Reader comments
State's top child welfare official: FLDS children have broken bones

What happened to all the comments on this post?

This is a new story. It is from one of our reporters. Unfortunately, the comments do not cross over from the AP story to this story.

Can't wait to hear Rod Parker's explanation...

Is it normal or abnormal for about 10% of children to have experienced broken bones? Is diet perhaps a factor?

To those who berated Texas for separating the mothers and children it appears that the mothers have been implicit in thwarting the investigation. The mothers are also most probably implicit in the bad things that went on at the YFZ and should not get their children back. What a lying, deceitful people. To think that Warren Jeffs hand picked these as the truly righteous saved people. What a crock.

Only 41 of 464 children have had broken bones? I personally broke my leg, my wrist, severed a finger and required skin graphs on my ankle due to accidental injuries. I have five children - one of them fell from a bunk bed last year and got a compound fracture severing both the unla and the radius.

News flash CPS! Children have accidental injuries. Less than 10% with some evidence of broken bones in the past has to be lower than the average. I would like to know the rate of broken bones and other injuries (not to mention physical and sexual abuse) for children who have been in the Texas foster care system for a long term (say more than 5 years). I'd bet my house that it's higher than 10%

CPS must be feeling tremendous heat to justify their actions. I've never seen such a systematic effort on the part of child services organization to try their case in the media. Thank heavens that these cases will soon be handled on an individual basis (as they should've been from the beginning). Then we may find out how many were truly abused and how many were wrongly taken.

The flds make great role models for raising honest and truthful people don't they? NOT. They try to thwart the sorting of what child belongs with what parent and then they cry about it when the state keeps their children. How should CPS know what parents to release what child to when this deceitful behavior has gone on? The children would be better off if Texas kept them then to release them to these lying mothers. They also probanbly lie about everything else.I will never belive them after this.

FLDS children have broken bones.
LDS children have broken bones.
Catholic children have broken bones.
Muslim children have broken bones.
What is the purpose of publishing this kind of information?
I get the impression that the LDS church and the Deseret News paper are indirectly persecuting their stray brothers.
The FLDS is a group of families separated from the LDS church. Accept the historic truth.

Another news source (fox) reported that 4 boys may have been molested based on journals and other information.

As the bad news collects and compounds I have to wonder if polygamy brought all this chaos, privation and evil if it could possibly be the work of God.

"He said 41 children had broken bones or previous fractures."

About 10%? I'm shocked--that that number is so low. I would've expected somewhere between 25-40% in the general population. Those kids must not be skating or playing soccer. I know the skating rink was good for two fractures for me. My little brother got an excellent fracture from his public-school P.E. class. CPS didn't ask any questions. Guess we weren't weird enough.

Obviously, from the FLDS perspective, any negative press will be portrayed as religious persecution.

Just give the kids back and let the FLDS return to practicing their religious beliefs.

The longer this goes, the better is becomes. We have accusations of Child Sexual Abuse, now we have possible physcial abuse, and if diet is a factor of broken bones, then we have possibilites of neglect. Why neglect....improper diets or parents failing to provide their children with proper nourishment. How does this fit in with the parents saying.."we are good parents..." If they are guilty of physical abuse and neglect, what part of the bible will they use to justify their actions?

A have had broken bones. Six in fact, my parents must be child abusers. But hey only four required multiple surguries. Judy were did you get this 10%, did not read this in the article? Where was the evidence of broken bones and bruises during the raid? Maybe because the storm troopers were the ones who caused them.

In an article in the Houston Chronicle,CPS admitted that they haven't even x rayed these children. It is really irresponsible of them to make unsubstantiated claims.

While I disagree with the bulk of FLDS doctrine, this is nothing more than a witch hunt.

We all had be pretty mindful of what is happening in our respective areas of the country and in our own homes.

I read the sensitivity guide ("introduce candy slowly") that CPS issued to foster homes--besides the fact that there were some glaring errors (Jos. Smiths bday as April 6th), I live by many of the things that the FLDS do.

Are my children next? Will they say that my special needs adult child, who repeats scriptures, etc over and over is indoctrinated and needs to be removed?

We all need to re-read the Constitution while we still are able to choose what we read!

Apparently, the FLDS mothers informed CPS workers when they were taking the children that many suffer from brittle bone disease. Of course they have a slightly larger than average number of broken bones. Brittle bone disease + not sitting in front of a tv = larger than average broken bone occurance. Texas CPS is really grasping for straws now.
I was discussing this case with my active LDS temple-working brother and I might as well have mentioned Hitler....Is there some sort of deep-seated hatred toward the FLDS by the LDS that the media has not exposed? Holy mackerel...it's a disagreement over a revalation for goodness sake...(or is it polygamy envy?)

Well, if they stopped lying, changing names, being deceitful, they wouldnt be creating a worsening impression of themselves. I do not think these women know any other way, they are trained to hate and fear the outside world..so they will lie and lie and lie..because that is their survival mechanism. The girl who just had a baby.. they dont even know how old she is, that is just plain ridiculous.

I feel so bad for the LDS community..especially because they are being associated with something that they are completed not party to. But whatever, I think their kids probably DO have more broken bones...because they have SO MANY KIDS!!! AND discipline is strict, and there are no physical limits there.... so who would report it if a father broke a child's arm. ALSO... the FLDS children are NOT allowed to play, or laugh, or do very much other than work. So if they are breaking their bones doing chores, um, as toddlers.... that is just strange.

I would think there is probably a higher incidence of broken bones due to the nature of how they discipline. I bet the wives have had alot of broken bones too.

If you took a concensus of all people, It would probably show alot of people in this world had fractures that weren't in need of a cast and most likely childhood falls.

It doesn't surprise me that the state of Texas tried to keep the mothers with the children as is shown in this article, it aslo doesn't surprise me that the smae mothers tried to subvert the investigation. These people have been systematicly brainwashed by the FLDS hierarchy (Warren Jeffs) they truly believe what has been wormed into them for 50+ (?) yrs. How sad this whole situation is. How sad it had to come to this. It's easy for those on the outside to be 'armchair' quarterbacks and second guess what's been done without ALL of the facts.

Thank you for covering this story. Texas isn't the
only state that is cracking down on child abuse.
The noon news just announced that a 'religious' cult leader near Albuquerque has been arrested for sexual conduct with minor age girls. He bears the appearance of an older Charles Manson. Again, another "closed society."
I'm disgusted with comments declaring violation of Constitutional rights, religious freedom, and FEAR of the government "taking my children." What are
people doing to their children that they would have such fear? If you are not living in a walled, closed
community estranged from any communication with the
outside world and are not under coercion of a Jones,
Warren Jeffs, Charles Manson, or Waco operation;
sexually abusing minor children, using mind control, physically abusing your spouse or children, arranging 'marriages' to child brides; doing none of the above outrageous offenses, and
you are legally married to one spouse, allow your
children educational opportunities, maintain a safe
environment for your family, feed and clothe your
children, don't expose them to drugs or child
pornography or porn period--
THEN YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!
Decent people cannot comprehend such atrocities
against life's most precious gifts--our children.
Should CPS?