Sharon, what difference does it make how sincerely you teach your children such progressive and uplifting ideals? All it takes is one person with an agenda different than yours to provide the "prpbable cause" to bring a couple of case workers to your doorstep. Following the Texas precedent, they do not have to follow up and question the anonymous call they got to make sure it was legitimate nor do they have to show you any type of warrant before they step across your doorstep and start walking out with computers, family Bibles, picture albums and (most importantly) your bewildered children, crying and screaming that they want to stay with their mother. You, of course, in proper and humble deference to their good intentions and authority in these matters, stand aside and watch calmly as all that you value in life disappears in a few State vans. Given your trust of these upstanding citizens and knowing that they are unfailing in their knowledge of what is truely RIGHT for your children, you will wait patiently for them to get back to you with a Family Service Plan which will lay out exactly what you need to do to do now.

And, Sharon, your comments are not wasted. You have shown yourself to be an intelligent woman with some good ideals; the problem is, you tend to project those ideals upon others and judge them by your "standards". One, none of us has any right to judge (we may merely form and express opinions) and, two, standards vary. None of us agrees with the idea of forcing underage children into marriage and sex. I have six daughters of my own and, if anyone even suggested something like that to me, no one would ever find his body. My issue is, if these people are guilty of breaking a law in that regard, PROSECUTE THEM; however, the FACTS relating to those charges seem to be changing by the day and nothing substantial has materialized. In the meantime, based on faulty and insufficient information, and ,from all appearances, a very prejudicial premise, over 400 children have been taken from their mothers and thrown to the wolves. Whatever you may think of their methodes or ideals, these mothers protected their children from the outside world in the best way they knew how. Perhaps the real threat WAS on the inside but mute point now.

Since the President is coming to Ft Bragg this week (already announced on the radio so no secret there), maybe I'll ask him if he got my letter on this subject. Surely he would remember it; it was the very sincere one that asked him not to be the good though indifferent man who did nothing - you know - the one we have to fear the most.

Grandpa Phil -

Imagine being born in an enclave, told regularly that the outside world is evil, never shown what's out there, and (in the girls case) told that your lot in life is to have as many children as you can. Obviously you are going to end up staying on that ranch, having tons of kids, and teaching them the same thing. Very few would ever escape, and if they did they are disowned.
That's not family unity - thats STEALING the child's future.

Let me ask - and be honest - if one of your daughters at say 20 yrs old decided she didn't want to have a bunch of kids, she maybe wanted 2 or 3 - and she wanted to wait and have a career first - perhaps a doctor or a writer - and she told you all of that - and then she showed you her new butterfly tattoo on her ankle (OMG!) - what would you say to her? Would you help her achieve her goals as most supportive parents would? Or would you disown her because she is her own person (and has a tattoo)?

We know what FLDS does, unfortunately.

If that compound was in Israel, it would be called a Kibbutz. Would you be willing to remove every child in a Kibbutz?

To: "reality check", thanks for the memories. None of my daughters has ever been directed or expected to have a "number of children". They can have as many or as few as they like - not an issue. And, one of my daughters DOES have a tattoo, though I have never seen it. She is an adult and can have one (or 10) if she wants to. I have 6 daughters ranging in ages from 33 to 18 months. Two are married and have children of their own (one has 4 and the other is expecting her second). I have nine grandchildren with two more "standing in the door". I have three sone, two of which are married with children. We did not arrange any of their marriages (one would never have happened if we had) but they all seem happy and well adjusted.

In this country, we have Amish communities which share many of the FLDS norms. They remain secluded and avoid outsider contact and influences. They teach their children themselves and basically live as your first paragraph describes. They ahve been accepted that way for many years. Are the authorities now contemplating raiding those communities too? Why not?