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Texas ducks media, takes custody of girl

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Texas is a police state | 4:20 a.m. Aug. 20, 2008
So once again they've used the children as hostages. Once again they've showed that this isn't about abuse; it�s about destroying the FLDS.
nosugrof | 6:39 a.m. Aug. 20, 2008
If CPS is so proud of themselves, why hide from the media?
Cosmo | 8:10 a.m. Aug. 20, 2008
Marleigh Meisner feigns ignorance again. She was the
one no doubt, that gave the orders, in regards to the media.
I wonder what would the CPS Agents do, open up with full automatic rifle fire, then blame the FLDS?
As I stated before, as long as this is under the control of Judge Walther, justice will always be suspect. A change of venue is needed, then we might be able to slowly find the truth. And if underage marriages are in fact proven, then let the full weight of the law take its course.
Comments continue below
we believe you | 9:59 a.m. Aug. 20, 2008
yeah, Willie - we believe you - I'm sure you were threatened.

wow - talk about using the media - Willie's getting all kinds of practice. But if the FLDS was smart, they'd pick someone a little more believable to be their spokesman - rather than Willie the Thug.
get real | 10:03 a.m. Aug. 20, 2008
Do you honestly think having the media there when she has to leave her home is one where you would want the media there in the first place? I certainly do not believe that is in the best interest of this child and my thoughts are that it would be of the CPS's position. CPS and the State of Texas are not the bad guys here. All of you who are constantly attacking CPS and State of Texas need to realize one thing...these members of the FLDS have broken laws and there is child abuse happening.
realitycheck | 10:18 a.m. Aug. 20, 2008
of course CPS doesn't want the media broadcasting the child being taken to state care. It's traumatic enough for the child without a bunch of cameras. Why would you people want the child to be subject to cameras in her face? That's just mean. Thought you FLDS were for the child?

And quit complaining. This woman has no one to blame but herself, her huband, and Warren Jeffs. If she had cared about the child, she would have protected her from being pimped out at 12.

Can you imagine being that mother and seeing Warren Jeffs stick his tongue down your daughter's throat? And yet she stood by and watched it happen. She did nothing to protect her daughter.

And the scariest part is that she believed (and still believes) that this is part of God's will, and WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN. I don't see how any of you can ask why the child is still in danger given her beliefs. And her other children too.

In my opinion, this woman and her husband should both go to jail for child endangerment.

Besides, isolating your children so they turn out right simply means you're an incapable parent.
reality check | 10:44 a.m. Aug. 20, 2008
CPS cares nothing about the girl. They didnt want their dirty work documented. Some people wont believe Willie Jessop, but will believe a constant liar like Marliegh Meisner. CPS are the people who lied to little chidren at the San Angelo coliseum.
into the real world | 10:53 a.m. Aug. 20, 2008
hopefully some time spent in the real world will give this little girl a better understanding of her choices in life. Right now, all she knows is she is to be married (already happened) and make lots of babies. Since her husband is in prison (for a long time) there is the distinct possibility she would grow old and have no children. A terrible fate for a woman, especially one that views child-bearing as a priority in life.

Ideally, she would go to college, meet some nice young man, date, fall in love, and get married. Of course, I don't know if Warren would give her a divorce, but she doesn't really need one - although I'm sure it would give her peace of mind.

I'd be happy if she simply gets to understand what the real world is like, and how much more is out there than her parents told her. At least she'll know that the entire world isn't evil.
true believers | 11:13 a.m. Aug. 20, 2008
Being a true believer in an abusive religion is a very scary thing. Some of you are saying that we should wait until something wrong is done. There are parents that believe that God will heal their child and so they prevent medical care. There are those that get it into their heads that a child is possessed and deny food and water until the child dies.

The problem is that if you wait until something happens before you act, the consequences for the child can be dramatic. So waiting until a girl is handed off in marriage and violated isn't really an option.

It's too bad that the FLDS parents are so incapable of raising decent children without isolating them from the world. If the children knew that getting married at a young age, or getting married at all before college and a career, isn't something you HAVE to do, then perhaps they could have a voice and say "NO".

But the parents are SO incapable of raising children in the real world, they feel they must hide them to have ANY chance of turning out decent kids. And you all ask why they need parenting classes?
realitycheck | 11:26 a.m. Aug. 20, 2008
yes - and there are no underage marriages in FLDS and you're all just one big happy family. FLDS never lie - that's why the mother answered questions. Oh - wait - she was afraid to answer because she might go to jail for pimping out her daughter at 12 yrs old.

give it a rest. no one believes you anymore.

if you're such good parents, why do you have to isolate your childen to have any chance of them turning out decent at all? Having to hide everything from your children simply means you're extremely incompetent.

I suggest you take CPS up on their offer of parenting classes....

zxcvbnm | 12:56 p.m. Aug. 20, 2008

You bet the CPS doesn't want the media there......they can't control the situation.

They can't show the girl crying or possibely resisting the CPS matrons .....can't show the force that was present at the removal.

re nosugrof | 1:30 p.m. Aug. 20, 2008
if FLDS parents are so good, why hide from the world?
Interloper | 2:52 p.m. Aug. 20, 2008
Well, every claim in this piece was made by Willie Jessop, long-term enforcer for the FLDS. So, those claims must be true, eh? THINK, people.

Really. It would be better not to write an article at all, than to write one that totally relies on such a dubious source.
J-man | 3:12 p.m. Aug. 20, 2008
To nosugrof, if Merril Jessop is so proud of himself, why is he hiding? And why didn't he attend the court hearing for his daughter and son along with Barbara?

re -zxcvbnm | 3:35 p.m. Aug. 20, 2008
of course the girl is going to cry. Wouldn't you? You only want press there so you can try to play on people's emotions and hope we all forget that the mother pimped out her daughter at 12 yrs old...

now when they take the wother to jail for child endangerment, you are more than welcome to have all the cameras you want. Deal?
Interloper | 7:33 p.m. Aug. 20, 2008
The notion FLDS members and sympathizers have that the whole world feels sorry for men who molest girls under the cover of 'religion' is just plain wrong. Their hope of having the girl engage in histrionics to distract attention from the real issue was thwarted fortunately. If things had gone as they hoped, that would just have been another episode of the FLDS elite using a child for their own perverse purposes.

This evening, that youngster is more safe than she has been in years.
getreal | 8:14 p.m. Aug. 20, 2008
No doubt Willie is the one who called the media, he's got them on speed dial.

So, let's review: someone wanted to subject the 14 y/o victim of abuse to the media glare while she's being removed from the parents who permitted the abuse in the first place? I should hope there are some serious consequences for anyone who puts a child in that position; how can it be in her best interest? Willingly subjecting her to further abuse would give the state additional reason to take the other kids.

Willie, we're not as stupid as you think we are. In fact, we understand the "real" world much better than you do, since we actually spend time in it.

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