Reader comments
Texas investigation into FLDS child abuse nears an end

393 innocent children and what is this about a data base?
What kind of law allows a person to be put into a data base after being non-suited and released from the court. No conviction of a crime but restrictions placed on work.
Did I read this right? In what country can a person be restricted from free association without being convicted of a crime?

"What kind of law allows a person to be put into a data base after being non-suited and released from the court."

------------

It's either the database or wear a yellow star. What we have here is a state that plans to harass these people for the foreseeable future.

Well there "data base". You certainly hit the nail on the head with the star comment. Looks like religious persecution is alive and well in Texas.
Pass laws targeting a religion then when the people are found innocent of any criminal wrongdoing continue with the harassment.
I seriousely doubt that ant of those people will open a daycare anytime soon........but hey now everyone will consider them tainted. Will the persecution ever stop?
It is no wonder the flds live a secluded life.....1953 persecution has led to 2008 persecution........shame on Texas.

This is a classic CPS harvesting job; done "methodically" enough, if they were to dredge up into state custody the children of any neighborhood and perform months long investigations wherein child-parent visitations are scrutinized by note-taking CPS agents, interviews with the children, examinations, etc., with each bump, scratch, scar, lesion, etc. cataloged, the agency is bound to come up with a "top ten" or "top 70" "likely abused" children based on the "evidence" and use this information to prove their agency's worth their funding levels. In the meantime, look at how the rights of all the innocent families have been trampled upon.

oh, ziggy, they just put that in about the database to get you conspiracy theorists going. keep your blood pressure meds handy. it'll be ok.

Texas authorities from the Governor to the Attorney General to the Judge to the CPS officals to the Texas Rangers to the Sheriff are all criminals. They violated the FLDS people's rights. They kidnapped and held innocent children from their parents who were also innocent of any crime and that has finally been admitted by the Texas criminals. They should just sue the state of Texas out of existence but of course that's impossible in Texas courts with their government defenses. At least the citizens of Texas should brand these people for what they are. Fire them, vote them out of office on election day. If they can do it to the FLDS, they can do it to anyone. This is America and Texas is not exempt from recognizing that even "Mormons'" as they ignorantly refer to the FLDS, have constitutional rights and privileges.

Well...if so many people hadn't been hurt by Walther, Voss, CPS agents, Hildebran, Malonis and her ilk, etc. this would be downright comical.

What's that old poem...something about 40 thousand men marching up a hill and then marching down again.

Kinda like the YFZ Ranch raid - they marched in and snatched the women and children and got their nasty little hands slapped and were FORCED to release them, but instead of just letting them go, out of spite they continue to terrorize them. Nasty, nasty people there in Texas.

The whole purpose of the new marriage law was to drive the FLDS out of the State, then CPS/Walther blew it and demanded that they stay. LOL

Oh my word.

I hope the FLDS vacate the state - it's not good enough for them. They need a place to live that abides by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Laughing - unfortunately, I don't know if any part of the US really abides entirely by the Constitution. I can drag up a variety of examples of CPS abuses of power in my own state.

R,

I can come up with some examples in my state, too.

But nothing on the scale of what happened in Texas.

They brag about being so BIG - they should add "ot" to the end of that and they would have it more accurate. (BIGOT)

I guess the BIGGEST thing about Texas right now is the size of the egg on their collective faces.

lol

all you people all up in arms about the parents rights being violated. Crazy.

What about the children's rights to not be isolated and forever indoctrinated into a fear-based "religion". Pathetic.

I'd like to take all the parents and isolate them and force them 24/7 to listen to stories about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny for the next 20 years - where they are told that if they disobey they will be slaughtered by crazy bunnies and Santa will banish them to hell. Then the children will be even with the parents.

I don't care that what they do is legal. It's unethical and a clear violation of the child's civil rights. No one should have to be unwillingly subject to a religious extremist environment, yet these kids have no choice (nor chance) at all.

I personally don't see how any of you can attack Texas but not attack the FLDS. I'm not saying Texas was right to take the kids, but the FLDS is way wrong for forcing their children to forgo their future.

"The findings, including details of how many children may have actually been abused, may not be released because they are confidential by law in Texas, Crimmins said."

So Texas doesn't have to tell us who or how many they abused? Everyone knows already that over 600 men, women, and children have been abused by Texas, but they are sealing the record from the public.

realitycheck - "I'd like to take all the parents and isolate them and force them 24/7 to listen to stories about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny for the next 20 years - where they are told that if they disobey they will be slaughtered by crazy bunnies and Santa will banish them to hell. Then the children will be even with the parents.

I don't care that what they do is legal. It's unethical and a clear violation of the child's civil rights. No one should have to be unwillingly subject to a religious extremist environment, yet these kids have no choice (nor chance) at all."

You're really no better than the FLDS adults you keep yammering about - are you? And for someone who speaks like a civil rights expert - that's a darn shame.

re - Ed:

What? Same as FLDS? You sure you actualy read my post?

I never said I would do it - I said I'd like to so the parents understand just how much it messes up a child. Big difference.

The FLDS do it to children- and I say I would like to do it back to them - and I'm no better than them?

Thats crazy.

I'm open to suggestions. How do we get the parents to understand that they are taking away the child's right to a self-determined future? You tell me, Ed.

And just what "right" is it that determines how a parent is to raise their child ? ( Quick answer for you, there is none )

Last time I looked unless its abusive your allowed to raise your children any way you want. If I want to raise my children as Himalayan Yak herders thats my right and the state has not right to say otherwise.

You said:
"What about the children's rights to not be isolated and forever indoctrinated into a fear-based 'religion'."

I say once again, there is no such right. The children are free to accept or reject the teachings of their parents when they come of age.

But then again I suppose that people such as yourself believe that I am an abusive parent because I am teaching my children to grow up to be good conservatives.

Hi RC.
As an FLDS member, I'd like to know what self-determined future have I have been deprived of by my parents.

In response to your comments in a previous article about requiring physical punishments, etc., to keep children in line, I'll just say you disgust me with your ideas of child-rearing. I can agree that if you teach only fear, then fear will be required to try to keep things in line, and eventually, it will spiral out of your control. We do not focus on fearing God, hell, and eternal damnation; but instead we focus on the love of God, charity, and forgiveness. God is merciful to us; how can we be any different towards our children if we are to become like Him?
I'm not saying we have all been perfect in raising our children. However, I believe the teachings we have in our scriptures are perfect, and they teach persuasion through love. No where will you find it written in our teachings that children are to be taught obedience through fear.

to from the creek and @realitycheck:

You hide your children from the world and fill them with fear. You steal their right to determine what they want to be when they grow up. You make them leave if they don't want to follow every rule, and you have a rule for everything.

You may think that's ok - I feel it is a clear abuse that removes a child's right to decide what they wants to be when they grow up.

Of course it's your right. They're your children, and you can ruin them as you see fit.

Doesn't make it right - just makes it legal.

And @realitycheck - yes, the child can reject the teachings of their parents when they come of age. As lonfg as they are willing to never come back and give up everything they have known since they were born. Some choice.

You all think you are doing right by your God and your children. God gave people free will so they could make what they will of their lives. You take that away, and you can't even see that. God help you.

Forget about trying to communicate with RC. The guy still hasn't figured out that your children are your business and his children are his problem.
God bless you and we will keep you in our prayers.

realitycheck - I did read your post. You said what was in your heart, same as doing what's in your heart (if you believe in GOD.) My suggestion Sir/Ma'am - leave them alone. You have the right to teach your kids what you consider right and wrong as long as you don't beat them, burn them, or starve them, etc. I have the right to teach my kids what I believe is right or wrong based on my Christian beliefs. I don't have the right to tell you - realitycheck, you're teaching your kids the wrong things because it's not what I (ED) believe in and I think you should be punished for that. These parents have the right to teach their kids what they believe in - lots of other cultures in the world besides yours and mine. In some of those cultures, they marry their kids off at 8, some marry their girls to more than one man, etc. It's a big world, there's a lot of room for everyone. Leave them be.

Well said Ed. Unfortunately, RC is not going to listen to anyone who says that parents have rights to raise their children as they see fit. Don't try to reason with him; his reality is his own. Interesting how he actually cuts and pastes comments he makes in other blogs into new ones. Same old tripe, same old rhetoric, same old unsubstantiated allegations. RC, even when the FLDS kids tell you that you are wrong and that they are not raised as you allege, you call them liars. FLDS use the same scriptures as the LDS which provide an example of how parents treat and discipline children. I would expect no different techniques than you can find anywhere in the Salt Lake Valley. RC, you can rant and rave all you like about how unexceptable it is to you but no one cares because they are not your kids. They raise their kids differently than I do but I would never suppose I am qualified or allowed to tell them how to do it better. As zxcvbnm put it so well.... mind your own business RC.

you people just don't get it, do you? It's one thing to raise children to believe in a religion. It's an entirely different matter to isolate them, restrict their learning and movement, fill them with fear of the unknown (especially when almost everything is unknown to them) and tell them that if you want to choose what you want to be when you grow up then you are on your own. To get out and never come back.

And I would say that those that have said that its a parent's right to raise their children any way they want as long as they don't beat them, burn them, or starve them - have a lot to learn about a child's rights.

Oh wait - you don't believe a child has any rights. My bad.

I supose if the children were being raised and trained to be mass murderers, that would be ok. Or are a parents' right to raise as seen fit only ok sometimes?

They put these comment sections in here so people could give their opinions. It's too bad that anyone with a differing opinion is "ranting and raving" and should "mind their own business".