Thursday, April 17, 2008

San Angelo is overwhelmed

I made the mistake of going to the county library this morning. I didn't think about what was going on at the courthouse; the library is just across the street south of the courthouse. Parking was at a premium as there were 14 broadcast trucks parked around the courthouse, plus many additional vans from radio and television news services.

Today was the day that the hearings for all of the 400 plus FLDS children were held. Each child is represented by an attorney serving as ad litum. The task of the ad litum is to represent the child's best interest. There can be nothing easy about recommending to the court that the child is better off back in the home they have known, or in the state's foster care system.

The FLDS is completely foreign to the common west Texas resident. The attorney generals of Utah and Arizona have prepared a primer that helps we "gentiles" to understand the FLDS society.

This is a rare instance when I don't have an opinion on what is going on. On the one hand it seems that there may be some abuse (underage pregnancy seems to make this clear), on the other hand this sect has a totally different culture than mainstream America. A hundred years ago it was not rare, perhaps uncommon, but not unheard of, for young teenage women to enter into marriage and bear children. I may be wrong, but from my reading of history, it was fairly common for women from 14 and up to marry and have families in Appalachia, up to the early part of the 20th century. The age of consent in Canada was 14 years until February 28th of THIS year (it is now 16). I can see where there might be difference of opinion based on religious beliefs.

All I can finally say is that I hope our legal system ends up doing the thing that is best for these children; whether that is returning them to the ranch in Eldorado or placing them in permanent custody of the State of Texas.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That Marleigh Meisner looks like a total w*h*o*r*e. I'll bet she has at least four tattoos. I'd guess she probably has w***ed around with at least 84 different men.

Only a slut would want those kids taken from their wonderful families. I am praying that she comes down with brain cancer--several large tumors. I would enjoy a youtube video showing her diseased body flopping around on a hospital bed.

The patriots who are standing up for these kids and the constitution need to get together and form an organization to resist this and other atrocities by the government and their henchmen.

Further, all baptist churchs should be picketed on sunday to protest the invovlement of the el dorado baptist church in assisting the pigs, providing buses and acting as collaborators. this is a huge problem.

J.R. said...

Wow, my first hit from Salt Lake City.

This is pretty serious vitriol. Nice to see such high minded discussion. This comment popped up within a few minutes of my post. Someone must be monitoring for commentary on FLDS.

J.R. said...

and I had no idea who Marleigh Meisner is; she is the spokeswoman for Texas Child Protective Services.

Anonymous said...

I think Mr. Anonymous could be a member of N.A.M.B.L.A. Just speculation.