Telling them I am taking your child and you can come if you want leaves a woman with very few options though doesn't it?
IMO, in the case of suspected abuse, a mother should be thankful that ANY option is given.
Remember when America was a young country and civilization was pushing west? It wasn't long before the Indians were perceived as barbaric and their customs were strange and their hygiene was terrible and worst of all they didn't believe in Jesus. Most of the time they were slaughtered or driven away by the calvary. This was not deemed an immoral act because the land/country "belonged" to the government that the calvary worked for. In this mix there were also compassionate souls who wanted to "help" these Indians, bathe them, give them "decent" clothes to wear etc... basically the white man saw his way as "better" and the attempt to help was really to make the Indians more like themselves.
So far, I haven't seen anyone trying to change their clothes, their hygiene, etc. Have I missed something? Nor have I seen any slaughter take place.
As for this situation today. I completely understand everyone's moral outrage at young girls being impregnated against their will. But if we set that aside for one minute, what else are these people doing wrong? Well there is the polygamy some might say. It is against the law. Do we know if these people have had legal marriages or just "religious" ones? If it is the latter, then they haven't broken the law of the land, they are just "living together" in the legal sense.
Texas is a state that recognizes common law marriages. In order to be married under common law, you have to pass the following 3 tests:
Q: What makes a common law marriage?
- A: Three elements must be present to form a common law marriage in Texas.
- First, you must have "agreed to be married."
Second, you must have "held yourselves out" as husband and wife. You must have represented to others that you were married to each other. As an example of this, you may have introduced you partner socially as "my husband," or you may have filed a joint income tax return.
Third, you must have lived together in this state as husband and wife.
However, I don't really think the purpose of this has been to stop polygamy. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHILDREN AND THEIR SAFETY.
But could there have been a way to do this with a little less "muscle"? Could the men who are still being "held" at the compound still have been "held" either at the compound or somewhere else completely separate from the rest of the community?
Not without arresting them, under TX law. Until they have talked to the women and children, they are not going to arrest them - not constitutional. However, it IS constitutional to protect children against abuse. There were allegations made of sexual AND physical abuse.
They are the problem here after all. Sift through them and if some are still there who are guilty of impregnating these young girls, take them to jail. As for the other men there, who knows if the more moderate among these men could have been persuaded to come to some terms of agreement. Didn't I read that was what happened in the late 1800's with the mainstream Mormons? If it happened then it could happen again. At least the attempt could have been made.
It didn't happen overnight, and if you think for one minute that the men would have just agreed to leave peacefully, or come to some form of "agreement" and then WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED IT, ..........??????????? Really? You believe that?
Offer all the women and girls that are deemed in "crisis" such as the young pregnant girls AND anyone else who WANTS to leave the opportunity to do so. Don't insist. Offer. Let the women and the small children who are definitely not in immediate danger have the choice to stay in their homes OR leave without using separation from their children to influence their choice. This would have been more quietly efficient if all we are really after here is correcting the under age sexual activity component.
There were also allegations of physical abuse. Not just sexual abuse http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,695267411,00.html
