Reader comments
Heavily armed operation pleased officials, not FLDS

Kudos to Texas for conducting this raid without causing or receiving injuries. Inasmuch as the FLDS had made threats of violence over their protection of Warren Jeffs, the authorities used caution to minimize the chances fo violence during the raid. I'm hopeful the state can track down and prosecute any men who had sex with underage minors as well as any men or women who acted as accessories to the crimes. It's not likely that Texas will prosecute over polygamy, but my feeling is that authorities should enforce their laws or change them.

Wow, the big rough tough Texas Rangers!!! Not a shot was fired and THEY take all of the credit. Maybe the credit should be given to the members of the FLDS Church who didnt resist and didnt fire a gun in anger. I am certain that all kindergardens in Texas are in awe of their crime busting Texas Rangers cause being a kid can turn nasty in any playground. Next on the list is for these heros to take on the Girl Guides of America. Now THERE is a tough group!

larri3,

Maybe you could go down and help. Don't forget to do the goose step while your at it.

Once again the gov't steps in and creates a mess! None of these adults have even considered the emotional trauma they are placing on these children!! Our gov't is too big and has way too much control!!

They did their raid by the book. Well done. In such work overwhelming force saves lives. It did in this case, didn't it.

I totally agree with Iarri3

It looks like to me that Texas was willing and ready to repeat what took place in Waco. They should enforce the law, so how did this get out of control? The FLDS just didn't show up on their door step. They are taking children from their mothers on the hope to find evidence, what is that about. What happened to innocent until PROVEN guilty? Now the system has to deal with children who are brothers and sisters and now don't have a mother and father and most likely won't be together.

Sending the police Army against and unarmed community is probably very pleasing to city officials and they should be proud of the attack. However, their logic in the raid leaves a lot to be discussed. Does this open the door to police raiding all homes that are being used as communal homes? Like the ones we have where several fammilies of illegal aliens living in the same home? I would hope for this and it would be more justified than raiding homes for religious beliefs that are probably better kept and with better living conditions than the communal homes of the illegals. Then does this justify the raiding of homes when a child has been punished by their parents for misbehaving and a 911 call has been reported? Children are taught to turn on their parents and report them if they get punished for doing wrong, then the children are placed in rooms under interogation that the CIA, NSA, FBI, and other 3 lettered organizations would love to have at their disposal. Get forced confessions and whatever statements they want to hear, even if it takes weeks of confinement and interrogation of the children. This is good for children?

The cops I understand, but why the game warden?

Good grief, this is an abuse case we're talking about here, not armed rebellion. Nothing came close to justifying sending in the SWAT teams, tanks and declaring war on these guys. These polygamists might be wackos but they are not violent, nor had they threatened anyone, or even resisted. Heaven help us, the U.S. Constitution is dead.

why would the teams need weapons . . . ? if the flds were a peacable group, why would there be an armored personnel carrier . . . ?

Hitler invaded Poland, TexaSS invades a religious group. Makes perfect sense.

Why did Texas let the Pedophiles stay home? They should have rounded them up first!

To larri3 and all the rest of you folks who seem so happy about the way a branch of our government has handled this raid on a group of unarmed peace loving religious families who believed in the protection of the Constitution of the United States. We all seem to agree that people anywhere who are engaging in criminal behavior should be found and punished for that behavior, but this was overkill by big government and we'll all suffer for it in the end. Remember this truism written by a religious leader following WWII in Europe?

"In Germany they first came for the Communists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me and by that time no one was left to speak up."


--The Reverend Martin Niem�ller, a pastor in the German Confessing Church who spent seven years in a concentration camp.

I can only speculate, but the weapons were likely there to prevent violence.

from CNN before the incident that these supposedly peaceable people were armed and had night vision goggles. I think the authorities handled this as well as could be expected under the circumstances.

Wow. Texas CPS scares me. I know of people in Texas with a neighbor who has a relative that works for CPS. The neighbor does not like them and looks for any "infraction" that can be used to call CPS (a child getting outside and playing in the front yard unattended). The neighbor called and CPS came and investigated the family and made them sign a document relating to the event or have their children taken away. It seems to me that this is a case of: "power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely". The case of FLDS is about abuse (which it very well may be); but it seems that CPS is also playing the part of abuser.

I have never read more uneducated and idiotic posts in my life. Are you people insane. This was a raid on a town where they were all breaking the law. They were living off the grid. From history when governments have attempted to make arrests in these types of situations, violence has occurred. Unfortunately the government cannot read minds and know if anyone is going to get upset at being arrested and shooting them. Pull your heads out of the sand. No one knows who is going to be "peaceable" and who is not. Quit buying into eveything the media shoves down your throat. READ A BOOK!

Members of the FLDS had threatened to shoot down any aircraft over the property. Plus they DID have weapons, but they were found unattended in the guard shacks. Anyone that has ever been in the military knows that you overwelm your opponent with force so there are less casualties. I commend DPS for their professionalism and patience with these people. It reminded me of a clip from the 60's war protests.

I am really saddened by this event. I am sad for the children and the mothers and the fathers. I'm sad for the CPS workers who have to handle this. I'm sad for all the officials who are ridiculed for doing their jobs. There is a saying that goes something like, "The passaage of time opens the window for great understanding." I think that when all this is over, there will be great understanding. Abused kids will have received protection. Perpetrators and those complicit in the abuse will be held accountable. Course correction for some FLDS will occur. Good families will be restored, but some FLDS adults will be awakened to truth concerning some of their leaders. I urge all to be calm and let this all be sorted out. Kids are resilient following trauma (caused by both sides here) and Texas officials will get to the bottom of it. Remember that the Nazi's slaughtered innocents. Texas will not do that in this case. I agree that some here need to READ A BOOK.