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FLDS struggle beyond YFZ Ranch borders

I am concerned Deseret news is reporting on a community of people who are breaking the law by living in polygamy, and another law by child abuse.

Can you in good conscience report on these people ignoring the fact that they are breaking the law?
Is the Deseret news a pro polygamy newspaper?

To babymama: Since when are newspapers expected to report only on those who obey the law?

It is interesting that at age 12, the young Jessop girl was old enough to be married; but two years later, at age 14, she is an innocent child too young to leave her mother! What a contradiction!

get a life.

Good grief. Can't you people see past your own hatred, anger, and bitterness and let these people live the quiet and peaceful life they desire.

Texas has shown itself to be a fool...and fools are still continuing their hatred as shown by these comments.

Someone finally prints a story that gives insight into their lives and the first comment has to be hateful. Sheesh.

You know - it is very disturbing that Barbara Jessop is now saying she is struggling to regain custody of her 14 year old daughter. She is the one who allowed her to marry at 12 and she is the one who refused to cooperate with CPS to protect her children from those who have been indicted for sexual abuse. It would not have been necessary to re-remove the 14 year old if she just cooperated.

Also disturbing is Benjamin saying he wants to work. 11 years old and wanting to work? REALLY! He should be playing, even if it was just with the other kids.

Get a grip folks they are playing the sympathy factor after refusing to cooperate.

One question: If Barbara says her daughter is a "precious, innocent child" why are their pictures of Warren Jeffs laying a passionate kiss on her in their wedding photos? Is she old enough to provide informed consent in her marriage to a man roughly 40 years her senior or is she a precious, innocent child? She can't be both.

This poor family needs their daughter back now.

It was touching seeing how these families were able to finally be reunited again. I saw much more happiness and well being here than in most of modern american households.

to babymama:

Since when are newspaperrs supposed to report only on legal activities?

It is interesting that the young Jessop girl was considered old enough to get married at age 12; but at age 14, she is considered an innocent child too young to leave her mother. What a contradiction!

babymama at 1:35am,
Papers all over the country report on many people who are in the U.S. illegally, without mentioning that fact.

My wife will be in San Angelo today and tomorrow. Maybe I can get the inside story.

"She is a precious, innocent child who needs her mother, and I need her."

Right. Precious and innocent enough to hand-over to the grand poobah of child-rapists, Warren Steed Jeffs.

Barbara should be prosecuted as an accessory to rape.

BTW, is there anyone on that ranch with a surname that is not Jeffs, Jessop, or Barlow? Just curious.

All I want for a reporter to do is to ask Barbara Jessop "Can you see where people might be confused by your characterization of your daughter as a 'precious, innocent child' when you and her father married her off to a much-older man (and fugitive) at the age of 12?"
I would just like an on-the-record statement from Barbara Jessop on that issue.

No one knows at this point just what evidence the State of Texas has. There is a mountain of documents that were recovered at the ranch. So, don't say there is no evidence. A picture of a child in a passionate kiss with a man old enough to be her grandfather is evidence of child molestation on its face.

Oh, but maybe it was doctored up. Maybe it's a fake. REALLY? What evidence there is will eventually come out. But, is there anyone with half a brain that can't see what's going on? That is, people who are willing to be honest with themselves and others!

These children are raised in a warped environment and they don't know anything different. They aren't old enough to give informed consent or even understand what they are getting into. They know no other way.

Many former FLDS didn't understand how they had been brainwashed and programmed until after they got away. Now they see it all too clearly. Many of them hope this is finally a chance to get help for the numerous victims of Warren Jeffs the other criminal leadership of this pathetic group.

These people need help.

I THINK SHE NEEDS TO SEE IF SHE'S BREAKING THE LAW AT HER NEW HOME, MY NEIGBERHOOD WOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO HAVE A CHICKEN COOP IN THE BACK YARD... THESE PEOPLE JUST DON'T THINK ... AS FOR HER DAUGHTER, BARBARA HELPED CONDONE THE MARRIAGE TO JEFFS, NOW SHE CAN PUT UP WITH A LITTLE OF HER OWN INDUCED PAIN. AND TAKE THAT 5TH AMMENDMENT WITH HER.. TRYING TO HELP GET HER BACK, WHAT A LAUGH.HER DAUGHTER IS BETTER IN STATE CUSTODY.

To Babymamma:

These people. though living an illegal lifestyle, live a higher creed, then some of those that practice a more modern legalized form of polygomy.

The form I'm talking about is the kind of where a single "babies daddy" has several "babies mamma's" and doesn't provide support for ANY of them. This suprisingly isn't illegal, but it should be.

The only difference between a polygomist and the "babies daddy" is that the polygomist provides for his families, and steps up like a man. His only crime is calling his "babies mommas" wives.

Why is poor Barbara struggling if she is married to one of the wealthiest men in the FLDS? Where' Merrill? Why are these women facing their troubles alone?

believe that the prosecutors and the government have "blood on their hands" with respect to the problem we have with the polygamists.

They have not prosecuted the crime of polygamy, thus enabling the community to flourish.

Statistics show that there are more baby boys born into this world than girls. Polygamist communities are included in this statistic. Thus making the lifestyle unsustainable... unless they:

1. Remove their excess boys.
2. Marry younger and younger girls.

I hope that the government recognizes their culpability in this situation, and rectifies it immediately. Then we would not have the rape and indoctrination of our young ones.

The crime of polygamny should be upheld and prosecuted...Start with one family, and systematically run the course through the whole community, and every polygamist community. We cannot turn our heads and ignore their crimes.

The law should be upheld for all crimes, not just for some.

This place is a 'ranch' the way alcatraz could be called a fishing village. Anyway, it's time to close the religous prisons of the nation down. Starting with this one is a good idea.

Generally, the articles in newspapers are about law breakers: drunk drivers, bank robbers, burglers, murderers, corrupt public officials. And occassionally, a nice story about people helping others or overcoming some very difficult circumstance.

It's called news!!