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FLDS raid costs surpass $14M

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socalmon | 10:24 p.m. June 14, 2008
Did you remember the mothers and children being bussed out of their homes with Baptist Church lettered on many of them? Quite suspect, is it not?
As far as the many people in that area ar concerned, FLDS and LDS are all the same. It was a slick attempt to dismantle what they consider cultic in general.
Could you imagine if a prank phone call was made to the CPS in Texas about a Baptist minister/youth counselor molesting children in somewhere like Dallas or Houston? They would probably just get a polite phone inquiry, instead of a Waco job.
Polygamy | 10:53 p.m. June 14, 2008
1. Smith denounced polygamy, destroyed polygamy revelation
"Smith was, in fact, willing to destroy the original manuscript of the 1843 polygamy revelation. Based on "Many (some of whom are now living)" in Utah, Joseph F. Smith wrote that the prophet "consented for her [Emma Smith] to burn the paper containing the original copy of the revelation." An obscure 1853 publication also reported that the original text of the polygamy revelation "by Joseph Smith's command was burned."" (Quinn page 147) Quinn references Letter of Joseph F. Smith to William E. McLellin, 6 Jan. 1880, fd21, box 5, Scott G. Kenney Papers, Manuscripts Division, Marriott Library.
JohnP | 6:29 a.m. June 15, 2008
These women and children should be helped, helped by telling the truth. There has been no recent abuse. No pregnant teens etc. apparently these people are trying to clean up their act. Their "prophets" were power hungry men.
Carolyn's expose' has already been assured a place on the best seller list.
The whole site at childbrides.org is about Carolyn mostly. One source quotes Carolyn as saying she drove out and thinking she would knock on doors of just anybody to help her and her 8 children.
Another source: I called my brothers and they drove all night to come and pick us up".
Jessop says she was controlled financially, she didn't have a car with a license and she had to arrange for her brothers to help her escape with her children. Ex-FDLS member Dan Fischer harbored
Carolyn. No need for her to drive thru the night and think of pounding on people's door.
*sigh
Comments continue below
zxcvbnm | 8:15 a.m. June 15, 2008

Re John P; "Escape" kinda loses its sensationalism when it is discovered that Carolyn just rode away with another family member.
Flora Jessop refers to her sister Ruby as being a POW but we learn that DHS spoke with Ruby and the girl wanted to stay with her parents.
Elisa Walls spent two years with her husband before the affair with the "reformed" meth head.
Every sensational accusation has a more sedate explanation when looked at in an objective manner.
The girls that Flora saved with the camera of John Quinones(ABC) were described as leaving with the cloths on their back. Flora drove for five hours to "save them". Flora picked the girls up at a "Safe House" and they both climbed in the car with improvised luggage. Noone asked why Flora wasn't charged with kidnapping or why one of the girls returned to her parents.
The State of Texas jumped on the bandwagon of sensationalism and wheels fell off the as it rolled thru the courts and media circus.
Rescueing children that aren't children from a prophet that sits in a prison hundreds of miles away on the word of a nut in Colorado......reality is boring....and expensive.
Lola from New Jersey | 12:31 p.m. June 15, 2008
Of course this raid is going to be a big expense to Texas, who I feel went about it the wrong way, Carolyn Jessop said herself on T.V., that if she were still with the FLDS, she would have lost her children, too. I think you should have saved a little money, and went after all the men, who WERE the perpertraitors, insted of putting the women and children in concentration camp enviroments. There has been a lot of putting victims like, Carolyn, in the spotlight. For what? Because she did not want to be with a man who abused her and her children, good for you Carolyn...What you did took a lot of courage, I have not read your book yet, but I have seen her article in People magazine. Carolyn Jessop was and is so beautiful, I am sure that jealousy went on in that household constantly. When I look at her marriage pictures, you see a beautiful, but sad woman, forced into a horrible ordeal. It took so much courage to do what she did, I cannot even imagine trying to escape with 8 children, it took such courage to do what she did. TRUE HERO!
What is happening now? | 3:58 p.m. June 15, 2008
Does anyone know what CPS told the children the reason was they were taken away from their parents?

I haven't heard too much about what CPS is doing now? Clearly that don't have any proof of abuse from even one child, otherwise, CPS would have asked for that child to remain in custody.

Have they done any more interviews of children? How long is FLDS going to let this potential investigation go until they are free from the Court order.

How can the current order apply to all the children at the ranch, shouldn't they get separate hearings?

Is CPS just waiting for the publicity to die down before they just very, very quitely drop this case.
TRUTH | 6:59 p.m. June 15, 2008
We forgive you.
Texan | 9:55 p.m. June 15, 2008
People only care if it's their own kid or a kid they know. What was found there would be unacceptable in the "real" world but under religious beliefs it's perfectly ok. Yep, $14 mil is the price we put on our kids. The atrocity is having to return some of those kids that actually were being abused. Hey, isn't your kid so carry on with your self rightious ranting.
Disgusted | 8:57 a.m. June 16, 2008
Seems like the chidren are fast being forgotten here,now it is all about how much money the molesters can get paid to abuse their children{little girls especially} Guess this is just a place for people to write about stuff that they know nothing about!!Have a good day
To Truth: | 12:37 p.m. June 16, 2008
I'm not sure if you were one of the children - anyone can say anything on the internet. So if people do not believe you don't be insulted.

If you are really one of the children - I'm sorry you went through this horrible experience.

Could you please tell more about your experience? How are the rest of children doing? Please post more information. I'm sure there are more people who would like to hear your opinion, once they are comfortable that you are really one of the FLDS children?
Re: zxcvbnm | | 1:34 p.m. June 16, 2008
I think Your post neatly sums up the whole mess. What I find interesting is how quickly the media lost interest when the charges against the FLDS proved to be exaggerated and overstated.
Anonymous | 3:23 p.m. June 16, 2008
At what price do we stop imprisoning 400+ children to perhaps save one.

Right now we have spent 14 million while thousands of Texas children have no health care, inferior schools, a juvinile justice system plagued with a sex scandal and inner city children living in drug dens.

So we spend 14 million to satisfy gossip mongers.

The 14 million didn't save any children, at best it taught 400+ children to fear the government and further intrench the FLDS.

One more generation that will teach their children about the 2008 raid to go along with their parents and grandparents version of the 1953 raid and the 19th century persecutions.
Yawner | 5:20 p.m. June 16, 2008
Yawn!!!
Raymond Takashi Swenson | 12:16 p.m. June 17, 2008
"And a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry, who has defended the state's action, insisted that the cost to taxpayers is justified.

"Any action taken to protect children is never misguided," said Krista Piferrer, Perry's deputy press secretary.

But the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the action taken did NOT in fact protect the children from anything, so that the action by the Texas authorities in ripping small children away from their mothers and placing them in the hands of strangers for two months was itself a tremendous and unnecessary abuse. Obviously, Governor Terry is not in touch with reality.
zxcvbnm | 5:45 p.m. June 17, 2008

Isn't it wonderful..the state traumatizes children to save the children. Now I bet the state offers to provide psychologists to help the kids deal with the trauma....cha ching.....15 million and cps can monitor the readjustment.
Grandpa Phil | 9:17 a.m. June 18, 2008
awesomeron, you said the State of Texas was right and, if need be, should do it again!!!!!!????? I would think that would be a real learning disability on the part of Texas. You continue to spout the same ridiculous rhetoric dispite access to all of the facts. You seem to share that learning disability. "Don't confuse me with the facts; my mind's made up" seems to be a common theme around here. Unless steps are taken to end these kinds of abuses by authorities that overstep their bounds as a rule, I have NO DOUBT that it will happen again. Who will be next?
Grandpa Phil | 9:30 a.m. June 18, 2008
Uhm, J-Man, Merril will not be on trial, CPS actions will be and, since Merril was not there to witness those abuses, why would he get a subpoena? Too many people lack the ability to focus on the problem at hand. The issue will be violation of Constitutional rights under the color of law. Anything not related to that is irrelevant to the cases to come.
awarthurhu | 1:06 p.m. July 30, 2008
Any action taken to protect children is never misguided," said Krista Piferrer, Perry's deputy press secretary

That's a quote for the history books folks that says it all.

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