In Eldorado, Texas
Journalism is all about timing and tonight our timing was perfect.
After a long day of travel, Tribune photographer Trent Nelson and I finally reached Eldorado just about 10:15 p.m. We didn't expect to see much, given the late hour.
As we drove into town, we saw law enforcement vehicles blocking two different back roads leading to the FLDS Church's YFZ Ranch, which authorities raided earlier today.
The raid was apparently triggered by a call a day or so ago from a 16-year-old girl at the FLDS sect's ranch who said she'd been abused. Authorities also are apparently looking for Dale Evans Barlow, 50, one of eight men prosecuted two years ago in Arizona for having fathered a child with an underage girl. He allegedly has done so again, this time with a 16-year-old girl with an 8-month-old daughter that court documents say was fathered by Barlow.
So authorities entered the ranch Thursday about midnight and set about interviewing children. I heard men, women and children were separated into different groups and questioned. This afternoon vanloads of children were transported off the ranch. Authorities have taken at least 52 children and are housing them at the local Civic Center and at the First Baptist Church.
As we entered Eldorado, we didn't expect to see much. At the local Catholic church, which sits on the main road to the ranch, we saw a few television satellite trucks and television crews finishing live reports. We drove into town and decided to go by the First Baptist Church. I had been told that either law enforcement or some of the children might be staying there for the night. We just wanted to see where the church was, see if anything happened to be going on there.
As we drove up, we spotted a couple volunteers unloading supplies -- boxes of diapers, six gallons of milk, cases of water, peanut butter, bread, tomatoes, trail mix bars and so on. Trent hopped out of the car and began shooting pictures. I hung back a bit, not wanting to make the volunteers uncomfortable. They asked him to shoot without identifying them, which he did.
As we stood there, a church-owned shuttle bus pulled up. I noticed a few law enforcement cars surrounding it. Trent positioned himself near the walkway to the building. A deputy came out and began scanning the grounds. I could see FLDS children on the bus.
I hung back a bit, again letting Trent get in so he could unobtrusively shoot photos. A deputy walked over to him and asked a few questions, like he wanted to keep Trent occupied. Trent kept shooting, without a flash, so it wasn't distracting. We were the only media on the spot.
The children got off the bus in four groups and walked silently into the building. A few seemed to be aware the photographer was there. Trent kept clicking off shots, which you can see on the Tribune's Web site.
They are worth a thousand words.
There were about five older teenage girls, perhaps twice that many little girls, two babies and about five little boys. They were silent, stoic -- if that is a word you can use for children. Some appeared to be carrying coloring books, others had pillows and blankets.
Inside the hall, I could see law enforcement and volunteers setting things up. The children were taken into the middle of the building, where they appeared to be standing in a line. The older girls grouped together, talking to one another.
I stepped away to call my editor and Trent went to our rented car and began sending the photos back to the office.
Some moments later a deputy approached Trent and I and asked if he had all the photos he needed.
We thought we did. He said he was going to be leaving soon and he just wanted us to know the people there were agitated about us. He couldn't vouch for what might happen if we continued to agitate them after he left. We got the message and left.
We drove by the Civic Center, where children also are being housed. It was heavily guarded by law enforcement. We couldn't see much other than that.
A lot of people I spoke with today, those who support and those who oppose polygamy, brought up the 1953 Short Creek Raid. That's when Arizona authorities entered the community now known as Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., and took nearly 263 women and children into custody. They remained in custody for two years, and then returned to the border towns.
Those children are now adults; some of them live at the YFZ Ranch.
After a long day of travel, Tribune photographer Trent Nelson and I finally reached Eldorado just about 10:15 p.m. We didn't expect to see much, given the late hour.
As we drove into town, we saw law enforcement vehicles blocking two different back roads leading to the FLDS Church's YFZ Ranch, which authorities raided earlier today.
The raid was apparently triggered by a call a day or so ago from a 16-year-old girl at the FLDS sect's ranch who said she'd been abused. Authorities also are apparently looking for Dale Evans Barlow, 50, one of eight men prosecuted two years ago in Arizona for having fathered a child with an underage girl. He allegedly has done so again, this time with a 16-year-old girl with an 8-month-old daughter that court documents say was fathered by Barlow.
So authorities entered the ranch Thursday about midnight and set about interviewing children. I heard men, women and children were separated into different groups and questioned. This afternoon vanloads of children were transported off the ranch. Authorities have taken at least 52 children and are housing them at the local Civic Center and at the First Baptist Church.
As we entered Eldorado, we didn't expect to see much. At the local Catholic church, which sits on the main road to the ranch, we saw a few television satellite trucks and television crews finishing live reports. We drove into town and decided to go by the First Baptist Church. I had been told that either law enforcement or some of the children might be staying there for the night. We just wanted to see where the church was, see if anything happened to be going on there.
As we drove up, we spotted a couple volunteers unloading supplies -- boxes of diapers, six gallons of milk, cases of water, peanut butter, bread, tomatoes, trail mix bars and so on. Trent hopped out of the car and began shooting pictures. I hung back a bit, not wanting to make the volunteers uncomfortable. They asked him to shoot without identifying them, which he did.
As we stood there, a church-owned shuttle bus pulled up. I noticed a few law enforcement cars surrounding it. Trent positioned himself near the walkway to the building. A deputy came out and began scanning the grounds. I could see FLDS children on the bus.
I hung back a bit, again letting Trent get in so he could unobtrusively shoot photos. A deputy walked over to him and asked a few questions, like he wanted to keep Trent occupied. Trent kept shooting, without a flash, so it wasn't distracting. We were the only media on the spot.
The children got off the bus in four groups and walked silently into the building. A few seemed to be aware the photographer was there. Trent kept clicking off shots, which you can see on the Tribune's Web site.
They are worth a thousand words.
There were about five older teenage girls, perhaps twice that many little girls, two babies and about five little boys. They were silent, stoic -- if that is a word you can use for children. Some appeared to be carrying coloring books, others had pillows and blankets.
Inside the hall, I could see law enforcement and volunteers setting things up. The children were taken into the middle of the building, where they appeared to be standing in a line. The older girls grouped together, talking to one another.
I stepped away to call my editor and Trent went to our rented car and began sending the photos back to the office.
Some moments later a deputy approached Trent and I and asked if he had all the photos he needed.
We thought we did. He said he was going to be leaving soon and he just wanted us to know the people there were agitated about us. He couldn't vouch for what might happen if we continued to agitate them after he left. We got the message and left.
We drove by the Civic Center, where children also are being housed. It was heavily guarded by law enforcement. We couldn't see much other than that.
A lot of people I spoke with today, those who support and those who oppose polygamy, brought up the 1953 Short Creek Raid. That's when Arizona authorities entered the community now known as Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., and took nearly 263 women and children into custody. They remained in custody for two years, and then returned to the border towns.
Those children are now adults; some of them live at the YFZ Ranch.
8 Comments:
This is plainly religious persecution. Leave them alone! How about this: if I don't like someone, I can report that they are abusing their children, and those children will instantly be taken away with no questions whatsoever! Stop persecuting religion in the name of "protecting children". Any church will contend that children of another church are not being raised right.
Hurrah for the state of Texas! These uneducated children are being forced into plural marriages with older men, while being brainwashed into "keeping sweet" with their "eternal salvation" at risk. This is just wrong! It's about time a local government steps in to deal with this child abuse. Hurrah for Texas!
Asia, perhaps you should read the article again. The children WERE questioned, before the authorities returned, hours later, to remove them. The report of abuse didn't come from a disgruntled neighbor, but by an abused child.
Don't we need to have someone with the authority to separate victims from abusers? If you are unclear on the answer, please ask a victim of child abuse their opinion.
This post has been removed by the author.
At Waco the good men and women of Federal law enforcement kept the press 3 miles away from the scene.
Glad Brooke and company didn't agitate too much.
The state OWNS you, bottom line. All this pap about "They hate us for our freedoms" has to be the most mind-numbing slogan Big Brother has yet come up with.
Was it just last year that Canada lowered the age of consent for young ladies to have sex with adults to age 14.
In France what would the penalty be if a man lay with a young lady of 16 years?
I read recently the news that 26% of all American women age 12-28 have STDs. In the African American female community of that age it is over 50% and that with 2 or more STDs per female. The Latina community has rates slightly higher than Euro-American girls.
What exactly is the point of all this raiding and destruction of a religious community because some young woman of 16 years married a fellow of 19 in Utah, was he convicted of rape or was it just Warren that got the hook for that one?
In any event Big Brother will crush this community.
2 men marrying and adopting children? WONDERFUL says Big Brother.
2 women marrying and adopting children? WONDERFUL says Big Brother. In fact in the news a "man" in Oregon and his wife are having a baby with the "man" pregnant. Big Brother's reaction? WONDERFUL.
A man marrying 2 women? EVIL, assault the "compound", no matter what you live in if you are a polygamist or a right-winger you live in a COMPOUND.
April 19th, 1993 a compound was raided in Texas.
http://www.wizardsofaz.com/waco/picturethis.html
Great photos and coverage. I'm eager to learn if the Texas authorities have consulted with anyone regarding the Arizona raid in 53. I understand that the sheriff consulted with the Washington Co., Utah, sheriff, but have not read any more than that fact.
Thanks for the coverage.
I think that every religios institution in this nation better take notice and be warned. You may be the next one under seige for a mere complaint.
Where is the journalistic suspicions of government motive? It seems to me after the children of Waco were BURNED TO DEATH americans would be a bit suspicious of herds of cops looking to take children from their families "for their own good".
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