The savage travesty is unraveling Share This:





As the media ceases to tiptoe like scared mice around the blatant, raging abuse of power that is the CPS in Texas (and elsewhere) other details might emerge. For example, the vicious and known hoax of a phone call that sparked the kidnapping of over 450 children may be explored with something other than cursory, dismissive reporting. The fact that a significant number of the "children" held were actually adults who produced evidence of their adulthood to social workers may become noteworthy to those towering media sleuths. Of course, the social workers will and do deny such knowledge -- brushing aside signed statements by some in which they acknowledge seeing evidence of majority. Somewhere in the Mudville that is our media, a lone voice might inquire as to the constantly changing numbers issued by the CPS. At first it was 416 children abducted into its care; then it was 462. At first, it was 31 underaged pregnancies; now it is 5...with defense attorneys arguing that the number is actually 1, which would be far below the national average for teen pregnancies BTW. Is anyone in Mudville's media brave enough to inquire WHY the removal of children is entrusted to bureaucrats who can't even count how many children they kidnapped on one particular day? Will any of the talking-heads who render legal opinions comment on the unprecedented class-action removal of children by which if one specific person in a community is suspected of child abuse, then ALL children in that community are removed? Where in the media can you find a fucking spine?



Meanwhile, I am disturbed to see some "libertarians" seem disappointed by the (probably) foiled kidnapping attempt by the state. Yesterday,



But, for the record, I will reiterate. I don't like the FLDS religious sect. I think the ideology that they inculcate into children is worse than drek -- it is dangerous to their intellectual and emotional well-being. But how is this different from families in which the parents are fundamentalist Christian or raving Marxists or radically Muslim? Are we going to have a State-imposed purity test for ideology before allowing parents to raise their children? Unless and until there is clear evidence of physical abuse, no third party has any business using force to step between a parent and a child. PERIOD.



The FLDS is one of those litmus tests by which you can separate true libertarians (who believe that rights apply to ALL individuals) from those who believe rights apply only to the nice people of the world. You know, OUR sort. Well...the FLDS is not my sort. It is not in the next county from being my sort. But each individual member of the FLDS has the same right to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc. etc. as I do. Frankly, sometimes I don't like the fact that human rights are universal. But I always find solace in the fact that universal rights are tremendously better than the alternative. Back to category overview Back to news overview Older News Newer News



Law professor Eugene Volokh on The Volokh Conspiracy provides his usual invaluable legal perspective in blogging: Future Legal Action Against the Texas Polygamists? I should stress that many of the Texas FLDS members may still be in huge legal trouble, despite the conclusion that the raid was illegal (and likely unconstitutional) as to many of the children. He proceeds to elaborate on the possible legal challenges facing the FLDS sect. Indeed, although the appeals court ruling means that hearings on the childrens' custody were suspended, it is not at all clear that the children will be returned. It all depends on the next move by the State of Texas. Damn the soul of each and every individual who collectively are known as the Texas Child Protective Services.Meanwhile, I am disturbed to see some "libertarians" seem disappointed by the (probably) foiled kidnapping attempt by the state. Yesterday, Timothy Sandefur wrote of the appeal court's ruling, It looks pretty devastating, and correct. This is really the worst possible outcome. The clumsiness of the state's actions has already made many members of the public sympathize with the FLDS, and see them as a persecuted, if somewhat idiosyncratic group of harmless folk. They are in reality something much more sinister than that, but incidents like this make it harder to police their activities. As the correspondent who brought Sandefur's comments to my attention cynically said, "It's always great when a self-described libertarian bemoans a defeat for the police state."But, for the record, I will reiterate. I don't like the FLDS religious sect. I think the ideology that they inculcate into children is worse than drek -- it is dangerous to their intellectual and emotional well-being. But how is this different from families in which the parents are fundamentalist Christian or raving Marxists or radically Muslim? Are we going to have a State-imposed purity test for ideology before allowing parents to raise their children? Unless and until there is clear evidence of physical abuse, no third party has any business using force to step between a parent and a child. PERIOD.The FLDS is one of those litmus tests by which you can separate true libertarians (who believe that rights apply to ALL individuals) from those who believe rights apply only to the nice people of the world. You know, OUR sort. Well...the FLDS is not my sort. It is not in the next county from being my sort. But each individual member of the FLDS has the same right to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc. etc. as I do. Frankly, sometimes I don't like the fact that human rights are universal. But I always find solace in the fact that universal rights are tremendously better than the alternative. Printer Friendly Wendy McElroy - Friday 23 May 2008 - 12:09:54 - Permalink The savage travesty of power that removed over 450 children from a polygamous compound in Texas is starting to unravel and be revealed as an utter, brutal sham. The Salt Lake Tribune, which (unsurprisingly) has provided the most interesting accounts of the polygamist sect's ordeal, reported on yesterday's ruling by the 3rd Circuit appeals court. The SLT stated, In its unanimous nine-page decision, the three-judge panel said the Department of Family and Protective Services' case was legally and factually insufficient and 51st District Judge Barbara Walther acted improperly when she ordered about 450 children to stay in state custody. The court said the state failed in a mass April 17-18 hearing to prove any of its key claims that the sect's beliefs, communal households or underage marriages put every child in the community "in urgent" danger. For text of the decision, click here. As the media ceases to tiptoe like scared mice around the blatant, raging abuse of power that is the CPS in Texas (and elsewhere) other details might emerge. For example, the vicious and known hoax of a phone call that sparked the kidnapping of over 450 children may be explored with something other than cursory, dismissive reporting. The fact that a significant number of the "children" held were actually adults who produced evidence of their adulthood to social workers may become noteworthy to those towering media sleuths. Of course, the social workers will and do deny such knowledge -- brushing aside signed statements by some in which they acknowledge seeing evidence of majority. Somewhere in the Mudville that is our media, a lone voice might inquire as to the constantly changing numbers issued by the CPS. At first it was 416 children abducted into its care; then it was 462. At first, it was 31 underaged pregnancies; now it is 5...with defense attorneys arguing that the number is actually 1, which would be far below the national average for teen pregnancies BTW. Is anyone in Mudville's media brave enough to inquire WHY the removal of children is entrusted to bureaucrats who can't even count how many children they kidnapped on one particular day? Will any of the talking-heads who render legal opinions comment on the unprecedented class-action removal of children by which if one specific person in a community is suspected of child abuse, then ALL children in that community are removed? Where in the media can you find a fucking spine?