Reader comments
Texas judge asks LDS Church to monitor FLDS prayer times

Winslow and others should make it clear that the raid was prompted by a call from someone who alleged they were a 16-year-old married to a 50-year-old. The way this article speaks of it, it appears that it is established fact.
Yet, elsewhere I have seen written indications that there is good reason to believe the call was a hoax.

I believe Guantanamo has room for a 'children's residential facility'.. have they considered that option?

Is this the United States Of America? Scary!

I can't wait to see the results of the DNA testing. When compared to the detailed records the FLDS kept I think we'll been for a shock at what was going on there.

I got a chuckle out of the FLDS men on TV today who basically said they didn't know sex with minors was illegal.

Although cumbersome. I can understand their reason for wanting to positively identify the parentage of these children for a couple of.
1) out of over 400 kids, mostly girls, I can imagine that dozens share common names ie, Rebekah, Sarah, Mary, Rachel. And so many claim same mothers. If the state wants to do their best to REUNITE the children with their mothers, they must know WHO the mother really is to each child.
2) To prove underage sex abuse. Hypothetically speaking, Say there are 11 "sister wives" who are married to the same man. These wives are ranging in age from 49 to 19. And amongst them, there are 36 children of all ages who claim that all 11 mothers are simply "mother". However, the DNA test can prove beyond any doubt that (for example) the 7 year old child is actually the child of the youngest 19 year old mother. Thereby proving she was pregnant when she was 14. This will also prove who the daddy is...in other words....who needs to be charged with statutory rape.

Just my thoughts.

They brought this all upon themselves.

If they lived within the laws(not hiding behind freedom of religion) and shunned the outside world, none of this would have happened. Gee, being secretive? Sounds like you have something to hide. Seems like the polygamists who live in regular society do just fine.

I have no problem with someone practicing polygamy(as long as they are consenting adults and can pay for it).

Most of these kids aren't even documented with SS cards or birth certificates. We don't even know who their real parents are. They could be in Canada, Utah, or Arizona.

These girls have no choices in life. They don't even know their options, really. They are told to "keep sweet", obey their master, or face the concequences.

This cult needs to be done away with. I hope most of you have read up on this cult, it will open your eyes.

I can only hope that Texas did their homework on this and all of this will hold up in court.

Since no one in this group will give a straight answer DNA testing needs to be done.

As the women give interviews they will betray themsleves for what they really are. Letting your child be married at 14 and letting the leaders kick the boys out to reduce the competition is not heaven on earth as one woman proclaimed there compound to be.

Fences and manned towers is a description of a prison not heaven on earth.

It's also important to understand just how abusive their culture really is, both physically and emotionally. Read "Escape," by Carolyn Jessop. She managed to escape from the FLDS with all eight of her children, but only after enduring years of incredible abuse. It's extremely interesting to get a real look at what is going on before crying out that the Texas authorities are out of line. I support their efforts to help women and children escape from this vicious cycle of abuse.

There are other people out there who were part of the FLDS and decided to leave and hold the view that "Escape" is just a bunch of hog wash. I don't know who is right. I do know just because it is in print does not mean it is true.

So, when they all end up being related to each other, what are they going to do? How do you sepeparate them into family groups when they're all related? They're one enormous, incestuous, polygamous, pedophile-condoning, brainwashed family, all carrying the same DNA. What a mess.

Yes, this is the United States of America. What is scary about it? I assume you mean that the government is scary? Well, All the details of this case are not out in the public. People that jump to say that the government is wrong for investigating abuse and neglect are not as smart as they think they are. The very last thing the State of Texas, the Courts, CPS workers want to do is take children into custody. There is more here than meets the eye. Keep you stupid comments to yourself until you know the truth. The truth may surprise you. I bet you thought Jim Jones would never hurt his children either. Didn't you? All the state is trying to do is keep these children safe. If there is nothing to this, then the children will go back. Why don't you wait until you know the truth. (whatever that may be) I promise you that the safety of the children will come before anything else. PS: It is never right to abuse a child in the name of God. Abuse is not always a black, blue or red mark. Sometimes it hits the heart or the spirit.

I may be missing something, but I thought parentage can only be determined if you have the DNA samples from the parents, too. I think parents are given the chance to come forward and get tested, but I suspect that many of these kids will not have both parents tested when this is over. Perhaps they can link siblings among the 416. Is it the plan that kids whose parents are not identified through this process will become wards of the state permanently? Has the judge disclosed a plan, or is she just investigating for the sake of future discovery?

I live in Texas and know several people who are working to help the childern. To those who think the call was a hoax you should do a bit of research when law enfrocement went to the ranch to find the girl who made the calls they were alowed to talk to a handfull of girls all of whom said they knew the girl who made the calls THEY KNEW HER but hadn't seen her in a few days. The original plan was to find the girl who made the call, once they saw abuse with their own eyes they went to the judge seeking to remove the children. Honestly get the facts straight, if you are going to make accusations, it is the least you can do so that YOU don't look like a fool.

The Texas CPS doesn't have a very good record as it relates to the safety and well being of children. Nevermind the fact that even state officials have admitted that most of the kids taken show no signs of any sort of abuse. I doubt the state will be able to make a case that whatever abuse occurred was on the scale to justify removing every child from the community, and yet they push to throw all these kids into their deficient foster system.
I don't know the FLDS, so I cannot say whether abuse is a part of their culture or not. But I know of no community in the world where there is not at least some abuse by a few. But they need to make the case in court.
As for Caroline Jessop, I don't know her or the FLDS to be calling anyone a liar, but always consider that she wrote a book and sold it to make money. Being reclusive as the FLDS are leads to people being able to make any claims they want uncontested about them.

"Well, All the details of this case are not out in the public."

Why on Earth is it not? The public hearing was last week. That government apparently can take children away without full explanation is disturbing. If CPS has evidence they should place it in full view of the public. If they don't they should end this farce now. They remember where the compound is, load the buses up and send the kids home.

I will also follow this with interest to see exactly what the DNA testing will reveal.

For one thing, I suspect it will indicate one big genetic soup of interbreeding. For another, the reports of 6yos removed from their parents in other polygamous compounds and placed on the YfZ won't have their parents providing samples. Then there are the Canadians whose parents are beyond legal jurisdiction.

I can see that this is a necessary step but I doubt it will be a very conclusive one.

Meanwhile, will they add harboring illegal aliens to the list of laws that were shattered by the people of the YfZ?

One of Carolyn Jessop's children return to be with the FLDS after having been away for a long time. I think we might be too easy to jump to conclusions. You wouldn't want someone who has left your religion educating others on what the religion is like. Of course you'll hear horror stories.

My goodness, wont most of these kids be related since some families are mixed and cousins marry cousins etc etc. How are they going to 100% find out who these children belong to? What will happen to them once the DNA tests come back? Will the mothers get the children back? Will the men go to jail for sex with a minor? Or insest? Whats next here? These kids belong with their families. Maybe th fathers should be prosecuted, hello... they didnt know sex with a minor was illigal? sadly they may not have known. Most of them didnt even know who the President of the USA was. We need to do what we can to help these people, they are humans. who cares what they believe in, who the worship. They are fellow humans and Americans, and these kids and women need our help, not judgements! can you imagine how they are feeling not being with their moms? Newborn babies, up to age 18. Those kids are stolen from their mothers arms. That is sick and wrong

I'm not a member of this group or from Texas. From the outside looking in, something is terribly wrong. It seems to me that the State of Texas removed all of these children based on much hearsay,some boldfaced lies and little solid proof.

I'm appalled at the cruel and judgmental attitudes of so many. Again I say that much of what you accuse them of isn't based on proof, but on vicious hearsay.

Can someone tell me why nursing babies should be taken? No abuse has been proven. Are they really at risk of being brainwashed or married during the next few months? Or is it a greater risk that irrepairable harm that will be done to them by taking them from their mothers at this point?

I want to know the truth before passing judgment.

It's all just so wrong. I'm praying that someone will step forward and help these children in the way that is really best for them.

DNA testing is not going to help in this case. The gene pool of that group is so tightly woven together that they will not be able to tell siblings from cousins. Identifying parents is also going to be problematic for the same reason. This is good news for the DNA labs because the Texas checkbook is open and they will be able to get a significant windfall profit from this debacle.