Reader comments
This won't be 'another Short Creek'

Texas CPS shouted PEDOPHILE in the theater and needs to be held accountable.

Americans have civil liberties that the state of Texas has decided don't really count. Remember Tulia? We see the exact same forces of the state engaged in the most outrageous behavior. And the apologist for the state keep saying the end justifies the means. The state of Texas is clearly engaged in un-American and illegal aggression against its citizens.

Return those children to their homes now.

Yay! Hilderbran. Thank goodness somebody updated that ridiculous law. No 14 year old is mature enough to have a long term boyfriend, nevermind get married! It is absurd that it took so long to raise that age up. For once a republican got it right.

So Harvey, you idea of punishing the men is to take the children from their mothers? Sort of like stopping bullies by taking the rest of the kids off the playground.

It should also be noted that the Texas Criminal Code makes it a crime for a person more than three years older than a minor under 17 to have sex with such a minor. Some of the FLDS defenders are relying on the girls being older than 14 at the time of carnal knowledge as a way out. But, even so, most men involved in the conduct would be more than three years older than the minor.

Only time and legal trials will vindicate Texas authorities or show their mistakes. I suspect that Mr. Hilderbran is crossing his fingers and hoping that their laws will stand up. Religious freedom still has a bit to say about how all this will end up in the long run. Child sexual abuse should not be tolerated. However, early marriage and raising a family to serve God as the FLDS believe is a totally different thing. A woman who leaves the FLDS and joins a very vocal Christian church should not be allowed to define what others who remain in the FLDS really believe just as LDS, Baptist, Catholic apostates are not very good sources for evaluating the beliefs and doctrines of their respective religions.

In other words, up until the time that FLDS moved in, Texas thought it was perfectly OK for 13 year old females to be married with parental consent (yes 13, not 14 as this aricle states).

Thank you Rep. Harvey Hilderbran of Texas!
As a 67 year old member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I applaud your efforts. May God bless the good people of Texas!

khs@xmission.com

Marriage law should be simple: No female child can be legally married without both parents (exception 1 parent if 1 parent has legal custody) permission if she is under 18. No female child can be married if under the age of 16, with concent. A female child under 16 is considered a victim of rape, regardless of consent, if the person having sex with the child, is more than 5 years older. Marriage of the female child under 16 to a man more than 5 years her senior is not legal and binding, hence the male partner is charged with rape, regardless of consent.
A man or woman can be married to no more than 1 man or woman, of the opposite sex, at one time. A common law marriage is considered a legal marriage if there have been sexually relations between the parties.
(this should help separated spouses, clarify the consequences of their actions, recalling that until a divorce is final they are indeed married)
Why doesn't Utah have a simple common sense law such as this? I welcome your comments.

This guy makes my skin crawl, and makes me ashamed to call myself not only a Republican, but an American. What a crock to tailor legislation again a specific religion. They certainly have no problem with young unmarried, immature girls slutting around Dallas or Houston with older men getting pregnant. No...you take responsibility and you're charged with a crime. I look forward to the day your state gets charged with crimes against humanity.

A little late for that. It's already another Short Creek.

I agree with the sentiments of this lawyer and hope the State of Texas can protect these children from the environment they were growing up in. This is sad for all concerned.

My reading of Harvey Hildebran's comments are;
The political establishment in Texas will go to great lengths to support the Texas CPS. Texas does not want the flds there. If my reading is correct the flds won't be getting their children back for a long time, if ever. Life for the flds at the YFZ compound will never return to what it was like before the raid. Will the flds now leave Texas and go back to the more tolerable environs of Utah and Arizona?

We will see. Odds are that he is right.

To be honest this guys comments certainly sound as if he would have been right there burning the homes of "those mormons" in the early days of this country too. Sad that we haven't learned anything over the years. How about going into any slum in the country and taking all the children away because over 50% of all child birth in the country now are to unwed mothers and many are underage. Very sad they aren't willing to go after problems like that instead of just people that don't believe the same as them.

I've spent most of my life in Texas before moving to Utah. I was surprised that the FLDS "moved" there, because I know my home state...sooner or later the FLDS would be caught ignoring state law and authorities there wouldn't hesitate to act.

I also expect that there will eventually felony convictions from these "spiritual" marriages with underage girls. This is a crushing blow to the FLDS.

I hate to see children separated from their mothers, but in this case, it probably is for the best. What future do the boys have, when two thirds will be kicked out of their religion and families to maintain the 3 to 1 ratio for wives to husbands. What future do young girls have, pregnant at such young ages? What a mess.

So if 25 or so families all decide to live in some communal setting and then authorities believe they have probable cause to remove the children because of abuse, wouldn't we be hearing from more than the mothers? Wouldn't one of the fathers become a spokesperson and have daily press conferences to state their case? I think that would be the expected response unless the group's leaders had something to hide...

New Hampshire Law:
457:4 Marriageable. � no female below the age of 13 years shall be capable of contracting a valid marriage

I notice the San Angelo newspaper now longer has articles about the FLDS child removal.
I guess the NBC DateLine program last night (Sunday) really showed exactly how wrong the locals were about the living conditions of the children.
I was startled by the smashed open door, the empty beds, the excellent teaching conditions, and the entering of the church.
I am ashamed of what has been done in the name of "law and order".
I wonder what happened to the two missing children.

What about all other Texans that married at 14? you should take all the children not just the FLDS kids Hilderbran!!!!! What's happening are all the other religons protected?

It was foolish of FLDS to move to Texas. However it is clear that this is whole situation is religious persection and bigotry. I am a supporter of prosecuting those who break the law. Prosecute the men not the women and children! I still do not agree that these children are in "immediate danger" to justify what has happened. No charges have been filed and little evidence has been presented.