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First look inside YFZ Ranch

The media in England are having a field day with this story, especcially the Daily Mail newspaper who are Anti-Mormon and love to print articles which associate polygamy with the LDS Church, despite the fact that this story is about the FLDS Church. As for the children being taken away into care, their needs and safety must be met first. But let's not forget, before we all pass a judgement, that all the people of the FLDS community are innocent until proven guilty.

Proven guilty of What? I worry about making judgements concerning God fearing people who largly obey the law and conduct themselves with dignity and decency.

Are there pedophiles and 'dirty old men' lurking among these religious people? Most likely. The same could be said about almost any religion or sect. Surely most Americans are aware of the problems other churches have faced over the years in that regard.

As a child growing up, my Family lived near a compound of polygimists; they were polite and hard working. During the 50's and early 60's they chose to mainstream their children in public schools and it really was a benefit for them and the community at large.

My father was a principal in our community and welcomed their children into mainstream lifestyle. The complication of scrutiny and hate drove these folks underground and eventually into hiding. What damage has been done because of our persecution of their beliefs?

Let's punish the abusers and leave the rest of them alone to worship their God as they see fit.

Shows we live in a police state, and the "Law Enforcerment" are really just Nazi's.

One call, they should have found that girl first, then decided who needed to be taken. What about preliminary interviews of the children first, before wholesale taking of everyone.

If the mother in this article insist on how much,
how can she explain and justify their practice of
expelling their sons from their families when they
are 18 and considered a threat to the older men of
the community? These boys are still their mothers
son even though they are older.

Who will they see as unfit next? Whom will they come for next? In Bible thumper land anyone who is different is vulnerable. Anyone may have their constitutional rights denied.

"Let My People Go..." I believe Texas has made a big mistake. They have scared the hell out of 400 children, their mothers and their fathers, on an assumption. Where were the overweight, undereducated deputy sheriffs when the Priest were abusing choir boys? We cannot allow this to continue, No church is safe in America anymore.

There IS absolute power & abuse in polygamy. But only from the men. They have total control of their families and have "sold" this "religeon" over the generations to the women and children. If that`s all you know for generations, it is and stays the way you live.
The MEN should`ve been rounded up & removed and questioning done with THEM off the property. The women & children questioned ON the property while the children were left in familiar surroundings!
It is unforgivable for the state to abuse and traumatize the good, obediant and sweet women and children of this community. The damage done to these children is horrendous! Why is America putting up with this? These are good people with the exception of the MEN, some who use every inch of "power" their invented "religeon" gives them. Make the MEN accountable, not the innocent.
Remove the MEN, question THEM, have THEM identify and straighten identies out or allow THEM to self-destroy the community instead of the state. The place would likely close down if the men were prevented from returning (because of non-cooperation).

We clearly live in a police state where religious teachings are not allowed. No prayer in school. Parents who believe in polygomy will not be allowed to raise them. They will be raised in Foster Homes where religion is frowned on. Every year they will be assigned to a new one. This action has been brought upon us by Godless judges and liberals. People need to tell Texas to give back the children!!! Their actions are evil.

No proof there even is a 16 year old girl. I don't see anyone busting their rump looking for her. It could all be a hoax, some disgruntled x-FLDS woman pretending to be 16 and now she's doing it again in Arizona.
The way I see it, the local folks feared being out populated and thus out voted for local office like Sheriff.
So what's next, raid a sub-division because of an anonymous tip to a private re-hab clinic of a meth-lab in one out of the hundreds of homes in the town?
This is so kool, the government just conveniently gets a third party "he said she said they said" tip and they can raid a whole town.

Seriously, I can't see how anyone can believe that this was the right thing to do. Please explain to me how you came to the conclusion that this was the justified correct course? Explain how taking children from their parents is not exactly what Satan would do?

I think Texas will be funding the FLDS church for some time. This travesty will cost Texas citizens hundreds of millions in lawsuits. How in the world can such unqualified people become judges in this land? All of these volunteer lawyers are so kind to represent the children? Rather I think they realize the potential for a huge settlement for this very un-american act. The judge should resign, or better be impeached.

There has been no conclusive proof offered by authorities to indicate that the alleged victim even exists. I believe that this raid was initiated by authorities who had no legal or justifiable reason to seize and take these children away from their mothers.

The cops have nothing!! And they know it. I hope they get the hell sued out of them to the tune of several hundreds of million of dollars. The people of that compound just want to be left alone and nosy busybodies probably the "outraged" wives of politicians who don't have any other cause to pursue have latched onto this as their cause du jour.

WE THE stupid, common, ordinary PEOPLE.

Uh...now what exactly is this group's sin?

Living communally and raising their children communally. Im sure our friendly Government Services pimps know how to raise kids better than us, the common man.

The so called 'services' the state provides would vanish if people realized the the value of SELF RELIANCE. :)

The state must create as many 'victims' as it can in order to continue it's growth. Keep feeding the beast 'victim pimps' and eventually you will have a government that knows better than you too.

Good government, Good job. Bad ordinary people, listen to your masters!

I have to say, this is nothing more than the Texas government going after the FLDS members... for some reason, they see or hear the word "ploygamy", and instantly, they assume this is some sinister and abusive cult.

This whole tragedy is unfounded, outrageous, and deeply offensive to me. I am not FLDS, but I sympathize... number one, the girls who supposedly made this call has not been found. Two, no damning evidence has been found. Three, the primary male suspect questioned, can prove he did no wrong. Third, no charges were filed before the raid, so what was there to base such a powerful warrant on? The word on ONE child, which cannot even be found? Is that the basis upon which the Texas Rangers justify destroying the lives of so many, and ripping apart families?

Also, what the heck was the Baptist Church doing, transporting these people? If the law enforcement agents wanted to take these people, let them do it themselves... use Sheriff's transports... don't have the Baptists come and help... there was NO reason for that, other than to "stick it" to the FLDS, as if to say, "we've saved you". Yeah, right.

Regardless of what you think of someone's religious views or practices, this woman has a right to be with her children. Texas has committed a serious mistake, shame on them.

Texas had four years to put together a solid case against these liars and abusers. All they needed was probable cause under the fourth amendment to move in. I hope the children never go back to their parents but that will be decided when the the parents have their day in court. The children are now allowed to laugh and cry, something that wasn't allowed in their "loving" homes.

In the early 60's the state of Arizona did this same thing. What did anyone learn? It is against the law in the United States to practice having more than one wife. So why now with all these fourty some years past is there the same practice still being allowed among the same families among the same church? Why haven't the men who are practicing something that is againt the laws of our contry still living out in the open and not being accountable. You allow the women of these men to be taken and the children. I can tell you as one who know you will have problems for these children for the rest of their lives over the way this has been handled. Just because they are children and everyone can control a child but not it's parents.
Yes, we all are in danger and it doesn't have to be about anything different. Just the one who holds the power to say you are out of line and it is going to get a lot worse in the years to come. Practice and keep the laws of the land. This is America and we can change it. Mom:

I agree with Pat.
Leave the children with their mother's, remove the men for the deeds.

I'm simply amazed at how one news article has so drastically altered people's stated opinions from what y'all were saying yesterday.

PEOPLE, POLYGAMY IS A CRIME. Figure it out! It appears that the majority of comments consider this dangerous cult to be a wonderful, delightiful lifestyle just minding it's own business.
GROW BRAINS ALREADY! Polygamy is incredibly harmful to children, robs women of independent thought, costs the taxpayers millions a year in welfare fraud and assistance and is a haven for pedophiles and those wishing to engage in incestual behaviors. Absolutely criminal and should be ERADICATED from the planet. Utahns are wacky people and generally support the wrong idea on any topic (thanks for sweeping the tyrant GWB into office) but this Texas YFZ FLDS nonsense has to go the way of the dinosaur. Wake up.