Reader comments
Utahns change minds on backing FLDS raid

The State of Texas and the Hero Judge did the Right Thing. That�s all there is to it. If you disagree your wrong, or perhaps a pervert supporter or a closet wanna bees. If so stay deep in your hole. When it is all sorted out and the proper people are charged, convicted and jailed, Texas will be seen as having done a good job, considering what they had to deal with....If you act as one group then when some break the law, the whole group goes down. You do not have to Rob the Bank, you just have to be in the Vehicle.

"'It shows what a little speaking out can do,' said Rod Parker, a Salt Lake City attorney who is acting as a spokesman for the FLDS people."

It also shows that, no matter what the big cheeses say, lots of Mormons still support polygamy.

But hey, what can i say? The recent Pew poll indicates that over 60% of my fellow Baptists believe that many different religions can be right about how to get to heaven. So we have some educating to do, too. My guess is that Mormons won't have any better luck setting their people straight than we will.

Not what people think
The FLDS had their rights violated by the State of Texas
The Children are not Criminals
Just the same they were the same as arrested
This is UnConstitutional and Civil Rights Violations by the State of Texas
14 million has been wasted and more will be paid through law suits
I hope this tells Utah something
What did it cost Utah the last time?

How does that break down among LDS / non -LDS?

Public opinion has been called a fickle thing but in many cases it turns on information and not emotion, that is why media objectivity is so crutial in a time of fewer and fewer sources of commercial news.
I began reading and sorting thru information about the raid using the SanAngelo paper in mid April and noticed that many bloggers were ahead of the curve in predicting events and seeing thru accusations. Collectively normal guys predicted the lies using information gleaned from news sources and independent research. Many people even even deduced the Supreme court rulings.
Lincolns' old saying about not fooling all of the people all of the time holds true if the information is accurate and unbiased.
Thank you Desert News for keeping up with the events surrounding the raid and not simply reporting convient uncontroversial decisions...and thank you for daily relatively detailed updates.
Of course the show isn't over yet but I am sure that some of the guilty will be punished but more importantly, unbiased reporting has helped many innocent persons fight wild accusations and uncover abuses of religious as well as government power.
One criticism though....200 words just aren't enough to say thank you.

I would encourage the FLDS, and all those that identify themselves as polygamous,to follow, and obey the law of the land. At the same time they can
petition the government to change the law.
One thing that they must stop, and that is any and all relationships involving any persons under the age of 21. Clearly that would be at the least, the
honorable thing to do.

It seems that Malonis will testify at the grand jury hearing today. Teresa Jeffs will of course have the opportunity to call her lawyer a liar.
Mr. Edwards, Teresas other lawyer, sees a problem with the Malonis testimony. Edwards stated "she can't wear two hats".
Duhhhhhhhh. I guess lawyer client relationships have a different meaning in Texas.

To "Awesomeron, I have been lurking on various boards since Texas raided the FLDS and kidnapped the mothers and children. I don't think I had heard of FLDS until then. Please do not tell me I am wrong to believe these people's rights have been violated and still being violated.
I am definatly not a pervert, nor a "wanna be."
Your hero judge should be fired as should everyone associated with CPS who mistreated these people.
I am outraged.

I do disagree with what Texas did... BUT I DO NOT IN ANY WAY AGREE TO FLDS POLYGAMY, NOR THE ABUSE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FLDS CULT! They are immoral law breakers. Wrong is wrong!

When all is said and done, I just hope that the States of Texas, Utah and Arizona can do something to help these women and children (as well as some men) who are victims of the FLDS leadership. Unfortunately, sometimes the laws have an unintended result--that is to protect criminals at the expense of victims. How Rod Parker can sleep at night is beyond anything I can imagine.

I think people believe a raid was justified, it was just the way it was carried out. I knew something seemed out of place when I saw images of women and children (who are the victims of polygamy) being rounded up and loaded on to buses that had (Baptist Church) written on the sides. The law enforcement in Texas just went whole hog and I assume it was pent up hatred for a polygamist compound being built right smack in the Bible Belt.

From "A Man for All Seasons," by Robert Bolt

MORE: Yes, what would you do? Cut a road through the law to get after the Devil?

ROPER: Yes. I'd cut down every law in England to do that.

MORE: And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned on you where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted with laws from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's, and if you cut them down---and you're just the man to do it---do you really think you could stand upright in the wind that would blow then? Yes. I give the Devil benefit of law for my own safety's sake.

RE: awesomeron and JND

I think some people are missing the big picture. This story is not about Baptists, Mormons, or FLDS (I don�t understand why you keep tying different churches together). This story is about basic constitutional rights.

Religious beliefs have nothing to do with this story. You can not legislate beliefs and you can not prosecute an entire group based on a hoax. It is obvious that you have contempt for any religion which does not conform to society�s view of God. They can believe that frogs fly for all I care.

By the way, less then half of the people living in Utah are Mormon and polls outside of Utah have shown similar views regarding the raid on FLDS.

Let�s stay focused on constitutional rights. The end does not justify the means.

I think the WAY the Texas authorities went about correcting the abuse in the FLDS compound needed much improvement and re-thinking. Clearly, abuse goes on there. Apart from that, pologamy is against the law and yet states like Utah, Texas and Arizona wink at this, and do nothing. If the laws were properly enforced, these cults that in no way have anything to do with the true Mormon church would eventually cease to exist. Far too many people think these groups and the LDS Church are one and the same.

If they decriminalize polygamy they are opening up a strange door. One man can have a "marriage" with 2, 5, or 10 women? Because of equity under the law, a women can have a "marriage" with 10 men. So can 5 men have one "marriage" with 5 women? Can 20 women have one "marriage" with 4 men. Or 10 men with 6 women? All would be possible with legal polygamy.

They opened the door by allowing marriage between a man and a man in some states. I don't think laws against polygamy will stand if tested in court.

However, laws against child abuse will stand. So if they can prove a man raped a child, or even had consensual sex - that man should go to jail. So should any "prophet" who set it up.

But - what Texas did was unconstitutional. So Texas will regret that. I fully despise everything that the FLDS were doing, BUT, I think Judge Walther was acting on emotion not her braincells when she allowed the children to be seized the way they were.

The FLDS are a hoax. This was bound to happen one way or another. The Texans just went about it wrong. Using god to rape woman is not a good choice and needs to be dealt with. However, this is not the fault of the women nor that of the children. It is the fault however of their corrupt leaders.

Dear Hum?

You wrote: �I think some people are missing the big picture.�

You may think this, and you may be right. It doesn�t change my point => no matter what the big cheeses say, lots of Mormons still support polygamy.

Regardless of what the story is about, my point is a correct response to Parker�s statement.

And sure you can legislate beliefs. That doesn�t mean people will actually believe them.

I agree with Mary and "awesomeron" is a bleeding-heart CPS worker with an axe to grind. People (not just Utahns) are changing thier minds about the raid because, FINALLY, the facts are coming out. We are hearing more from other than CPS and the Truth is coming out. I once believed that it was impossible to fool a majority of Americans but, then, they re-elected Clinton to a second term as President. I lost faith in Americans after that. Then, I watched as the FLDS were castigated in the press and the Kangaroo Court of public opinion and I had to shake my head again at the gullibility of the American people. The only ones able to restore that faith have been those on here that support and defend the Constitution (not to mention that wonderful Appellate Court judge and Texas Supreme Court). In the Second Century AD, a very wise and loved Apostle wrote, "Truth is like fire; it either heals or it destroys, but it never, NEVER, leaves what it touches UNCHANGED". The Truth is coming folks. Some will be vindicated by it and others will be hurt by it but ALL will be better for it.

Dear JDM:

I find it interesting how many people outside my religion tell me what I believe. I do not know of anyone who supports polygamy (including me), but while we are on the subject; the Bible supports having multiple wives. A long time ago the origin of Christianity supported polygamy. Does that mean you and I do?

BTW. Comparing LDS to FLDS is like comparing Baptists to Catholics. I find it interesting how many people have used this forum to take shots at religions not affiliated with FLDS. Set aside your bigotry and focus on helping the real victims of this tragedy; the woman and kids and do it in a way which does not circumvent the Constitution.