Spring | 3:41 p.m. May 29, 2008
Personally, I don't like polygamy. But America is not a country where you can put a blanket policy on taking children away because of religion. I don't think these kids should be brainwashed and forced to marry before they are of age. However, abuse should be looked at case by case. How scary that officials could look at a religious group and say EVERY child is in danger. Could they look at Catholics, Jews, Mormons, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. and do the same thing? Maybe the kids are in danger, but our country believes in due process. You need to have proof that each individual child is in danger. I would hope if someone made a complaint about my religion because they think it is strange that officials would come check things out before hauling my babies away. Was it really better for those sweet, scared children to be ripped from their families and given to foster care? Foster care isn't great for kids who are used to the outside world, let alone the FLDS kids who are taught to fear it. God bless these families however he sees fit.
Happy Now | 3:42 p.m. May 29, 2008
This wasn't prosecution. It was persecution, pure and simple.

I'm glad the Texas Supreme Court could see that.
Becky in San Antonio | 3:43 p.m. May 29, 2008
Congradulations to the FLDS. From one Mormon to another...Good Job!
Comments continue below
re: Interloper | 3:48 p.m. May 29, 2008
CPS' failed in its mission to protect the children, and should be restructured top to bottom to prevent further abuse of its power.

I have to admit, I didn't have a great deal of faith the Texas Supreme Court would follow Texas law and slap the CPS down. Kudos to them that they saw through the state actions for what they were: child theft.
What are we seeing here? | 3:49 p.m. May 29, 2008
Do we see in the FLDS Jim Jones and Guyana? No! Do we see David Koresh and Waco? No! Do we see the commuions of the sixty's with free love and illigetimate children? No! What I see is loving mothers separated from their children with no justification for this action. I see abuse of religion and basic indiviual rights. What I see happening with this FLDS group is very scary precedent being set against the people of the United States. Did they break the law with their isolation? No Did they break the law with plural marriages? Yes/perhaps, but that is not new in the world either. Neither is divorce and re-marriage and children that follows all of this heartbreak.
Observer | 3:53 p.m. May 29, 2008
How many of you who have responded to this action and who have vented in this column, have anything really intelligent to say. To some of you, it says more about you than it does about the subject. Religious intollerance is alive and well in America.
Tyranny of the Majority | 3:56 p.m. May 29, 2008
Whether or not we accept the belief's of another's faith is not material. Was a crime committed or not? At this point the only crime that has been established is a violation of the consitutional guarantee of freedom of religion. The courts of the land are instituted for the purpose of protecting the minority from the tyranny of the majority. Our government is set up to be reactive not preemptive. Whenever the government is preemptive freedom is lost. Today they (The Courts) worked as designed; they stood up and protected all Americans from the loss of freedom and the tyranny of an intolerant majority in Texas. I pray that the children will be promptly returned to their rightful families. Then may our government return to it's reactive state and prosecute crimes. But first one(a crime)has to of occured. If it has, then get the bad guys.
sidney | 3:59 p.m. May 29, 2008

To all those that think marrying a 16 year old is wrong...clean your own houses first..there are hundreds of girls younger having sex in your schools..i suggest you stop that first and quite picking on others you see as easy targets.

With gay marriage and the legalization of sodomy..polygamy will be legal soon as well..a lot of you critics already live like polygamists already anyway.
everyone | 3:59 p.m. May 29, 2008
that is glad the kids are going back:

in a month, when all the 12-14 yr old girls are being paired up with their uncles - I hope you can live with yourselves.

now that the kids have seen the outside, I imagine there will be a lot more FLDS child suicides. If I was 14 yr old girl, I'd rather be dead than have sex with my uncle.....
Did you see that? | 4:00 p.m. May 29, 2008
The Court is working in the interest of JUSTICE!
I am glad to see the higher Court RULE
Hurray
Now for Utah Courts to follow suit!
Got it Right! | 4:01 p.m. May 29, 2008
Thank you Texas Supreme Court for getting this one right, despite what I'm sure was substantial political pressure to do otherwise. Though I am no polygamist, I sympathize with their plight and wish them the ability to worship "how, where, or what they may," short of child abuse. Texas should revisit the individual cases where this may be present, but for those who did no wrong other than being different, welcome home! If only Mormons could have been able to seek redress in the courts 175 years ago!
tigerlily | 4:02 p.m. May 29, 2008
for the children. i am lds and i know of no lds women who is on prozac
buckland | 4:04 p.m. May 29, 2008
Bravo! Yeah! Finally some good news for these innocent families! I hope the FLDS grows stronger from this! We can all learn from them in our foul society! Yes!
RE: For the children | 4:05 p.m. May 29, 2008
What planet are you on? Your posts did go through... unless you posted more that had profanity or particularly offensive comments in it. From the sounds of what was posted from you, it probably was too offensive. Take a deep breath, and calm down. And by the way... not everyone in UT is LDS, and not every LDS member is in UT. Have a nice day!!!
Who is the rich men involved? | 4:06 p.m. May 29, 2008
Funny the Women and Kids are being ATTACKED
Who are these Judges and Lawyers that are hiding in the background?
The ones making the kids and all the money?
Thomas | 4:07 p.m. May 29, 2008
I would like to see some crow-eating by all the idiots who argued on these boards that anyone who believed Texas ought to follow the law was effectively a supporter of child rape. (I expect y'all to accuse the Texas Supreme Court justices of watching kiddie porn in their chambers.)

Seriously, do you people have any idea how contemptible that attitude is?
legal aid | 4:07 p.m. May 29, 2008
I'm amused that these FLDS have millions of dollars yet use legal aid instead of paid lawyers. Another example of "bleeding the beast" except they are bleeding poor people, not the gov't. Guess they'll "bleed" anyone they can - little girls, pro-bono lawyers, etc...
Anonymous | 4:08 p.m. May 29, 2008
This is for "For The Children", It appears that you think everyone who responds to Deseret News items is LDS. WRONG! There are many who are not LDS or not active. As someone who lived in the East for 35 years, I don't understand your animosity toward Western members.
You assume every LDS in Utah has negative feelings toward the FLDS. One does not have to agree with their teachings to recognize that Texas overstepped it's legal responsibilities to do what they did to those poor children and parents.
what are we seeing..... | 4:10 p.m. May 29, 2008
no - what we are seeing is a bunch of pedophiles grooming all women and children to be victims.

no one cares about polygamy, if they would just not do it to 14 yr olds.....
CHL | 4:10 p.m. May 29, 2008
I feel sorry for these young girls that are forced into a prostitution ring, as the mothers only look on with encouragement and support, meanwhile the young boys are forced out away from there mothers and those things they are taught only to lie in wait as wolves when they are older to come back and participate.
Re: mensem | 4:11 p.m. May 29, 2008
Exactly!!! You said it perfectly.
realitycheck | 4:14 p.m. May 29, 2008
I am astounded by some of the comments here, like sydney, tyranny, etc... what is it that you don't get?

This is AMERICA. Children should not be forced into things that affect their entire life (like marrying their uncle or having babies at 14). They should be able to choose their own path, yet that is the LAST thing these FLDS parents want.

if you are for FLDS, then you are for child slavery. No other way to look at it, and no need to respond. It is what it is. Nothing you can say will change these FACTS.
Doug Short | 4:17 p.m. May 29, 2008
I am going to move to Canada. How can Texas let the FLDS continue to abuse these children?
ClubStyle_DJ | 4:18 p.m. May 29, 2008
Sooooo um...the $101 a pop DNA tests are now going to be used how? To excuse keeping some kids? or are they going to herd them back on buses and drop them off at the gate? I read that one little girl 3 or so cries when she sees a bus now. There's "best interest of the children" for ya.

PS. I had no idea how the FLDS felt about Black people. (just found out today) If they're going to continue to impregnate their own uni-browed teen girls, then I suppose changing the racial mindset is out of the question.
Hooray for anti-family busting justice... two middle fingers with sparkling jewelry for the FLDS system of belief.
I am so through commenting on these people
Pico | 4:18 p.m. May 29, 2008
This would be good news except...the dont mess with Texas folk won't hesitate to mess with this. There will be plenty of foot dragging, harassment, etc..
It's a shame these folks can't do what's right on their own, but have to be FORCED.
I sincerly hope that the FLDS sue the ever loving snot out of these people. The pigeons always come home to roost.
Not The End | 4:18 p.m. May 29, 2008
No matter how you feel about this ruling, this is just a battle one in a war that Texas is going to fight with increasing intensity. These mothers will probably get their kids back, but they will also likely loose their husbands.

Remember their motto? Don't mess with Texas? This "mess" will get messier before it's all done.
from the ranch | 4:23 p.m. May 29, 2008
well, well... we are SO glad to be getting the children back.. Thank you all for your support, and we want to thnk the Supreme Court for getting it right.

With luck and godspeed, the children have not been too severly modified. I would hate it if my 13 yr old niece no longer wants to have sex with me.

Thanks again!
Anonymous | 4:23 p.m. May 29, 2008
I have mixed feelings..I dont want rights trampled but at the same time, I personally know many FLDS people, as I live near them.

The are not honest, (there are SOME good ones) and I can totally see the state of Texas going into the ranch and having them lie up and down.. It must have been frustrating for them, so the state said, fine, lets take them all.
Im sure there was Zero cooperation on the FLDS part.

Most of the rumors you hear about the FLDS are true.
They are nutty.
To the person that said that they are mormons, give me a break. There is about 1% similarity. Yes they read the BofM, thats about where it ends. They derive a totally different doctrine.
Priestood leadership, Missionary work, temples, the nature of God, revelation, education, civic duties, The roll of Jesus Christ, Womens Rights/Rolls, I could go on and on.. They are 99% different. Fact is, Its hard to see any resemblance.





justme | 4:24 p.m. May 29, 2008
I am a 37 yr old mother of 2 have been married 21 yrs & Was born a latterday saint. OOps! if you add the numbers I was a wife at 16 and a mother at 17. People make choices! Not always the one others think should have been made. I see one huge difference here. Unlike the child brides we have been reading about, I had a choice. They are not being given choices and not being allowed to make mistakes. Please dont become angry that others dont understand. they only see what is happening to the children. They dont understand that the women and men were also raised in that custom. Shouldnt we support so they may learn there is another way? Not judge so that they put a wall up and block us out?
I'm Glad | 4:24 p.m. May 29, 2008
That we live in this country where there are checks and balances. It was wrong and illegal for them to confisacte all the children.

At the same time, there was some good that came of it because now there is enough attention on this issue that it won't go away, and eventually they will get to the bottom of things.

What I'm saying is...things will work out.
Trail Walker | 4:25 p.m. May 29, 2008
Tigerlily,

There are plenty of LDS women on Prozac, there are lots of stats to back that up. But then again, there are a lot of people in general on Prozac. That's not meant to be perjorative.

Regardless of my reservations about some FLDS doctrines, this ruling seems correct.

Also, the LDS church is not to be condemned for not speaking out and demanding anything at all in this case. They do not operate like the Reverend Al Sharpton. They followed their standard procedure of not offering a position on what was really a political and legal issue. Certainly, it had to do with families, freedom of religion, and law, but the LDS church has already stated where it stands on those issues and there was no need for them to comment on this case specifically. That is not the modus operandi of the LDS church. It followed an internally consistent course of action to say, "we are not the same as them," (which is one of the reasons it's a little funny to see all the "from one Mormon to another" comments) but then to allow the legal issues to play out in the legal arena.
re - justme | 4:31 p.m. May 29, 2008
and how do you suggest we do that? I suggest taking the children out and showing them that there is another way so they can in turn pass it down to their children, since the parents are already too far gone...

oh - wait - we tried that and everyone clammored about the parents rights. (guess child rights don't count)
Just ice won out | 4:32 p.m. May 29, 2008

Now lets go after the Judge and Texas authorities that went past their authority and prosecute them for the illegal things they did under color of state authority. The Judge should at the very least lose her job and should be dis-barred. The state needs to tell these CPS employees that they don't have any right or responsibility to take children from a mis-understood religious organization. For those that believe this was just a civil matter you should know that Typically CPS in every state oversteps their authority all the time. Nobody ever complains because these storm troopers can make their life really miserable if these thugs want to.
The whole system width and breadth needs to be redone. You can't pay people to have compassion, this work needs to be done by compassionate service organizations.These don't necessarily have to be religious organizations but it might be a good start.
Sadly these children will never be the same and the states needs to reimburse them for their psychological damages. Then when they are done with the state start suing the stuffing out of the individuals that were involved in this treacherous act. JUSTICE HAS WON .
Understand the real Meaning | 4:37 p.m. May 29, 2008
Christ said to the little ones "Come Unto Me and blessed them ALL" So yes the children should be with their parents as long as they as they do not abuse the child.... And are loved as a Child and left to to grow up and choose whom they want to date, and then marry if they decide together as a couple not by force!!!!!
tigerlily | 4:38 p.m. May 29, 2008
to trail walker: i have a lot of lds friends and relatives and none of them are on prozac. no the lds church shouldn't be condemmned. if the state of texas is going to prosecute they have to do it legally.
Justice finally.... | 4:40 p.m. May 29, 2008
Thank goodness the Supreme court still believes in the Constitution. It restores my faith and hopefully other CPS power abusers throughout the country will take heed and work within the laws of the land rather than trying to rewrite the Constitution. Yes, there are restrictions in order to protect the innocent. As an innocent, I am glad to know this is the case. They had better have a good case before they try to take my children, but I have seen firsthand what some people even here in Utah have been subjected to at the hands of DCFS. They must have money to pay lawyers in order to achieve justice. This is a sad state of affairs.

I saw someone here say it was a sad day that the FLDS would get their children back. I don't want anyone to have to live in the kind of abusive environment they may be subjected to at the Ranch, but the saddest day is the one in which the only way to protect someone that the state and its agencies can find involves violation of due process and a person's Constitutional rights, herding up whole communities and treating criminalizing the victims.
justme | 4:39 p.m. May 29, 2008
noone is saying the childrens rights dont matter. The men that are doing this should go to jail but why punish the kids any further? If there is abuse in the family deal with it as a family not community. dad goes to jail....mom gets parenting lessons or jail depending on the abuse.
To FLDS Men | 4:43 p.m. May 29, 2008
To- Just ice won out

Now they just need to go after the FLDS sex perverts. This is what the Texas authorities should have done in the first place.....GO AFTER THE FLDS MEN AND THEIR SICK PERVERSIONS!!!
Sokol | 4:55 p.m. May 29, 2008
In my lifetime, this is one of the most important
decisions on behalf of all families everywhere.
The validation of parental rights has occurred.
Fathers and mothers have constitutional rights and
due process protections.
I am proud of the lawyers and the legal aid society
that defended these families. I think they
were being persecuted for their religious beliefs.
If anyone has been to family court or gone through
an ordeal with CPS, you will understand the strong
arm, sometimes corrupt tactics, used to circumvent
our inalienable rights. In those instances, families
get destroyed. Finally, the Texas Supreme Court has
said enough is enough. The subjective view of
what is good parenting should not be the domain
of just politically correct, in many instances potentially atheistic, social workers and judges.
Bruce | 4:58 p.m. May 29, 2008
This is good news. There are certain trials ahead for these people but at least they can be met with families together as they should be.
The court made the right decision, of course, but what is disturbing is that it was not unanimous.
2 "For the children | 10:07 a.m | 4:59 p.m. May 29, 2008
You may want to hold off awhile before ranting at the DMN for not posting your precious comment.

As a frequent poster I have learned that sometimes you need to be patient. You'll notice if you could have waited a few more minutes it would have been there. From my experience, it may take a LONG time but it will get there. I've never had a comment rejected and I sometimes get WAY out there.

One question... Why all the venom for the church?

You claim to be a member of the church, yet you go off on "You utah mormons" ... "when LDS come to our ward from utah or Idaho, it turns my stomach with the attitude you people have, we lowly converts are not good enough, for you were born into the church....i want to vomit with that self righteousness".

That attitude doesn't sound like it comes from any christian I've ever met (BTW We're all converts) and it sounds like you may have your own little problem with self reightouseness (and paranoia).

I read your comment and don't see why you were so upset that it didn't get posted. It seemed a pointless-rant to me.
I agree with the court | 5:07 p.m. May 29, 2008
I agree with the court's decison completely. This is the way I have felt since the begining of this fiasco.

This doesn't mean we ignore any laws that were broken by anyone on the ranch, it just means we won't tolerate an agency like CPS operating way beyond their legal bounds (even if the people they are affecting are considered by CPS to be "a religious cult").

I'm sure many in Texas would also consider me to be a member of a religious cult (some have told me that) so I think it's important to monitor stuff like this and insure the court's decisions are respected by these rogue agencies in order to keep government agencies in check.
Thank You | 5:09 p.m. May 29, 2008
Utah and Arizona for not exposing us tax payers to costly lawsuits which are surely in store for the people of Texas.
Gordon S | 5:13 p.m. May 29, 2008
Many people have been making reference to the CPS of Texas and the fact that society is becoming more anti-christ. The CPS removed the children because the adults were not being straight with them. Christ was born a Jew and died a Jew. Are all Christians anti-christ because they are no longer Jewish? Did Christ preach that chlidren should be robbed of their childhood or be abused? There is supposed to be a separation of church and state in this country. I think this case is far from over.
Let's be fair | 5:19 p.m. May 29, 2008
The ruling is amazingly fair. Good for Texas. My faith is restored in our justice system. I was sure they would slant and spin the law until they achieved thier full purpose of eliminating the FLDS community. I'm glad to be wrong.

But brace yourselves as we all learn the meaning of "fair". If gay marriage is allowed, surely legalizing polygamy can not be far behind. After all its just a lifestyle choice. right?

In the end, the only thing that they will be able to prosecute is underage marriage.
Anonymous | 5:21 p.m. May 29, 2008
Some (air head) here comment on the percentage of the African-American and latino girls getting pregnant?? what about caucasian girls they get pregnant as much or more than minorities.. NONSENSE!!
AZLDSGal | 5:23 p.m. May 29, 2008
Although I don't agree with how a lot of things were handled, I have a gut feeling that things are very very wrong in the FLDS community and I really hope and pray they continue investigating.
Agree with decision BUT | 5:24 p.m. May 29, 2008
I agree with the decision BUT.

The FLDS MUST STOP THIS PRACTICE OF UNDERAGE MARRAGE.

The Abusers when proven need to have there A**'s thrown in Jail. Who in the HE** GIVES YOU THAT RIGHT !
Alex | 5:31 p.m. May 29, 2008
Good decision, but keep investigating the husbands.
Cali | 5:35 p.m. May 29, 2008
To Sidney

Just because you have a problem and think it's fine that old men marry young girls doesn't make it right. You FLDS men take the rights and choices away from those young girls by forcing them to marry old men. What could be more repulsive! As far as teenagers some do and some don't. They still have the right to make choices of their own and are not forced into sicko marriages. So what's it to you anyway?

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