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52 girls removed from FLDS compound in Texas

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Blue Ribbon | 6:45 p.m. April 5, 2008
I am so heartened to see that people who live near the compound are making comments (TRUTH 8:08 /pm on Apr 4th). I was formerly in law enforcement and am LDS and have folowed this case closely and have noticed that more than three-quarters of the comments listed here, don't make sense. Sorry, 150 buildings make it a COMPOUND, people. Sorry, FLDS is a synonym for marriage of pre-teenie-boppers to old men, usually relatives picked out for them and taken to be married, no love involved...not sixteen year old girls who have fallen in deep love and want to marry and have a child. Check it out! Family relationships are nearly a straight line in FLDS genealogy. Wives are exchanged between Winston Blackmore in Canada and the "Krickers" in Utah/Arizona. This ilk has gone their own way since the raids and everyone was afraid to ruffle their feathers...now, when the mess is thrown to the media and proved as truth, denial comes out everywhere. Folks, de nial is a river in Egypt...what is said to happen, does...and the public has sat by and watched it all and said nothing...SHAME ON YOU...and shame on "Sheriff Schlicter".
married young | 12:21 a.m. April 6, 2008
to all the don't mess with texas:
texas was one of my favorite states growing up. my favorite stories where the texas rangers and any thing that had to do with the west. but reading this stuff makes me see that yo are only the worlds biggest bullies. remember this, any one who moves to texas is a texan no matter where they lived before.
Wife of LEO | 6:37 a.m. April 7, 2008
Polygamy isn't the issue here, the safety of the children is the issue. And that was and is the most important thing on the minds of the LEO's that were at the compound. Most of the LEO's are parents too and throughout this whole ordeal their primary concern was of that of the children. Many of the girls under the age of 17 were either pregnant or already had children, the youngest pregnant girl is 14, these girls were 'married' to men old enough to be their grandfathers. They had no choice in this.
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scarystuff | 11:52 a.m. April 7, 2008
How did a warrant to protect one 16 year old girl spiral into removing over 200 women and children? I have known of instances that CPS workers made the original call themselves. Since CPS cannot find this "alleged" 16 year old, maybe she never existed in the first place. Or maybe they will just browbeat one of the other girls into claiming to be her.
This scares me in so many ways. Yes we need to protect children. But this is clearly religious persecution. If someone called and said a child in your church was being abused, would you expect YOUR children to be removed in a raid?
Read this entire story and put in BAPTIST instead of FLDS and tell me you wouldn't see it differently.
anonymous | 6:42 p.m. April 7, 2008
To anonymous.....I don't care what they do to a polygamist. If a woman wants to put up with that nonsense, fine. Child abuse is quite another story and we do arrest the abusers in this country. Your comment about arresting those who cohabitate is just ridiculous. BTW...do women get to have more than one husband? If not, that doesn't seem fair to me. And isn't is sad they kick the young handsome boys out of the FLDS church so the old codgers can have the young girls. How does that possibly make sense to an intelligent person, you not being one of them obviously.
find a new hobby | 10:34 p.m. April 8, 2008
Only on this website/e-newspaper do I find so many folks defending the abuse of little girls. Remarkable; it speaks volumes concerning what many of us already suspected. Congratulations, the cat is out of the proverbial bag.

scarystuff: You probably won't see that kind of story, as Baptists do not systemically abuse little girls based upon 'revelations' or anything else, for that matter. You might recall that buses from a Baptist church were offered to help move the children away from the pedophile circus, and then the same people fed and sheltered these children. Yeah, those Baptists sound real evil.
guisi13 | 8:53 p.m. April 9, 2008
james justice--

What more proof do you need when there are minor girls with child....little girl that are preganant is hardly an accusation...it's fact!!! Hardly a witch hunt tactic!!!! Please !!!!
GeorgiaGirl | 7:11 a.m. April 10, 2008
Sometimes the process of a legal system like that of the United States gets in the way of protecting victims like the FLDS children. I don't care who called, nor if she exists. If that's what it takes to expose the truth and allow for a search warrant, so be it.

I have many LDS friends and I'm trying to keep an open mind as I read the posts. Please tell me those supporting the rights of these men who abuse children and women are not part of the Mormon Church.

nows generation | 12:38 a.m. April 12, 2008
i'm 20 years old my mom and dad both were from a polygamist family. they left 24 years ago,my parents went threw hell............! those of you who say leave them alone shut you mouths. poligamy is wrong it ruins lives or torments them for the rest of it.u have no idea. yes there is hundreds of children,(which breaks my heart)girls taught all they are worth is to have children and obey ther husband.this is not a religion its a cult. men getting power that goes to ther head and abuses every one the touch. if you lived in this community and religion and were not abuse,or kicked out for being a normal kid or human you are the lucky ones. this needs to be stopped.
Jo | 6:28 p.m. April 16, 2008
I hope those children are not having words put in their mouths like in some cases with CPS. One girl called. Look for her and help her, and look at the situation for the others, but don't take them away from their parents. That is traumatizing to small children and hard on teenagers. These kids will be scarred for life probably, being taken from their parents. These religious people usually make great parents. The government should investigate but not like this. This is Big Brother taking away the right of those parents to care for their own children. Let them take those kids all day and ask them questions, but at night those kids should be at home in their own beds until CPS actually KNOWS there has been abuse. I thought we were innocent until PROVEN guilty. I don't believe in arranged youthful marriages, but there is something to be said for choice and freedom to marry young (not just to have an abortion young) My grandmother married in around 1910 at age 14. She was a happy wonderful mother of 9 children. Today kids have illicit sex at that age and abortions. Which is better? Think about it!!
Texas Mom | 12:21 p.m. April 17, 2008
CPS in our county investigate after reports of abuse and are not allowed to go in and remove children until they prove to a judge that it is reasonable to assume abuse is going on. Then the judge will issue a warrant and THEN they go to that home and take the child. Why did they take all the children? Was there multiple reports of abuse? No, just one and it is questionable. CPS didn't investigate. They took children on one phone call. If abuse was really going on then that one case should have been investigated, not the whole group. Anyone with an ounce of sense can see this is a witch hunt. We might not agree with their beliefs but supposedly in America we are all allowed to hold them. If we are going to seperate children from their parents because we don't agree with their beliefs and think it harmful, why don't we attack Scientologists, vegetarians, atheists? Some newspapers state the children aren't "normal" because they refused sodas, white bread and processed foods. That is good nutrition. What is wrong here really? It's a trumped up charge to cause problems for those we fear because they're different!
Ohio grandma concerned | 10:00 p.m. April 17, 2008
Does the state feel that all the children esp. the babies and infant's need to stay within the state as foster children or can an out of state grandma/grandpa become a surrogate family for the younger ones that really need the bonding process to continue in the absence of their mother's. That is so important to the wee ones. I would think grandparent figures would be much better at this point and time with 1 on 1 personal care during this very cruial time in the lives. I for one would like to help these younger ones out so that don't loose that mom/grandma hugs and kisses. If more older people could do that for the youngest one's I feel that they would have a better chance of coming out of this without the mental and emotional trauma than the older ones. I would like to help!!!!
a Philadelphia Quaker | 12:22 a.m. April 18, 2008
Hi folks -I am not a Mormon but,first of all, nothing is proven. Not even the so called 16 year old was found. Was the call from a capable dramtic adult who wanted the ranch to get in trouble? Was the call even existing? We have to be careful of condemning all mothers for the sake of a few who were abused (which happens in ALL segments of society), escaped and are speaking loudly on TV shows. And to boot, the US media is taking everything fed them as the truth. Unproven accusations of unverified and untrue things can get your children taken away thru someone crazy enough to go to the police and lie- like a neighbor.

Take the men | 3:27 p.m. April 18, 2008
I am concerned that a CPS system can handle that many children at one time. Hold the men some where for questioning and talk to the kids at home.
Why can that not be possible?
Arlene | 9:04 a.m. May 22, 2008
I am very concerned that this can go on in this nation under the guise of religion! I feel very sorry for the children that have been born into this but have little sympathy for those women who went into this willingly. Remember mothers your first priority is the well being of your children. Shame on you for allowing them to given to men for their pleasure all in the name of religion. These men should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for using these children for their sexual pleasure to me they are nothing but pedophiles these children are not their wives but victims of these animals.
Delia Kiski | 6:11 a.m. March 23, 2009
I wish that theyd understand that the scriptures said that the law of man was to be obeyed first. Not to say to follow the ways of man, but we are supposed to obey the laws to the best of our ability. Heavenly Father said this in D&C somewhere, so basically they're not listening to him.
Anonymous | 8:35 p.m. June 24, 2009
Read the book "Escape" by Carolyn Jessop. It is an eye-opener, and awakening, gut-wrenching and brutally honest about life in the FLDS. That's all that needs to be said and (hopefully) the law will take it from there.

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Courtesy Eldorado Success

Texas law enforcement officials are seen Friday morning at a roadblock in Eldorado, Texas.

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