Warren Jeffs FLDS compound in Texas surrounded by police #3

[mollymalone]

So much for "sisterly love and choice." This is from the polygamist family referenced in the cnn transcript.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Which brings up this question: how is it decided which wife the husband sleeps with on a given night? JOYCE: We draw straws. And the one with the short straw has to.

 

[Leila]

http://www.examiner.com/a-1342188~Texas_defends_separation_of_polygamist_sect_kids_from_moms.html

The mothers have complained the state deceived them. But Meisner says authorities explained the situation. She says members of the sect cried when they were told but that the separation otherwise went smoothly.


http://www.childbrides.org/fawns_EVT_seeking_shelter_in_storm.html
Two girls 16 years old who didn't want to be someone's 15th wife.

The Utah Attorney General promised to help.

The AZ Attorney General said that the girls would be picked up and put into a detention center.

Molly...................I read the story of the two girls, Fawn Broadbent and Fawn Holm. They both went to Salt Lake City and were put into foster care with Fawn Holm's older brother, who had escaped the FLDS many years before. He married and had, by then, teenagers himself. The two girls - referred to as the two Fawns had difficulties adjusting to life outside the FLDS. At age 16, the two girls were tested for placement in public school, and they both tested at 5th grade level. They were allowed to enter high school with their peer group, but had to do home study to catch up. Fawn Holm eventually returned to the FLDS, but Fawn Broadbent faired pretty well, and even got a scholarship to a college. She's now 19 almost 20, has a boyfriend and is living with him. She has a job and is doing ok.

 

[mollymalone]

Molly...................I read the story of the two girls, Fawn Broadbent and Fawn Holm. They both went to Salt Lake City and were put into foster care with Fawn Holm's older brother, who had escaped the FLDS many years before. He married and had, by then, teenagers himself. The two girls - referred to as the two Fawns had difficulties adjusting to life outside the FLDS. At age 16, the two girls were tested for placement in public school, and they both tested at 5th grade level. They were allowed to enter high school with their peer group, but had to do home study to catch up. Fawn Holm eventually returned to the FLDS, but Fawn Broadbent faired pretty well, and even got a scholarship to a college. She's now 19 almost 20, has a boyfriend and is living with him. She has a job and is doing ok.

Thanks for the update! I'm so glad she's doing well. I read where Nevada was looking into the FLDS in their state. Seems AZ has put in place some mechanisms to help the children who leave.

BTW For those who missed seeing some of the coverage, this link has (on the right hand side) news clips from the beginning of the serving of the warrant to April 14th.
http://de.truveo.com/4808-Court-documents-sex-abuse-prevalent-inside/id/1319259849

 

[Leila]

You have to scroll a bit more than halfway down and you can read the report. Does this mean Meisner was a former member at one point?

CNN TRANSCRIPT
http://newstex.com/products/code.php?publication_id=631


The discovery of what an informant called sex beds in the temple of the polygamist compound in West Texas was a surprise even to former members of this fundamentalist sect. They tell us these beds are unique to the Texas compound and could be evidence of disturbing marriage rituals created by the jailed leader Warren Jeffs.

MARLEIGH MEISNER, SPOKESWOMAN, TEXAS CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES: It's not a stretch to imagine that they would want to, after performing what they considered a sacred ceremony in their sacred temple, do it in -- consummate it, so it would be valid in -- on that holy property, what they consider to be holy.

MATTINGLY: Newly released lists of evidence show Texas authorities seized ceremonial white clothing from more than 70 men and women. Former sect members say these clothes were never to be worn outside the temple and were used for all marriages.

MEISNER: Yes, they would definitely be worn during the marriage ceremony. When I had my spiritual marriage, we wore white, even though it wasn't in the temple. And even the men dressed white head to toe, white ties, white everything, white shoes. It's just a symbol of purity

A few days ago, I switched channels just in time to catch part of this interview. There was no identification as to who the woman was that was speaking, but I was pretty sure it was Marleigh Meisner. I didn't post what I saw, because I wasn't 100% sure it was her, without identification in the interview. I only caught less than a minute of the interview, but I did hear the above comment and then the coverage switched to something else. I think I was seeing highlights of the day's news on the FLDS raid.

 

[mollymalone]

A few days ago, I switched channels just in time to catch part of this interview. There was no identification as to who the woman was that was speaking, but I was pretty sure it was Marleigh Meisner. I didn't post what I saw, because I wasn't 100% sure it was her, without identification in the interview. I only caught less than a minute of the interview, but I did hear the above comment and then the coverage switched to something else. I think I was seeing highlights of the day's news on the FLDS raid.

There was quite a bit covered in that transcript and that caught my eye since I'd just seen her on the news presser.

 

[mollymalone]

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsour...b/vortex/display?slug=secttwo16&date=20060516

"Women, needed for wives, rarely were pushed out. Instead, those who disobeyed faced being sent to mental hospitals. Pam Black said her
now-deceased husband, a Colorado City policeman, would hold the phone and threaten to dial 911 whenever she refused his commands."


"My best friend got married at 14. Her husband ... started getting on me. I went to my parents, big mistake. ... The Prophet Leroy Johnson decided I should marry [the abuser]," Peterson recalled. "I'd be his fifth wife, and he was 48." Peterson said molesters, when caught with a girl, often were told to marry the victim. Unwilling to marry at 14, Peterson ran away to Las Vegas. She later learned that her 12-year-old sister had married 39-year-old Colorado City polygamist William Orson Black Jr. Peterson tried to intervene. By the time she had persuaded authorities to raid Black's house, he had fled with her sister to Mexico, where he remains a fugitive.

 

[mollymalone]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy403.html

If Jessop were to get caught, she knew that her children aged two to 15 would be taken from her. She would be shunned by the community and the local doctor -- also FLDS and loyal to the prophet -- would likely diagnose her as mentally ill, consigning her to a mental institution in Flagstaff, Ariz., where several other "rebellious" women from the community had been warehoused.

 

[Floh]

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsour...b/vortex/display?slug=secttwo16&date=20060516

"Women, needed for wives, rarely were pushed out. Instead, those who disobeyed faced being sent to mental hospitals. Pam Black said her
now-deceased husband, a Colorado City policeman, would hold the phone and threaten to dial 911 whenever she refused his commands."


"My best friend got married at 14. Her husband ... started getting on me. I went to my parents, big mistake. ... The Prophet Leroy Johnson decided I should marry [the abuser]," Peterson recalled. "I'd be his fifth wife, and he was 48." Peterson said molesters, when caught with a girl, often were told to marry the victim. Unwilling to marry at 14, Peterson ran away to Las Vegas. She later learned that her 12-year-old sister had married 39-year-old Colorado City polygamist William Orson Black Jr. Peterson tried to intervene. By the time she had persuaded authorities to raid Black's house, he had fled with her sister to Mexico, where he remains a fugitive.

Has Sarah been spirited away to a compound in Mexico?

 

[Floh]

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy403.html

If Jessop were to get caught, she knew that her children aged two to 15 would be taken from her. She would be shunned by the community and the local doctor -- also FLDS and loyal to the prophet -- would likely diagnose her as mentally ill, consigning her to a mental institution in Flagstaff, Ariz., where several other "rebellious" women from the community had been warehoused.

Even to people concerned about civil liberties must surely realise L.E. did a good thing by raiding Eldorado by now?

 

[biggirl]

Even to people concerned about civil liberties must surely realise L.E. did a good thing by raiding Eldorado by now?

Anyone who thinks these "prophets" and their loyal followers did not deserve to be raided,IMO would not care about victims of abuse. Physical, mental and sexual are the abuses this "raid" exposed and it IMO is LONG overdue. In Texas and many other states. Any State that does not look into what this group is doing to it's innocent victims would be a State that does not care about human rights. IMO

 

[SuziQ]

Has Sarah been spirited away to a compound in Mexico?

I'm not sure about the FLDS, but other sects sent their people, mostly women to Mexico to punish and banish them. Their living conditions were third world and they were expected to live off the land with no financial support whatsoever. The compounds of whatever the women and children could build with their hands, were in the middle of nowhere and they were left with no means of transportation. There was also no medical care and when many got sick they died.

 

[golfmom]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/5703058.html

Chief among the problems facing the state is how to determine whether 20 females are adults or minors. State social workers and child advocates trying to represent them are faced with both the women and the children purposely giving the wrong names and other misinformation. There are no birth certificates available.

 

[mollymalone]

Even to people concerned about civil liberties must surely realise L.E. did a good thing by raiding Eldorado by now?

I've been surfing blogs and news forums and there is as always those who don't want to hear, know or see articles/newscasts about this. There are many who are defending the women/men of the sect and are using the same arguments one can see everywhere about "rights" "religious exemption" etc. The majority I've seen have been appalled that this occurs in the U.S. There are those who've commented from overseas who are just as disgusted and appalled as we are.

 

[mollymalone]

Fox doing a report on the Colorado FLDS property - the owner has invited the sheriff out to the ranch and did not see anything and he does not think those living on the land are polygamists.


I read that it is mostly men who are constructing the buildings. If there were women residing there they were probably hidden away before the visit. Perhaps they haven't been moved there yet.

 

[mollymalone]

I'm not sure about the FLDS, but other sects sent their people, mostly women to Mexico to punish and banish them. Their living conditions were third world and they were expected to live off the land with no financial support whatsoever. The compounds of whatever the women and children could build with their hands, were in the middle of nowhere and they were left with no means of transportation. There was also no medical care and when many got sick they died.

Was that the Evril LeBaron group? I'd heard/read that they did things like that, and they're the ones who originally sited their group in Mexico.

 

[SuziQ]

Was that the Evril LeBaron group? I'd heard/read that they did things like that, and they're the ones who originally sited their group in Mexico.

That would be him. He was so evil.

 

[Anita Richman]

You have to scroll a bit more than halfway down and you can read the report. Does this mean Meisner was a former member at one point?

CNN TRANSCRIPT
http://newstex.com/products/code.php?publication_id=631


The discovery of what an informant called sex beds in the temple of the polygamist compound in West Texas was a surprise even to former members of this fundamentalist sect. They tell us these beds are unique to the Texas compound and could be evidence of disturbing marriage rituals created by the jailed leader Warren Jeffs.

MARLEIGH MEISNER, SPOKESWOMAN, TEXAS CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES: It's not a stretch to imagine that they would want to, after performing what they considered a sacred ceremony in their sacred temple, do it in -- consummate it, so it would be valid in -- on that holy property, what they consider to be holy.

MATTINGLY: Newly released lists of evidence show Texas authorities seized ceremonial white clothing from more than 70 men and women. Former sect members say these clothes were never to be worn outside the temple and were used for all marriages.

MEISNER: Yes, they would definitely be worn during the marriage ceremony. When I had my spiritual marriage, we wore white, even though it wasn't in the temple. And even the men dressed white head to toe, white ties, white everything, white shoes. It's just a symbol of purity

Maybe she got married in the 70's?

 

[Blue_Dolphin308]

wow this thread got quiet.

 

[Anita Richman]

:angel:

I honestly haven't had the opportunity to read back to the beginning of this thread...curious if anyone else has seen the parallels between this saga and the fictional "UEB" on HBO's "Big Love".

 

[mostlylurking]

I've read & caught up now. Man, too much for my head to handle.
I'm sure the heads cocked to the side & the rote monotone answers from the women back at the ranch is from the brainwashing. I'm sure the older women were the enforcers of the younger ones.

I am glad at least a few wanted to go to shelters & honestly, for the really young kids, I'm glad their moms are still with them.

I wonder, at what age do the men & older women move past being brainwashed into being brainwashers? Some folks have obviously escaped over the years because some little voice inside stayed alive enough for them to know what was going on was wrong. When does that voice stop & they just go along with it thinking it's right?

Man, though, for those that are still young enough to be in a place of believing this was just their life & it wasn't wrong, how horrifying it all must be.

I loved the summarized statements. I keep getting behind at work, 'cause I keep reading here.

Now I'm just rambling.....