Yule protests in bad taste

One state lawmaker was en route to feed the homeless downtown.

Others were enjoying the holiday with their families.

Then came the knocks on the door from Accountability Utah, a self-described parents' rights organization, decrying certain lawmakers' voting records on child welfare issues. They distributed pamphlets lamenting the so-called tyranny of the state Division of Child and Family Services, which they claim has wrongfully removed their children from their homes. Then the protesters attempted to deliver fliers to the targeted lawmakers' neighbors.

All on Christmas Day.

It strains logic that members of this organization believe that disrupting lawmakers' holidays is going to win any favor with the Utah Legislature. Not only did these visits alienate legislators, it offended some of their neighbors. Our hope is that lawmakers aren't wrongly impugned for the inconsiderate acts of this organization since the fliers delivered to the neighbors of at least one lawmaker did not identify the organization staging the protests. Instead, it urged area residents to call the lawmaker to complain.

Of all days, why Christmas? Why agitate on the day Christians celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace? There's obviously a place for peaceful protest, but not on Christmas.

It's questionable, too, if these citizen lobbyists fully understand the ramifications of what they are seeking. Jury trials to determine whether parental rights should be terminated? Do parents whose children have been taken into state custody after reports of child abuse or neglect really want their troubled lives trotted out in public?

This is not to suggest that DCFS is infallible. The adversarial nature of its work renders it a lightning rod for criticism and scrutiny.

But there is broad oversight of the agency, which is being monitored by its own governing board, agency and state auditors, the Utah Legislature, a federal judge and citizen organizations. The juvenile court issues warrants, as another check in the system, before children are removed from homes.

While it's difficult to embrace the agenda of Accountability Utah, lawmakers would do well to allocate more state funds to pay for the legal defense of parents who cannot afford counsel. Having adequate legal representation may very well address many of the issues raised by Accountability Utah.

There's no reason that members of this citizen organization cannot lobby for such assistance in the upcoming session. Our hope, however, is that this organization will take a more reasoned approach in its efforts. The group's members can only hope that, after their Christmas Day shenanigans, they have enough credibility left for lawmakers to take them seriously.