• "Separated from older children (12 and up) and for days not even allowed to wave at them across the open field — told they would never see them again if they continued to wave — threatened with jail for waving at them."

• "The more uncomfortable they were the more CPS thought they would talk."

• "Never in all my life, and I am one of the older ladies, have I been so ashamed of being a Texan and seeing what and how our government agencies treat people. ... This must stop somewhere and somehow. This invasion of their property and the disruption of their lives could happen to anyone anytime if all power and authority is given to CPS."

• "The entire experience at Ft. Concho and the coliseum was surreal; at times it felt like these women and children were prisoners. I heard some people wonder out loud if this was Nazi Germany. The thought had struck me, too. Is this what it was like for the people in concentration camps in Germany? The women and children from Eldorado were basically lied to and deceived on several occasions. I often felt helpless; I also felt in awe of the grace, and self-confidence in which the women behaved. My culture, my society could learn from these women and children; they have my utmost respect."

• "My task ... was to comfort and offer support to the children ... separated from their mothers. Most of the children stayed united with each other. The older children comforted the younger children when they began to cry and ask for their mothers. The older female children took on the role of mothers. They hugged and consoled the smaller children. It was touching to watch the intense bond these children had, regardless of the fact that they were not all blood siblings, but difficult at the same time. I found it extremely difficult to do my task of consoling and offer comfort when I was an emotional wreck myself."

• "At one point, when the children were all separated, one male child who was about 9 years old, broke away from the rest of the children who were all hurtled together, being comforted by each other, and walked up to a police officer. I heard him say, 'You're the police, help us. Help me get my mother back. She has done nothing wrong.' The police officer could only respond by saying, 'I can't do that.'"

• "I am from a small Texas town with a population less than all the people that were forced from their homes ... I kept thinking to myself this is no different than if someone, which in most small towns there are, had gotten pregnant as a minor by an adult and rather than investigate and deal with that situation they arrested the entire town and treated them like criminals."

• "The women would sing songs to comfort themselves and their children. Some I had heard and had sung in my Methodist upbringing. Then they would gather and pray as well. Many of the CPS workers said they prayed in code, but I understood what they said and it was the same code I used to pray."

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E-mail: bwest@desnews.com