I am struggling with the goings-on in Texas. I find the FLDS doctrines completely counter to my own philosophy, but I'm afraid the actions of the state are, in balance, more damaging to some of the children than the status quo.
I can see how the girls have been violated. I can see taking proactive steps for the adolescent girls.
I don't see how the state can justify taking the boys and putting them in foster care. I don't agree with the sexist brain-washing, but do we remove children from parents who are known bigots? Do we remove children from, say, the Douglas Bruces and Rush Limbaughs of the world? I don't think we can take an action like this based on WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. I'll grant you, the Douglas Bruces and Rush Limbaughs of the world have no business raising children. In my humble opinion. But if we go down this road, it's not that big of a leap to start removing children from their atheist parents, or their wiccan parents, or their gay parents. Where will we draw the line? When it's Jews, and the buses become cattle cars?
Am I over-reacting here? Help me. What are your thoughts?
I don't see how the state can justify taking the toddlers. They are resilient, yes, but very impressionable. They haven't been around ANY strangers. Not even a preschool. They haven't seen electronic media of any kind. I read an article that said in the bus rides to the STADIUM where the hundreds of children would be held, motion sickness was such a problem that the trip was stopped repeatedly, because THESE CHILDREN HAD NEVER RIDDEN IN CARS.
The parents and children are apparently contradicting themselves when stating their names and their relationships. I don't think this is a crime, though. I think communes take this type of parenting position, don't they?
I am NOT defending the FLDS. I am questioning the state's human services actions. I'm not sure anyone is going to "win" in this mess.
2 comments:
I, too, struggle with this topic. The liberal in me hates the idea of people's rights being violated. However, the idea of a poor girl being abused in the guise of religion is simply appalling. Could they have removed the men and conducted the investigation with the children in familiar surroundings? If the men are truly innocent, would they not agree to temporarily leave? I don't think the problem has a simple solution.
Liz
I've tried to bury my head in the sand on this one. Hearing that 13-year-old girls are married and having children sickens me. No 13-year-old is mature enough for that. Yet newscasters reported that these children were being placed in foster care, I cringed. NO WAY could that be a positive experience. I like Liz's suggestion: remove the men & leave the innocent, dependent children in familiar surroundings with loving (albeit maybe misguided), well-intentioned mothers. This is my knee-jerk, informed-only-by-mainstream-media opinion.
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