On April 3, 2008, Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) authorities raided the Eldorado, Texas compound (known as the Yearning for Zion ranch) of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) polygamist sect. The authorities raided the compound based on reports that underage, pubescent girls were being forced into \u201cspiritual\u201d marriages with considerably older men\u2014a violation of Texas state law.
\nThe Texas authorities found enough evidence of abuse to rescue the children and to put them in state custody. At least 31 of the 53 girls that are 14 to 17 years old have been found to be pregnant or to have given birth, including one who had her baby last Tuesday.
\nThe state authorities have encountered difficulties in conducting their investigation. Many of the cult members taken into state custody have been less than cooperative. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Web site explains that \u201cthe women share parenting duties\u201d and \u201ccare for, console, discipline and breast feed each other\u2019s children.\u201d The Web site also explains that \u201cwhen we ask a child who his mother is, he will tell us several names, because the children think of all the women in a house as their mothers, and all the children are considered siblings.\u201d
\nState officials also explained that in some cases women and children interfered with attempts to identify them and removed or tampered with identification bracelets they were issued. Also, several of the girls refused to take pregnancy tests.
\nMedical examinations have revealed that at least 41 of the sect\u2019s children taken into custody, including some very young children, have had broken bones. Evidence of sexual abuse of some of the young boys also has surfaced.
\nGiven all of these alarming facts and developments, clearly the Texas authorities acted correctly in taking all the children into custody.
\nHow do we protect against governmental \u201coverreach\u201d in such cases? We do so by intensive scrutiny of the state\u2019s actions, making certain that they follow the laws enacted by the people\u2019s elected representatives and interpreted and adjudicated by judges that in Texas are also elected by the people. And we, the people, should insist they prove their case in court.
\nHowever, to those who cry \u201cviolation of religious freedom,\u201d I say, freedom of religion does not extend to the physical and sexual abuse of children; the state has a right and an obligation to protect children from such terrible horror; and when in doubt, the government must put the safety and welfare of children first.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On April 3, 2008, Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) authorities raided the Eldorado, Texas compound (known as the Yearning for Zion ranch) of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) polygamist sect. The authorities raided the compound based on reports that underage, pubescent girls were being forced into \u201cspiritual\u201d marriages with considerably older men\u2014a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n