But I just want to write it here anyway, and offer my own "yay!" to the cyberspace.
An Appeals Court ruled that CPS and the state were NOT justified in the removal of the FLDS children from the YFZ Ranch.
Some fun quotes:
state failed to show the youngsters were in any immediate danger
state was not justified in sweeping up all the children and taking them away
state failed to show that any more than five of the teenage girls were being sexually abused
state was wrong to consider the entire ranch as a single household
Now, this is far from over, and doesn't even include every parent, but it's a HUGE step in the right direction. The state might well appeal the appeal, and I DO expect the actual FLDS lawbreakers to be investigated (probably not the CPS lawbreakers, though).
From The Common Room, quoting from the court's ruling:
The Department conceded at the hearing that teenage pregnancy, by itself, is not a reason to remove children from their home and parents, but took the position that immediate removal was necessary in this case because 'there is a mindset that even the young girls report that they will marry at whatever age, and that it’s the highest blessing they can have to have children.'" [it was, indeed, ALL about a belief system that gave feminist CPS agents and Judge Walthers the vapors]
So there.
4 comments:
Yipee! I don't comment often but I do visit your blog every day -- and when I saw this story in the news I immediately came here to see what you would say :) I completely agree with you about how shocking and frightening it is that families were torn apart based on a difference in belief system. Is there a possibility that more sinister things are happening? Sure. Would I have expected (perhaps over-optimistically hoped is a better phrase) the state to proceed with much more caution and concern for lawful boundaries? Yep. I do hope this is the beginning of the end of the nightmare for those families.
P.S. Would you mind sending me an e-mail to my hotmail account? I had QUITE the challenge getting to post this comment (couldn't remember my username or password on my gmail account that I have but never use!) and when I went to e-mail you about it I realized that I don't have your address saved in my list. :(
In relation to the FLDS thing,
The thought occurred to me in the night. "Where is the money?"
I haven't read widely on the topic, mostly followed your links about it, but I haven't seen anyone ask this question.
If the sect is disbanded and outlawed and the Prophet is jailed and his Elders charged etc, then who gets the Ranch?
If laws in Texas are anything like the laws in New Zealand, the Ranch is in danger of being declared a "profit from an illegal activity", and being confiscated by the State.
Sure, the price of the Ranch, presumably $5-10millionish? is peanuts compared to the ongoing costs of the raid and CPS "care" of the kids, but perhaps someone was looking for a new country retreat?...
I have never yet been too cynical about governmental motives, but there's always a first time :)
Handymum, From what I know, their properties all over are held in a trust. I've read something about their also holding some defense contracts and such things that have amassed a considerable fund. They get sued occasionally by bitter exes. I don't think their Texas ranch can be seized (of course, I didn't think children could be removed based on known hoax phone calls, either), because nothing of the ranch itself is illicit. They have a cement plant and dairy and gardens and school, temple, dwellings. I'm not sure how much of the cement plant and such are 'for profit' or just part of their self-sufficiency. It's pretty much been proven that no one's taking any handouts (a couple elderly folks on social security though). I suppose, even with 20 kids, if there are several parents with whom to share not only parenting but income-producing activities - and you don't have a mortgage - you can make a go of it pretty well?
There's a legislator in TX proposing to make them pay the expense of this. I have yet to write the idiot and tell him the whole thing was GOVERNMENT run and GOVERNMENT overdoing... Maybe the GOVERNMENT should pay? And then pay again, thru the nose, so CPS can get reined in a bit by angry, sued taxpayers. :)
They can (try to) disband FLDS, but they can't outlaw it. If some of it's activities are illegal, they can charge those things, but if America decides to start outlawing certain religions, there is no America left.
Cool, thanks for clarifying this
Post a Comment