Okay, I'm getting off the fence and saying what I really think. Some of you may think I have lost my mind. Some of you may be uncomfortable with my views, but they are what they are until someone changes my mind.
Yesterday I read that 437 children were being put into foster care after being removed from their mothers in Eldorado. I also watched the news segment on GMA concerning the same 437 children. The news reported that the children would be placed in foster care all over the state of Texas, and would be sent to public schools. Courts were still deciding whether nursing babies would be left with their moms. Siblings would be kept together as best they could, but basically boys and girls would be separated. DNA testing was being done on all 437 children and the adults of the group to begin sorting out parentage (I bet that cost the State of Texas a good bit of money). The news also said that many of these marriages did not seem to be legal. From what I understand, the big crimes here are polygamy and child abuse – specifically because there seem to be underage girls who are pregnant.
I have a few questions that the reporters did not ask. Are all of the 437 children young girls who are in immediate danger of being abused? Out of the 437 children, how many were boys? Were the boys being abused? Out of the 437 children how many were babies, toddlers, children under the age of say 12? Was abuse suspected with these children also? If so, what kind of abuse – why is that not being reported. In other words, what is the reason that 437 children are being put in foster care? What is the immediate danger? If they live in a "compound" of which there is no escape, why doesn’t the State of Texas leave them in the "compound" with their mothers and remove the men in the group? I bet a few guards around the "compound" to protect the women and children would be a lot more cost efficient and a lot easier on the children.
I am assuming that there were no records on hand as to who was married to whom or which children belonged to which parents. So let’s say that the DNA tests prove that several kids have the same father, but different mothers? Is that a crime in the USA? ‘Cause if it is, look out world; they are coming after you next. Let’s say that it is proven that some of these women had children before they were of age. You can go into any high school in the USA and find pregnant underage girls – what are they going to do about that - start arresting teenagers, parents, boyfriends? Who protects those children? I think 17 is age of consent in Texas and with parental permission younger girls can marry. So how many of the young girls in Eldorado had parental permission to be "married." Now I know that the news said that some of the marriages were not legal, but is the State of Texas ready to start arresting all of the couples in Texas who choose to live together without a legal license? If the marriages in the Eldorado group are not really legal, is it really a crime of polygamy? Is the State of Texas going to start arresting men who sleep with multiple partners? How in the heck is the State of Texas going to prove anything? What are they really looking for? Have any of these young girls come forward to say "thank you for getting me out of that mess?"
You may be thinking, "But Lou, these girls were brainwashed." Actually the professional shrinks brought in to analyze the girls said that the girls were not brainwashed (saw that on the news, too). These are people with a different way of life and religion from the norm. Although I do not know exactly what these people believe, I personally do not believe polygamy is a good thing. But then I do not believe same sex marriages are a good thing either, but our government keeps okaying them and letting the same sex parents adopt or have children.
Of course I abhor child abuse, and if little children are being sexually abused, I hope the adults are punished. But when underage girls are having sex and getting pregnant every day in our society, why are we going after the Eldorado group. Is it that society thinks older men should not marry younger women? Can society just not grasp that maybe these girls think that is normal (no matter how much we dislike it)? What is really the crime? Is there a crime of child abuse or is society using that as a tool to destroy the Eldorado group. Does society fear what they do not understand; therefore they feel they must punish them for being different? In my eyes, the biggest crime right now is taking 437 children away from their mothers and putting them in foster care.
10 comments:
Well, I'm wondering about some of the reason that the officials are doing (or getting by with what they are doing) in the bigger picture I am starting to see some things in a different light. I think that what the news reports just facts of what is going on but in the spirit what is going on? You know we live in a fallen world and many things go on around us that are not what the Lord had laid out for our world...all as a result of sin. I don't know...I have just begun to start thinking...is there a difference in what goes on in the world and what goes on in a group of people that claim to be led by the Lord...or even more important and more to the point led by Jesus. The word says No man comes to the Father but by me (Jesus). I do not know what this group of people believe or claim to believe, but I do know that God will not be mocked. Freedom of religion? Yes..in our beautiful nation we have that given to us..through many lost lives. But God is still God and the rules haven't changed. And that goes for both the compound members and the authorities. Can I make a judgement...ummm I don't know. Under age sex for my daughter? Ummm no. Someone taking my kids away from me...ummm no. It wouldn't happen..over my dead body. Living in a compound with plural marriages...no it doesn't line up for me or with the way I read the word. A compound is a tricky thing...I always like to think about the way things are set up...the Lord gave us free will...free will to me is set up to create relationship...what kind of relationship do you have if you only take hold of the things that are right before you...I feel deeper things happen when you seek them, when you desire to have the relationship from your own free will, when you take the step toward the relationship. I don't know...maybe I'm funny but I think thats what life is about...not that you just do because it is before you, rather that you do because you choose to take the step and our Lord is there waiting for us...and the relationship starts... I truly do not know what is going on down south of me and I sure don't want to stand in judgement over either side...do I want to join the compound...no...all kinds of things are done in the name of "religion" I believe that our 9/11 pilots were brought up in a religion that taught that they were doing right. Like I said for me...it must line up with the word of God...the bible.. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Great post Lou.
Society has many double standards. This group of people can do something but the other group can't because they are different. Should the different be punished because they are different. No. If they truly are doing something wrong then yes they should be punished. But the enforcers should enforce the same laws on every one and not just the different.
Kudos to you Lou. That is how I feel about that whole mess also. More damage is being done to those children at this point than was being done in there. I do believe those Mothers have the best interest of their children in mind, and do they not feel their life choices are a bad thing for their children. Would I do that,no. You are right about the underage girls having babies, our country supports underage, single Moms. They don't bat an eye at a woman who has children from several men. Men who have nothing to do with the children they fathered. They expect their teenagers to have sex outside of marriage. This is all considered " Normal" Do I think that is right either,no.
From what I have read in the news they haven't even identified the person who was suppose to have made the complaint. Obviously there is some other agenda. Fear. Does it need looked into, yes. Is what our governments done the right way, I don't think so.
Great post, Lou, and thought provoking. I haven't been following this story, except by osmosis... and you can't really get away from anything that has this much coverage.
That said: I don't know what to believe. Kids belong with their Moms. But what if Mom is only 13 or 14? Do you keep child, mother and grandmother together? And so on...
I like your idea about removing the MEN from the compound and posting guards. But yet again, there are problems with such an approach, because you just KNOW there were some women (several? three? six? more?) who were "enablers" for this whole mess, i.e., they drank the Kool-Aid... and helped pass it out, too.
It's just a freakin' MESS.
There are A LOT of people in agreement with you Lou - me included! Check out this article - http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5722875.html written by Jim Harrington of the TX Civil Rights Project.
There are some really good points here Lou, you did good!
I'm pretty sure that my religious beliefs are not the same as the Eldorado group, but then my beliefs are probably different from most people who think of themselves as Christians. Jesus warned that those who love Him would be hated by all on the account of His name.
Anon’s link was very interesting, Thanks for sending it. Here it is again if you did not get it.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/5725898.html
this is one of those things that the world done for years that is when you find something and don't understand it, you try to prosicute it and make it seem bad in other people's eyes, look through time this is just another chapter in the book of world history.
Sorry Lou...must have forgotten to put my name ....I'm Anon.. :)
Catherine
I agree with Buck.
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