Leaving for San Angelo, TX in the Morning

I'm leaving for San Angelo, TX in the morning. I've got to see for myself the mothers in floor length pioneer dresses buttoned up the neck and down the wrist, all wearing the same pattern, their long handled underwear peaking out, their uncut hair pulled up in a pompadour. I want to ask these young women what could possibly compel them to stand by and watch while their underage daughters are handed over to men old enough to be their grandfathers -- men who already have any number of wives and a passel of children. Men who are often close relatives.

What has been pulled over these women's eyes that they don't see this as abuse? And what of the family practice that routinely subjects their male children to the "lost boys" fate? How do they feel when their young teenage sons are abducted in the middle of the night, taken out of the compound and dumped on a far away roadside to fend for themselves? Do they not see this as barbaric? Does it not turn their stomachs the way it turns mine?

No doubt, these women have been subject to systematic victimization. Beaten down and into submission, they fear the patriarch and give up their own mind. They have a detached, eerie quality and all speak in little girl voices with a false sweetness. The fear of God and the patriarch have permanently shut them up. To a woman, these wives and mothers cannot look squarely at the camera. The truth is not to be told -- that is the law of the land. When questioned on Larry King if underage girls are forced to marry older men, all the women gave the same stock response: "not that I'm aware of."

But these women are also perpetrators; complicity is its own form of abuse. Carolyn Jessup is a former cult member and 6th generation polygamist. Refusing to take the complicit route, she took action instead. When she realized that her eldest daughter would be next in line for statutory rape under the guise of marriage she chose to escape. She gathered up her eight children and fled. Interviewed on TV during the custody hearings, she laid it on the line, saying: "Every mother is born with a protective instinct -- these mothers know that it's an unsafe environment." Thank you, Carolyn for showing us the courage it takes to speak the truth and keep your children safe.

My father sexually abused me from age two until age twelve. Where was my mother? What caused her protective instinct to go belly up? Did she take any action to protect me? She did not, perhaps for the very same reasons the women in Texas don't protect their own -- expedience. Such inaction is -- pure and simple -- self-serving. A woman gives up her voice and her instinct to save herself, her position in the family and in the community.

The judge made the correct decision when she ruled that the state had enough evidence to justify taking custody of the children pending further investigation. If a mother's instinct is not intact, a society must act. The safety of children is sacrosanct and must come first.

Follow Deborah King on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TruthHeals

Comments

[MourningDude]

These families are bending over backwards to try to satisfy the state's demands. They're offering many reasonable alternatives to foster care. They're suggesting many very safe and transparent situations where the mothers and children could be together without any possibility of abuse. The state simply won't take yes for an answer.

These families are getting railroaded, plain and simple. CPS and the courts have decided to steal these children away permanently, and destroy these families permanently, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

[Trueheart]

Mormon Mother's Journal

Well, I'm off to NYC. Since being on tv, we have become downright curious about New York women. Their shoes are called “Blahniks,” and cost $1000. Must be some sturdy shoe. Must last a lifetime. Their“Kate Spade” handbags must be sturdy too, for $500. Their necklaces are “Mikimotos,” for $12,000. They wear “Lagerfeld,” dresses. An everyday frock is $500, and a Sunday go-to-meeting one is $10,000. Lagerfeld is a man they call a “prophet of style,” who “dictates fashion.” Imagine that! We're not so different after all, are we?

We heard New York women get work done on them. “Botox,” is like getting a lot of bee stings in your face, and sometimes, a doctor lifts their faces up. “Liposuction,” is a way of sucking fat out of your hindquarters, or they'll cut your tummy flab and sew it up--”tuck it.” Wonder what they do with the fat? Hope they don't waste it. Guess what else? They pay to have their daughters noses lifted up, and sometimes if their little girl hasn't got a proper bosom, they take 'em to a doctor who puts two pillows in those little girls' chests so they won't be sad.

Let's see: shoes $1000, handbag $500, necklace $12,000, dresses $10,500, face lifting, botox, fat suck, tummy tuck: $30,000...Why that's $54,000! Imagine how many of our 400 children could feed on that! I'm going to Orange County, CA next. Hear tell there's strange ladies there too.

[montestruc]

One of the pillars of liberal western civilization is the ideal of rule of law, and that people are innocent till proven guilty.

For your information madam:

1) The raid was based on hoax calls made by a woman who is now under arrest for making hoax calls to police.

2) Not one person who was living at the YFZ ranch that day has to date been arrested or even formally accused by the authorities of any crime associated with child molestation, incest, or forcing anyone to marry anyone.

3) No proof has been shown to date that anything along the lines of child molestation or incest took place at the YFZ ranch.

4) No proof has been shown by objective evidence that the children at that ranch were in any way abused.

Could you please try to keep an open mind and listen to what people say??

[recless]

“One of the pillars of liberal western civilization is the ideal of rule of law, and that people are innocent till proven guilty. “
Unless the author is a law enforcement officer or court officer, what she believes is irrelevant. Public opinion doesn’t have any relevance to the legal pillar of innocence until proven guilty.
“1) The raid was based on hoax calls made by a woman who is now under arrest for making hoax calls to police.”
If the authorities find substantial evidence of abuse, should it all be thrown away because the initial lead was false?
“2) Not one person who was living at the YFZ ranch that day has to date been arrested or even formally accused by the authorities of any crime associated with child molestation, incest, or forcing anyone to marry anyone. “
If the judge sees reasonable indications that the children may be in danger, the judge can act without charges being filed.
“3) No proof has been shown to date that anything along the lines of child molestation or incest took place at the YFZ ranch.”
That is what the DNA testing is for.
“4) No proof has been shown by objective evidence that the children at that ranch were in any way abused. “
That’s why they call it an “investigation”…

[montestruc]

I do not like people making accusations which have no foundation in truth, and I have as much right to express my opinion as she.

If the authorities had found substantial evidence that a crime had been committed then they should have arrested someone already. The Texas Rangers traced the woman's call within the first few days at most of that call to Colorado, and at that point should have been telling investigators to pack it up if they had not yet found evidence of a crime.

The judge is probably an idiot and a religious bigot. The judge as far as I can tell has no interest at all in justice or the real long term interests of the kids

http://www.asoftanswer.com/2008/04/22/clueless-flds-judge/

"Who is an “appropriate religious person”? Not anyone from their own church but the judge recommended someone from the “mainstream LDS Church” or another church!"

1st Amendment ring a bell with you?

Act without charges being filed, sure, WHEN THEY HAVE EVIDENCE OF ABUSE, they have no evidence.

The DNA testing will tell nada without DNA from the adults and you can't get that without a warrant based on probable cause, which they don't have.

If the investigation has not shown enough evidence to arrest someone by now, the kids should be returned to their parents.

[MourningDude]

"If the judge sees reasonable indications that the children may be in danger, the judge can act without charges being filed."

How is a 6 month old baby at risk of being married off and raped?

How are the hundreds of boys at risk of being married off and raped?

The men all offered to leave the compound entirely if the women and children could be reunited while this is all "investigated"

How are any of the children married off and raped if there are no men around?

This entire situation is a crime against humanity, decency, logic, and reason.

[montestruc]

One of the pillars of liberal western civilization is the ideal of rule of law, and that. For your information madam,

1) The raid was based on hoax calls made by a woman who is now under arrest for making hoax calls to police.

2) Not one person who was living at the YFZ ranch that day has to date been arrested or even formally accused by the authorities of any crime associated with child molestation, incest, or forcing anyone to marry anyone.

3) No proof has been shown to date that anything along the lines of child molestation or incest took place at the YFZ ranch.

4) No proof has been shown by objective evidence that the children at that ranch were in any way abused.

Could you please try to keep an open mind and listen to what people say??

[plex]

Keeping an open mind

I read your comments ... as I think about how many pillars of the catholic faith sit in their ivory towers and discuss the pureness of priesthood ... many young boys are being molested by these same great "sages" of the priesthood.

No proof you say. The fear of the wrath of the almighty is so programmed into the minds of these young women that the "proof" is buried deep inside these individuals in the dark corners and secrets of their minds.

You say all of us need to keep an open mind .... we also need to open the minds of these programmed individuals so the real truth can be told.

[montestruc]

FLDS are not catholics, tons of evidence and proof of child molestation of little kids by catholic priests exist. That is malum in se, to use the Latin legal term, and they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and that includes those who obstructed justice. The Church should pay damages for it too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malum_in_se

Marrying a girl old enough to have kids, who does consent, and knows about your other wives, but may be under legal age of consent, is malum prohibitorum in the USA. It is bush league religious bigotry to assert that this is the same sort, or level of crime as what the Catholic priests who molested many thousands of little children did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malum_prohibitum

The allegations that the women do not consent, or are being abused, are pretty much shown to be lies on their face, as with the police all in the having custody of all of the kids, the women are not accusing the men of anything and are verbally attacking the police and judges for violations of their rights, not thanking them.

What real truth do you mean? That society does not approve of polygamy? They are well aware of that. They do not give a tinker's damn, and they should not.

People who think they have the right to dictate how other should live, should grow up and get a clue.