A Texas court says the State of Texas Had No Right to keep the children of a polygamist mormon sect in a raid a month ago. I was shocked (well maybe not) to see yesterday that 60% in CNN’s online poll asking whether Texas Police were correct to go in guns-blazing and steal away the children agreed with the court. This, despite that fact that there was merely one anonymous phone call (which has since not been verified) which claimed that there was abuse going on. What that means in principle is that 60% of those who responded to the poll think it is perfectly legitimate for police with zero evidence to go in, arrest people and steal their children.
In another recent Poll, 75% of British Columbians say they want polygamists prosecuted. But polygamy, which is biblically abhorrent and a sin, is also a free and victimless arrangement between consenting adults. There is no crime to prosecute - no one is hurt by voluntarily agreeing to be a part of a polygamous relationship. The only crime that is proven right now is kidnapping by the state authorities.
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In theory, polygamy could be a voluntary arrangement between responsible adults. In practice, it is usually accompanied by manipulation, coercion, abuse, and statutory rape. I don’t think the polygamy itself should be prosecuted, but all the attendant crimes should be.
Oh, and I agree with the court. The state of Texas had no right to seize those children. There wasn’t any specific suspicion or evidence of abuse. I didn’t really think about whether the state of Texas overstepped its authority until my mother mentioned it to me, which I guess shows how easy it is for me to assume that all polygamist are child abusers.
I am not convinced that polygamy is a sin. I’m not saying it isn’t, I’m just not sure. Maybe someone could do an article on that sometime.
But yeah, what they did to those kids was wrong. And even if they wanted to do something like that, did they really need an army tank? Come on. It’s like they were just itching for an excuse to use that thing. Of course no one is going to raise a stink about it because they figure they are just a bizarre cult removed from society. And you know what they do to cults down in Texas.
This is my exact position. Those actual crimes are what should be prosecuted, not the polygamy. This is the exact same position I hold with drugs and prostitution - those things are not crimes and there should be no laws against them. However, any crimes resulting from or associated with that behavior should be prosecuted.
I haven’t really been keeping up with all the details about the polygamist ranch. But didn’t they find pregnant teen girls there? If that is true, that sounds like abuse to me and that is reason to remove the children. Did they decide all the pregnant ones were over 17?
The last reports I heard last night was all but one was over 18, and the one who wasn’t was 17.
But really, I’m surprised thats the main argument put forward as to showing abuse. In Canada if your 16 you can have all the sex you want with any adult (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/05/01/crime-bill.html).
Bryan
SDG
Our sex laws are a bit more strict here in Texas.
The age of consent in Texas is 17.
I personally don’t think most teenagers in today’s society have the maturity level to enter a marriage relationship with an adult. But for hundreds if not thousands of years it was not uncommon for even young teenage girls to marry. So, in part at least, these people are being punished for not conforming to evolving societal norms. And it would make sense that they wouldn’t since they have a completely separate culture.
What the authorities did was irresponsible on a number of levels. First, the state did not have the resources to handle the influx of that many kids at once into the system. Plus each child has a right to a court-appointed attorney. How many attorneys might you think they have standing by for that many kids?
I think it is a prime example of authoritarian policing for the sake of who knows what. A power trip? Recreation? Publicity? An excuse to put on the fatigues and finally get to use that tank? I guess you can tell the whole military cop thing is very troubling to me. Well, that’s the “War on Terror” for ya. Your tax dollars hard at work subduing the submersive Mormon terror cells.
Dang Chris… you can rant like a pro.
“Dang Chris… you can rant like a pro.”
I get started and then its hard to stop.
Check out foxnews.com. Interesting pictures of jeffs (head of this sect) kissing (not on the cheek) a 12 year old girl. At least it’s a girl, which is one up on the catholic church. For anyone not aware of it, this group has some really bad history in utah (try to imagine polygamists too nasty for utah to tolerate, wow!) and arizona.
Texas authorities definitely did the big ego small dick two step on this one. Just a teeny tiny little bit of overreaction I would say.