The hearing
It is 5:30 a.m. and it's been a sleepless night. I would guess I am not the only one who tossed and turned last night here in San Angelo.
In less than five hours, a district court judge will begin the daunting task of figuring out whether 416 children are better off in the hands of Texas than they were with their parents, members of a controversial religious sect that engages in plural marriage.
What must the children, the innocent cast in this drama, think?
I spent yesterday morning at the YFZ Ranch, listening to more stories about the 2008 YFZ Raid -- at this point it needs a name -- and what happened afterward.
I heard this: State authorities brought cadaver dogs onto the property about two days into the investigation. They had found two marked graves -- one belonging to Barbara, one of Warren Jeffs' wives, who died of breast cancer a few years ago, the other to a 3-year-old boy killed in a car accident on the ranch.
They had also found what were described as ''unmarked graves.'' So the dogs were brought in.
But there were no bodies lying there. The heaped mounds of dirt were flower gardens. The ranch sistes on a solid bed of limestone that extends down some 300 feet. To create orchards and gardens and flower plots, the people on the ranch have to build dirt mounds.
And these particular mounds, a woman named Gwendolyn told me, happened to be where the little girls at the ranch planted flowers.
I asked Gwendolyn, who is 80, what she thought her grandchildren must be experiencing.
''They have to stand for it just like we do,'' she said. ''They know what's right. They've been taught.''
They know about their grandfather, she said. His name: Leroy S. Johnson, who was a spokesman for this group in 1953 when Arizona authorities staged a similar action aimed at removing children from the community.
''He was faithful and true,'' she said. And then, ''I expect those children are mighty anxious to come home.''
Her daughter, whose five daughters are in state custody, told me she cries every once in while when I asked how she was holding up.
''I know Heavenly Father is in control,'' she said. ''We will get our children back, even if it is after the resurrection.''
In less than five hours, a district court judge will begin the daunting task of figuring out whether 416 children are better off in the hands of Texas than they were with their parents, members of a controversial religious sect that engages in plural marriage.
What must the children, the innocent cast in this drama, think?
I spent yesterday morning at the YFZ Ranch, listening to more stories about the 2008 YFZ Raid -- at this point it needs a name -- and what happened afterward.
I heard this: State authorities brought cadaver dogs onto the property about two days into the investigation. They had found two marked graves -- one belonging to Barbara, one of Warren Jeffs' wives, who died of breast cancer a few years ago, the other to a 3-year-old boy killed in a car accident on the ranch.
They had also found what were described as ''unmarked graves.'' So the dogs were brought in.
But there were no bodies lying there. The heaped mounds of dirt were flower gardens. The ranch sistes on a solid bed of limestone that extends down some 300 feet. To create orchards and gardens and flower plots, the people on the ranch have to build dirt mounds.
And these particular mounds, a woman named Gwendolyn told me, happened to be where the little girls at the ranch planted flowers.
I asked Gwendolyn, who is 80, what she thought her grandchildren must be experiencing.
''They have to stand for it just like we do,'' she said. ''They know what's right. They've been taught.''
They know about their grandfather, she said. His name: Leroy S. Johnson, who was a spokesman for this group in 1953 when Arizona authorities staged a similar action aimed at removing children from the community.
''He was faithful and true,'' she said. And then, ''I expect those children are mighty anxious to come home.''
Her daughter, whose five daughters are in state custody, told me she cries every once in while when I asked how she was holding up.
''I know Heavenly Father is in control,'' she said. ''We will get our children back, even if it is after the resurrection.''
8 Comments:
Well done Judge Walther.
Don't come to Texas, abuse or condone the abuse of children, and then expect to get them back to continue the abuse.
Hi Brooke- I enjoy reading your articles because they seem more informed and fair than others. Do people realize what this is doing to us polygamists here is Utah? My 13 year old daughter is afraid to go to school. My son broke down into tears when he saw some of the videos on the web. There are so many victims. . .
The only law west of the Pecos is the Texas CPS.
At least they aren't hanging them.
txbluesman has already determined that abuse occured.
BTW among Texas girls 13 - 17, 1 in 40, (2.5%) have babies each year according to Texas Health Dept figures.
Cactus,
did you ever think that it is your actions that are the cause of your children's distress? You are part of an illegal practice. Just because Utah doesn't enforce its laws is no reason to expect Texas to ignore crime. Don't blame us for their fears, but rather look in the mirror. If you don't want them to be afraid about the state taking action, the solution is to stop breaking the law.
Jack,
if you don't catch all bank robbers, does that mean we should let them all go? You might want to check the law also. In many cases, you will also find that the male that inpregnated the female is not more than 3 years older, and the law provides an affirmative defense to prosecution in those cases. At the YFZ, you have grown men, in their 30s to 50s committing the sexual assaults.
If you condone that type of abuse, you are not going to get your kids back.
Mr Bluesman-
I have done nothing to harm my children. Abuse would be to let them wander in unbelief, not knowing right from wrong. To not teach them the truth would not be fair to them. I cannot change God's law, nor would I. My daughters and sons are free to choose their path. To endure persecution from people such as yourself is their privelege and their birthright. My children do not belong to you or Texas- they belong to God. He will save them without your help.
Mrs. Catusflower:
After reading your response, I looked at my earlier posting and realized that I may not have been as clear as I could have been. I probably should have split my response to you and my response to Jack into two separate posts.
I did not mean to imply that polygamist relationships were inherently abusive - they are not. In the FLDS church, the belief structure is such that the Sexual Assault of Children is condoned and encouraged by the so-called spiritual marriages of these children to adult men, 30-50 years of age. I recognize that the vast majority of polygamist relationships are between consenting adults, and I assume that this is the case in your marriage.
Polygamy is however illegal in all 50 states, although not all states enforce their own laws.
I will support to the death your right to believe in polygamy or any other religious doctrine that you choose to believe. That support ends when the belief is acted on, where the action is contrary to the law.
In addition to the illegality of polygamy, every action has consequences - if I forget to take my medicine, my blood pressure goes up, if I don't signal a lane change, I could get a ticket, if I lie or cheat, I destroy my integrity.
In your case, what I am pointing out is that the mere fact of being in a polygamist relationship has consequences - not just on yourself, but on your children.
I am not saying that you are immoral, it is not my place. I am not saying that you don't raise your children well - every LDS person I know (although not polygamist) are good people whom I admire, including those in my own family.
I am not saying that the state of Texas or I have anything to do with your situation - we don't.
I am pointing out that if you desire to avoid the hurt that you say your children are facing, you can change the situation by acting within the law. Their fear and concern is a reflection of the choices that you made, one of the consequences of your actions.
If you felt that I was accusing you of abuse, let me assure you that was not my intention.
My comments on abuse were directed to another, not you.
Mr Bluesman-
Thank-you for the clarification. I certainly take responsibility for the choices I have made, as all parents should. But the reason my children are AFRAID, is because they are beginning to recognize the difference between the law and justice. Justice surely is not served by the methods used by Texas CPS- only the law is satisfied. Justice is rightly blind. But the enforcement of the law is- as you mentioned to Jack- often capricious. I chose to break the law. The law is now showing it will make my children pay.
Mrs. Cactusflower,
I am glad that the misunderstanding was cleared up.
I hope that you won't be offended if I state that I agree with the actions of CPS to protect children in our state for reasons that I have already stated.
I know that this is an emotionally charged matter and recognize that people have differing opinons.
I sincerely hope that you will be able to ease your children's pain.
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