strong moral and community leadership. They have not allowed themselves to
be intimidated nor handcuffed by the twisted logic of California's
convoluted legal system. Statutes at times appear to support criminal's
rights over victim's rights and to provide phony legal cover for obviously
immoral activities. Recently, the mayor and police chief have shown real
courage. They've taken firm stands and actions beyond the ordinary
concerning two insidious intrusions into our Lompoc Valley community.

Now Lompoc citizens need to support these two forthright leaders and
demonstrate the same intestinal fortitude and resolve. It is time to draw
the line against incremental infiltration of our community by purveyors of
sexual violence and the pushers of drugs, the drug subculture and/or lightly
disguised drug paraphernalia. These are areas that should have clear laws to
protect our citizens.

But where is the legal system on these issues? Is a system right that
supports California's three-strikes law under which three felonies can
result in life imprisonment on one hand, but supports turning loose on
Lompoc streets a man who has been convicted of five forceful rapes and the
defiling of innocent young women at knifepoint?

A more insidious controversy has developed over The Head Shop which
apparently sneaked into town without much scrutiny, I'm told the building
owner didn't realize they'd be dealing in lightly disguised drug
paraphernalia. When confronted, one of the owners brazenly threw the
gauntlet in the face of the community stating she, "Didn't care what the
mayor thought, didn't care what the police chief thought, they intended to
stay in business in Lompoc."

Oh?

Well guess what. There are a lot of involved citizens in the Lompoc Valley
who do care about and support Mayor Dewees and Chief Brown and the youth of
our community.

What can the community do about our sleazy subterfuge? Plenty. The citizens
of the Lompoc Valley can stand up, be counted and be heard concerning your
supposedly legal in California but inherently undesirable promotion and sale
of drug paraphernalia.

Citizens of Lompoc, the quickest way to get The Head Shop to head out is to
make sure that none of your hard-earned money nor the money of your children
fall into the owners hands. As a clean community, we can just say no to
drugs, say no to drug dealers and say no to purveyors of drug culture and
drug paraphernalia.

Paul A. Maye, Lompoc