Reader comments
FLDS roundup is largest since Waco standoff; 401 children may be placed in foster homes
107 comments | Read story
Why are they taking every single child away?
They still haven't produced the complaining witness. This is just a misuse of power, pure and simple.
The fathers are being confined without warrant or arrest, the children have been taken without merit. And most troubling was there was absolutely no transparency from the two at the press conference. We the people demand answers and all we got was, "I can't disclose that information at this time."
How is it that the fathers that are supposed to be these violent abusers of children showed virtually no resistance to their children being ripped from their arms? Isn't abuse about control? I applaud those fathers for keeping their cool, I know I certainly wouldn't.
Human rights of women, their children and men who are judged "unworthy" by the FLDS hierarchy are the real issue here! I was shocked at the depth and extent of the brainwashing this cult has perpetrated against its members. This case is much more complex than is being represented in the news reports.
Sexual abuse doesn't have to be violent in order to be abuse. The victims may show no outward signs of abuse or may even appear to be unresisting participants. That doesn't prove the victims haven't been abused.
There have been way too many eye-witness accounts from underaged victims of these arranged marriages for authorities to simply turn a blind eye when a complaint has been registered.
Given the very strict control of the youth within the FLDS community, any instance of a young pregnant girl must be investigated by authorities to determine whether the circumstances involve sexual abuse.
If the girl's parents are complicit in allowing an arranged marriage for their underage daughter to occur, who else does the girl have to turn to for help but the state?
The Texans down here don't take kindly to child abuse....and this will expose the Mormon Fundamentalists for exactly what they are.
In answer to your second question. No abusers have been arrested, you're making things up.
In answer to your third question. YES
"I know I certainly wouldn't" True, you open mouth and blaze away, don't you?
I got my information by reading the local newspaper, several of them from different reporters. I discounted that which was non-repeatable and didn't try to read more into it than was there. You should do the same.
Texas DPS, the best there are.
That being said, here is the thing that I cannot understand.
It is very apparent from the history and recent prosecution of polygamists that the law either doesn't care or can't do much if you are JUST practicing polygamy. If that is the case then why do these men INSIST on continuing to marry girls under the legal age of consent.
Personaly, I think the fact that polygamy is illegal is a joke, but if you can't wait until your future wife/wives are over 16 or even 18 to marry her then you have earned whatever "Persecution" you get.
See The Book of Mormon, Jacob 2:31-33 It seems ramarkably suited to this particular situation.
Lets just wait until we hear all the details until we start to complain. I for one still have faith in our law enforcement and try my best to give them the benifit of the doubt.
TEXAS the great state. just gotta keep up with the western way.
Do they still round up and abuse the aborigianl people in Texas? Sounds like The biggest State never grew up.
It was also fun to read, across the posse buses, "Baptist Church." Go Texas!
Any community that is called a "compound" is
problematic... I worry about the children who are denied the liberation of education and literacy: that knowledge to make up their own minds about their personal direction... who knows, they may set out and find good, decent people with whom to procreate, who are NOT their cousins, brothers, sisters, or fathers and passive-aggressive control freaks.
Cultures all over the world practice intergenerational marriage as a perfectly valid strategy of society to provide stability, food, shelter, and care for families raising children better than can a pair or inexperienced and unsettled youngsters .
It is an outrage for the state of Texas to rip 401 children away from their social system for the sheer purpose of imposing a relatively new cultural norm on a group of people who have lived this way for decades.
Overreach? The government is ruthless when it comes to wiping out a religion. How the Salt Lake LDS Church survived the government onslaught 150 years ago is truly amazing.
If they have evidence of abuse, how are they not being arrested? This is just a cover story because they don't like these people in their state and they don't like what they believe. It is bigoted and hateful and a violation of these peoples rights.
And to "Violent Abusers" when asked what grounds they had to remove all 401 children they said "Physical abuse" they never said a word about sexual abuse. Unless they were just avoiding the word, physical abuse means violent abuse. So yes, they are taking away these children from their parents on the ground of some nebulous term of "physical abuse".
It should scare the living daylights out of anyone that we have an organization like CPS that runs above law. They answer to no one. They do as they please and can take your children without evidence of criminal behavior.
When this is over these people should sue the government of Texas for harassment and violation of human rights. I hope they do and that the government is made to pay millions in compensation and penalties.
I don't agree with them, but is there cause to believe that child abuse among FLDS is higher than other Texas communities or religions?
Also, I would include being persuaded to be married at 15 as child abuse.
If it turns out that the instances of "child abuse", in any form, are much less than the national average, then Texas is going to get their pants sued off.
I hope the FLDS people know enough about the law to sue child protective services. Of course the women leave with the children, the children don't know anybody else but their moms and taking them away the way this happened is traumatic. They had better have counselors for them for the next 30 years. I too think the call was bogus and Texans really jumped the gun there and should be held accountable for it. Better build them a few more buildings for screwing up their families like this. Even if Texans don't like the FLDS church, there are other ways to make sure no abuse is happening than to destroy families. Time to get some attorneys involved on the FLDS side.
V.C Bennett - I too worry about places referred to as compounds, including FLDs, Waco, Neo_Nazi, Kennedy, Kerry - Note both extreme conservative and liberal have areas designated as compounds. The key is EXTREME.
As for whether all of these children should have been removed, I have a difficult time believing that. As much as I disagree with their beliefs, I doubt 100% of them are evil. I also disagree with Muslims, but I doubt 100% of Muslim women and children are abused either. Although I have read supposedly reputable NEWS articles from major NEWS outlets that would have me believe that in certain areas. I think taking all of the children was a reach, and involving another church, critical of their beliefs for transportation should not have been allowed. I hope for the sake of the Texas justice sysytem that they truly have their ducks in a row.
Have you ever been stereotyped?
Does Catholic priest always equal pedophile?
Does Muslim always equal a terrorist?
Does Mormon always scoutleader equal a pedophile?
Does black man always equal a criminal?
Does blonde always equal dumb?
Does Hispanic always equal illegal immigrant?
Inform yourself from more than one source, and from more than your nightly news
There are tens of thousands of polygamous families throughout the Western United States. They live a couple blocks from you. Their children attend school with your children. They build your houses. They own your local stores. They cheer for your kids' (and theirs) little league teams. They nurture and protect their children as you do. They abhor child abuse, sexual abuse, underage marriage and fraud as much as you do. They aren't on the nightly news because they don't deserve to be.
They are criminals in one area only: because they have not left women and children along a trail of divorce or promiscuity like so many other Americans today.
Add your comment
Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.
E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.
Marleigh Meisner, spokeswoman for Texas Child Protective Services, addresses the press in a packed room in San Angelo, Texas, on Monday. FLDS women and children were brought to San Angelo while multiple law enforcement agencies searched the YFZ ranch for an allegedly abused 16-year-old girl. Meisner announced that all 401 children from the ranch have been removed from their parents and are now in temporary state custody.
- Columbia prof to speak at U. 2:07 p.m.
- Mitchell wants testimony excluded 1:36 p.m.
- Cleveland case expands overseas 1:27 p.m.
- Banks eye tight credit card terms 1:25 p.m.
- Prep girls soccer MVPs named 1:16 p.m.
- Iran accuses hikers of espionage 1:09 p.m.
- New bishop heads Lufkin LDS Church 1:03 p.m.
- Making health care better 1:03 p.m.
- Hall, Jorgensen honored by MWC 12:58 p.m.
- 'Start knocking heads' on healthcare 12:27 p.m.
- TCU showdown has big implications
- Seniors helped BYU regroup
- Hope for single moms
- Lambert surprisingly tops news
- Bystanders framed for child porn
- Korver and Miles to be evaluated
- TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
- Utah Jazz Extra: Whose hot/not
- Newhouse Hotel, an explosive end
- TCU moves into 4th place in BCS
- Gay advocates trek to LDS office
242 - House passes health care bill
211 - Lobo suspended
176 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
153 - TCU showdown has big implications
135 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
130 - Thousands protest health bill
106 - Provo company innovating engines
105 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
99
Why do so many people live so close to refineries in Utah and elsewhere?
NASA's Stardust probe continues to bring new knowledge about the nature...
Well, I AM in his district, and he WON'T be getting my vote this time!
"Utah has fared well against TCU over the years. The Utes are 5-1 all-time...
Everyone needs to stop all the "hate" for PG. Up until this year, these...
Obviously Obama cares more about getting his big government programs in place...
and his office refused to say how he would vote and I was treated very rudely...
I am proud of jim matheson for voting no. People lets face it if the...
Re: Um.. "You are incorrect. There are computers that are immune to...
How refreshing.
Since Coach Whit is the class of the class, I wonder why Bronco didn't...
I am an old man, old enough to remember the wall going up and coming down. I...

