Comments about ‘Majority of Utahns say removal of FLDS children was justified’

Lets do this in Fielding, Utah. Have the Sheriff go in and take EVERY kid under the age of 18... because ONE of them may have been abused. (even if there is no proof, no witness and no victim to be found) Try it in Utah and see how it floats.
OR, how about in Sandy with the Polygs at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Take all the kids from this neighborhood.

This is a really, REALLY stupid and illegal action in Texas.

...not one of these children will be farmed out to homes in Utah by the authorities in Texas.

The title is wrong. Only 1/3 thought this was justified. 1/3 thought it might be, we don't have enough info. To me, there wasn't enough evidence to do what they are doing. Any judge is going to slap Texas and the feds big time.

DMN,
I have been reading your website for days and fail to see where you get the idea that the "majority" of Utahns approve of the handling of the situation in Eldorado. There are some legitimate questions of constitutional abuse here, and while it may be unpopular to even suggest that for fear of being seen as on the side of child abuse, the questions remain. Even murderers and terrorists are afforded constitutional protection. It should be no less here.

I disagree. If abuse is systematic, accepted, even EXPECTED, then it is warranted for all the children to be removed. The mothers are not considered the threat, or they would not be allowed with the children. I am impressed Texas is willing to take on such a huge case.
Remember who the real abusers are.

I am noticing these pictures.... They are not staged, the press is not allowed such access. The children seem pretty happy to me. It must be incredibly traumatic, but at least they have each other.

"... because ONE of them may have been abused?"

Wake up Mahonri. 12-year-olds pregnant? I wonder what your definition of abuse is.

Abuse of all types is an integral part of FLDS family dynamics control/parenting tactics/religious practice. Abuse in the FLDS is as abundant as the oxygen you breathe.

Its so easy to judge and point fingers as an observer.

The word 'ONE' that you use only accurately describes the number of people it takes to expose injustice perpetrated on children. Whichever girl it was that called, Good for you! Don't ever give away your self-respect.

From what I'm seeing and hearing, whether or not a judge "slaps Texas" will depend on what the evidence shows. I'd like to hear more from the women and children in the compound and less from the men and judgementatl onlookers.

If you visit the High Schools and even Middle Schools where I live, you will find many pregnant teens, and those who already have a child and are pregnant again. Not mention the untold numbers who have had multiple abortions.

Does that mean a raid on my neighborhood is imminent? Will the secret police raid my community and steal the children and then detain all the males for as long as they like with no habeas corpus?

Just curious? Did you live in the Eldorado compound? If not, then how do you know for certain that wide spread abuse exists? It is amazing to me how many people's judgment gets clouded when it involves children and they don't have all the facts. While abuse in any form is reprehensible, so is ignoring constitutional rights. Pretty soon, we'll be saying Comrade. The difference between Texas and Utah is that the "girl" in question had only one address along with 400-500 other people. This allowed Texas to "raid" the compound. In Utah and Arizona, polygamists do not live in "one house" or one compound and therefore it is much more difficult to prosecute!

Law Enforcement cannot be a bystander if they indeed received a phone call about the abuse. We are never happy as a people. We scream at them (Law Enforcement) when they do something and when they did not do anything, either with or without evidence. What a world...

arc 7:30 am said, "...we don't have enough info. To me, there wasn't enough evidence..."

How could you possibly come to the conclusion that "there wasn't enough evidence" when we clearly "don't have enough info"?

I was pleaased to read that the FBI is also involved. Every aspect of the FLDS needs to be scrutinized by authorities. Their funds and tax exempt staus need to be reviewed as well as the alleged welfare fraud, lack of child support from the fathers, failure to immunize the children as required by most states, possible transporting of underage girls for sexual purposes in violation of the Mann act, possible child pornograhy, etc. In short I would like to see them in the position the mainstrean LDS church was in in the late 1800s. Renounce polygamy of the church would be destroyed by the government. Not agains Mormons byt abhor polygamy as practiced by FLDS, Kingstons, etc.

This was a sick example of what overgrown government can do. This is also a slippery slope that may come back to haunt us. Since when in the history of this world has government taken away freedoms and then given them back later without a revolution.
What the FLDS are doing is not justifiable, but going in without ample evidence and ruining the lives of over 400 children is not the way to handle the situation.

Excuse me? A child calling in saying that she has been physically assaulted and raped by an older man is not a good enough reason for you. Then when they do go in and they find quite a few pregnant teens. Excuse me this is child rape, molestation, and abuse. IN Texas we don't tolerate that. Its all of us, Baptists, Methodists, Prebsytarians, and many other religions. You won't hear stories like this from too many other churches. This sect was raided because they were committing crimes against children. That is anyone under the age of 18. And those girls who are pregnant in local high schools.. they are pregnant by fellow male teenagers. Not 50 year old men. This is not religions persecution.

I think the police should start raiding every home where there is a POSSIBILITY of teen sex, physical abuse or child endangerment. Start raiding inner city homes. Arrest the teenage mothers who are sleeping around along with their older boyfriends. We need to start rounding them up and placing their kids in foster homes. But we shouldn't stop at just one home. The police need to invade EVERY home in the neighborhood and arrest the parents and place the children in foster homes.

Rights are not determined by polls and they didn't come from the people or granted by the government. It doesn't matter if 100% of Utahns thought it was ok. Since when does the majority have a right to abuse the rights of the minority?
So many posting are using the logic that the end justifies the means. Which of us want to be next? Which of us could withstand the complete scrutiny of government agencies determined to find an offense?

If anyone disagrees that these children should have not been removed from this awful environment, then you too have a serious moral problem. This is very insane that this has gone on for over a century and no one has stepped in to help these children. It all Says a lot about the twisted society of Utah.

Obviously, no one has the full story yet. Is the possibility that one child has been injured enough to take action? Yes. Is this a conspiracy? Not likely.
The people who live in that part of Texas (my wife is from there)are generally polite, hospitable, wholesome and mannerly, but will not tolerate those who might abuse children, or those who might hesitate to investigate a possible abuse.
We all need to wait and see what the full story is before making any conclusions.

the government wait until it has the proper authority before it took control of over 400 children. Now the government has the job to prove they are guilty in order to justify their unconstitutional behaviors.
The constitution was established and this great country worked so well for so long, until we started becoming ignorant and allowing the Federal government to grow far beyond what the founding fathers intended this country to be.
The path to socialism and communism is paved with good intentions. Either the constitution is right or, as George W put it, "it's just a G** Da** piece of paper"

The Jehovah's Witnesses have settled lawsuits alleging church policies protected men who sexually abused children for many years.
Frederick McLean is one of the most-wanted fugitives in the United States