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Monday, August 18, 2008

An FLDS kid's best friend?

Two months after a judge returned more than 400 FLDS children to their mothers, Texas Child Protective Services is asking that eight of the kids, ages 5 to 17, be taken into state custody again.

Investigators say the mothers refused to follow a court order limiting the children's contact with FLDS men the state says were involved in underage marriages.

While being in foster care is not the happiest situation for kids, at least, according to a San Antonio radio station, the FLDS kids will be able to hang out with dogs.

Apparently, among the dozens of other heinous restrictions on life in the Yearning For Zion ranch, dogs are banned. Station WOAI reports that during their previous stint in foster care a group of FLDS kids got to see slobbering tail waggers for the first time in their lives.

Dogs are not allowed and never have been on the FLDS compound. So most kids had never seen one and many have never even seen a picture of a dog.

Pasty Swendson, owner of Pennies from Heaven, a San Antonio dog therapy service, put the FLDS kids together with a golden retriever, two small dogs and an Irish wolfhound:

When we entered the room, the kids, boys and girls, showed restraint. But soon enough they became excited and the first dog they went to was the 135 pound Wolfhound. . . .

It was bittersweet seeing those kids go. Harder still was knowing that they would return to the compound, without the happiness of having a pet. Maybe one day they’ll have the opportunity.

What is it with Texas officials? If the kids' parents and religion forbids — for whatever reason — contact with canines, why are Texas authorities arranging meetings between the dogs and kids?

If these kids were Hindu, would the Texans invite throw a barbeque? Or make Amish kids watch TV? Or offer LDS kids double espressos? Probably.

5 Comments:

At August 18, 2008 1:15 PM , Anonymous said...: Obviously, the Texans have no respect for cultural differences, and want to subvert the FLDS in any way possible. They even tried to feed the kids pizza at their concentration camp.
At August 18, 2008 1:23 PM , Anonymous said...: In addition to letting them pet dogs, they should let them watch TV, listen to the radio, read the newspaper, drink a little sauce, and try some Mary Jane.

And for those over 16, they should let them engage in sex as well, but at least it would be of a consensual nature with people roughly their own age.

After all of that, by the time they get back to the Compound, they'll rip the damn place down and kill their f****** "prophets".
At August 18, 2008 2:16 PM , Anonymous said...: Puppies are the new gateway drug. Keep this up and they'll all be getting married and pregnant at 13 years of age.
At August 18, 2008 2:37 PM , Anonymous said...: That's it.
Forcing children to have sex with old men as "spiritual brides." well, OK. Kicking out teen-age boys on a whim, OK.
But denying them dogs?!?
HANG 'em!
At August 18, 2008 2:38 PM , Anonymous said...: Uh, were they cloned dogs? Is Joyce McKinney behind all this?