Comments about ‘Oops! Texas officials now discover 21 more FLDS children than they thought they had’

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Published: Monday, April 21 2008 5:30 p.m. MDT

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Born in SLC

It was hardly an "oops." The San Angelo press is reporting that the number of children is higher because a significant number of the girls who said they were "adults" were actually under the age of 18. Meaning, most likely, that there are actually more than twenty additional girls who were offered as sex toys for old men. Who writes for this paper? Don't you do your homework?

Oh my

My personal opinions aside, child protective services and the courts must act on law, only the law, and nothing but the law. The LAW grants the right to take into custody only children "in imminent danger" of abuse.

How in God's name are 130 kids under the age of 4 in imminent danger of abuse, here? The only abuse to at least half of these 416 children is the paramilitary removal from their mothers who, regardless of their marital beliefs with teens, appear to love and coddle their little ones as much as anyone.

Don't even start criticizing

Texas officials. This miscount is the fault of these women lying and changing their names every time it was asked. The kids were doing the same. Texas has handled this mess as well as anyone could.

Scared in slc

What is happening to us? why are we allowing this to happen. Our constitution is very clear on what can and cannot be done to american citizens and we are turning a blind eye. We as a nation are strong but our (no longer free) media has not even been reporting the outrage that the american people are feeling right now. We are a very enterprizing lot tho, so now, those of us that can will be spreading the word by mouth computer and phone however we have to. Remember there are a lot more of us then them. Our once open Government is now sneaking around and believe me it is doing nothoing in the best interest of the american way of life. Our freedoms are seriously at risk and every day that our current administration is in office they do more and more damage to our constitutional rights and civil libertiies. If pelousiey won't demand empeachment we will. Don't for one minute think king george is not in on this one from the start. He has no intention of allowing us to vote anyone in as new president, expect martial law to be called any day now.

Worried

I understand it has been a big undertaking for CPS. However, it concerns me that CPS can't even keep track of everyone while under their direct care. Are these children going to be lost once placed in foster homes? This is too large of an undertaking for one judge to handle. There needs to be some serious changes made before it is too late. It would be a tragedy to one day think perhaps we should of done something when it is too late. Perhaps the intentions are well meaning and I really do believe that the older girls are at risk of being abused by the age of the girl. I however, believe that perhaps a better solution would be to put a device such as used in house arrests on the other children and return them home. This sounds cruel to place a device on a young child, however it seems to be a better solution then they presently are implementing.

JES

I have heard alot of praise for how the hard working CPS in Texas has handled the situation. I have heard equal amounts of criticism. I try to use a good mental filter to determine what is fair and what isn't. This, however, speaks to gross incompetence. If you can't even accurately count how many people you have, you can't possibly be meeting their human needs. Texas needs to get its act together right now.

Red Texan

Dear Worried, these children cannot be returned under any circumstances other than complete exhoneration, which does not look at all likely. We all have concerns, but we cannot overlook the secrecy and lawlessness of this cult. Any children returned to them would be in immediate danger of being ferreted out of the country. Both CPS & the judge need our prayers, and of course the children do, too.

Teen Pregnancies

Welcome to Texas, where the constitution is thrown out the window.

Jaimie Lynn Spears, don't you dare vacation Texas, they just might take you and everyone with the last name Spears, after all you are only 16!

Heck, 5% of all teens better not move there, you and everyone surrounding you just might be taken from your parents as well. Who knows who got you pregnant, we better just test everyone within your immediate radius and detain them until this matter is resolved.

GTexas

I have worked with CPS here in Texas and while they are well meaning and good people, they are far from being the sharpest tack in the box. I have no good feelings for abuse of women or children, but CPS could find better ways of dealing with the problem than spilting up mothers and children.

Anonymous

Could it be that they self-identified and were counted as "mothers" because they were among those caring for their children?

I wondered how many of the children were already mothers and how they were counting that. I am also still wondering how many men lived on that compound and how many adult women. That should be very telling and they must have some idea what the ratio is.

Down with Texas

This is a sad story that gets worse every day. Texas may be great at enforcing laws--but, they certainly do not appreciate them. Where is the "imminent danger", who have they arrested? They need to either produce evidence of a crime or let these people go home. At this point the only ones that look like criminals are the government officials.

Texas Unproud

Who is surprised? Texas' CPS does not obey the law of the land. Who would expect them to obey the rules of elementary math?

I have become convinced that the Texas CPS is the breeding ground for incompetence.

Let's give Texas' CPS control over the U.S. nuclear arsenal too! LOL

Texas Unproud

Who is surprised? Texas' CPS does not obey the law of the land. Who would expect them to obey the rules of elementary math?

I have become convinced that the Texas CPS is the breeding ground for incompetence.

Let's give Texas' CPS control over the U.S. nuclear arsenal too! LOL

Texas is the wild west

Don't they believe in laws in Texas to protect the innocent? There is no way all of these people committed a crime. This is awfull---Texas should be ashamed!

CPS should be in Jail

The roles should be reversed.

Sally

One Lie after another with the FLDS. Time to go after the FLDS men. Those FLDS guys are the worst! Polygamy gets stinker by the minute.

Where are the lost boys?

Sherrie

My hat goes off to the State of Texas for standing up to this cult; which is more than the states of Utah, Arizona, and Idaho have done!

Regarding polygamy: These freaks knew it was illegal. They knew they were breaking the law. Either we uphold the illegality of Poly or we change the law.

Regarding returning the kids: Where's the fathers? They are perverts and the sad thing is that they have no idea how disgusting and degrading their beliefs are... THAT is why those children can never be returned to them. Those people are not fit to raise human beings.

Brooke

The FLDS appear to be a wonderful group of loving christian families who just practice old testament teachings. Just as the Amish or the German Baptists who have their old ideas, people under our constitution use to be able to practice their religious beliefs. Just because modern society has progressed into a no God culture is no reason to remove children from parents who are practicing their rights to Freedom of Religion. Red Texans need to let parents raise their own children and stay out of the religious beliefs of others. The only abuse taking place is the confinement of these children and mothers away from their homes.

Slap

The day these children are given to foster care will be a day Governor Rick Perry will want back. The children should be kept together as they are now until the state can determine the FACTS. I imagine they didn't even know they were off count (by 21!) until the private "DNA" experts told them what the their count was. --this story is not starting well for either side.

The first count was correct

They probably gave birth to 21 new babies since the raid.

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