Walther has had enough?

Judge Barbara Walther apparently doesn't want to get any more "on her" as it were. Just as the Apostle Paul kept getting bumped up the ladder for someone else to deal with the problem, Green County and Walther just don't want to look at it anymore.

The Salt Lake Tribune - "Attorneys for FLDS parents say they are striking out in getting any issues raised before Tom Green County Judge Barbara Walther - even as state officials say there is widespread confusion about the purpose of hearings set to begin in two weeks.
Patrick Crimmins, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, said the 60-day hearings that begin May 19 are to review service plans developed for each child, check medical care and hear how the children are faring in foster care.
'This is not going to be a redo of whether abuse or neglect occurred,' Crimmins said."

Of course not. If we had to do that, no one would be in state custody. But tomorrow should be interesting. Tomorrow, is another day.

"The next legal move may come at the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin, where Texas RioGrande Legal Aid is seeking to have children returned to their mothers while the state's investigation continues. The state's response to that motion is due Tuesday."

The 6th. Tomorrow.


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Civil War Claims another Casualty

Forget McCain claiming he will stay a hundred years, forget even the 100 years war. The Barking Moonbat bemoans the fact that we are still taking casualties in the American Civil War, more than 140 years after the Mission Was Accomplished. More →

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Six Meat Notices a great one.

Pastor Nutty Ganked Parishioner Hubby's Chubby?

Translated that means Pastor Jeremiah Wright moved in one one of his married couples, and stole the wife out of the relationship. Click the link and Read it. Great stuff. He even has a "commandment watch" for the commandments he figures Jeremiah broke. More →

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Because Texas is doing such a great job, protecting The Children....

The AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Monday, May 05, 2008

"A former Bowie High School student, who says in a lawsuit that Austin school district officials failed to stop a school color guard instructor from sexually abusing him several times during the 2003-04 school year, will have a chance to make his case in civil court today.

In a suit filed in January 2007 in U.S. District Court, the student said instructor James Johnston, a former contract employee, "made offensive physical contact" with the student.

The Statesman is not naming the student because of the nature of the accusations. He is seeking unspecified monetary damages in the suit."

For the purposes of this discussion I am assuming the allegations to be true. It is entirely possible that they may not be. This IS Texas you know. The time frame of the alleged act places makes it possible for consent to have occurred based on age. I don't know the nuances of Texas law with regard to homosexual advances and consent. The teacher at the center of the mess would seem to acknowledge some form of contact and is going for "consent" in some way shape or form.

"(James) Johnston told band director Bruce Dinkins that he thought the student was 'coming out,' according to the suit. In response, Dinkins told Johnston to stay away from the student, the suit says, but Johnston ignored Dinkins. Dinkins was named in the suit but was later dismissed from the litigation."

Texas is taking this very seriously though.

"Johnston, reached at a San Antonio-area phone number Friday, declined to comment; he ended the call when asked whether he was still teaching."

The guy is out, if he has any kids they're not being taken out of the home, and apparently, he's still teaching. It's a good thing the FLDS do not watch TV or read the papers. They might get a little worried about the good care Texas takes of the kids in their charge. The article mentions only CIVIL action, apparently no charges have been filed. This does bring up the issue of the Statute of Limitations on such crimes. More →

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"Christophs" reply is good enough to make a post out of it.

This reply to this post was good enough, and even tempered enough that it rates a reply in the open.

"Having sex with pre-pubescent children is, and always has been, profoundly evil."

I think it is not a profound evil. I think it's a bad idea. As a believer in parental permission for marriage and arranged marriage it would be my position that scripture does strongly suggest the appropriate time for sexual relations comes some time after puberty. Since even if I did betroth my child to another, let us say as young as the ages mandated in Catholic teaching, I would not give my son or daughter in active marriage until they were ready. I see this as my responsibility as a parent to keep my child safe and healthy. Scripture does say that even the evil among us know how to give good things to their children.

Matthew 7:9-11: "Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

In making the point that God will give us good things as his children, Christ also says that even evil people know what's good for their kids. This is of course a general rule as we know that sometimes some do not. As a general rule, they do though. I would say this also elevates the judgement of parents, in general, over that of the state and it's laws. We still must obey laws of course, where they do not ask us to do wrong, but where law permits, I'm relying on parents. Frankly you can keep your paedophilia laws. They don't keep 13 year olds from having sex, and I don't mean that in the sense of "they'll do it anyway", I point out that the law allows a married 13 year old to have sex and I disagree that a 50 year old man does damage to a 13 year old girl with his genitalia because his genitalia are 50 years old. You think it's creepy, I say don't marry your daughter to a 50 year old man then. Fine by me. The 13 year old can have sex anyway with another "child" if that child is within a certain number of years of their own age and neither child will be charged with a crime. I submit the "paedophilia" laws are just to codify what we think is creepy and punish people for what we think is creepy. I think that is way too intrusive.

"While I don't use the Bible as my guide because I am not a Christian, I think you're right in reading the Bible and also that your interpretation conforms to the culture of the time including the most likely facts surrounding the age of Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus. The Bible appears to allow for marriage and further to say this is right in the eyes of God, at puberty. Certainly the Catholic church does, as you've proven."

I disagree and state the culture arose from conformity to scripture. Granted certain things that scritpure would see as acceptable were also found in the surrounding culture, but Christians and Pagans do a great number of things that are the same. Most of the things we do in fact are the same. We sleep, we eat, we go to the "lavatory." The lumberjack song is coming to mind....

"I think your Biblical case for that is strong and it amused me that the 'fundamentalist' Christians would immediately ban you for expressing it. I read your post there and it was sensible."

That is because most of us have become culturally acclimated, as opposed to Mary and Joseph who were not. When we discover that we've been following largely what society has said we're afraid that we will cease to be Christians if we change and as a result we for the most part, scream, cover our ears, throw dust in the air and rush upon the messenger bearing such news.

It is also because we are busybodies, like the culture at large. It's simple. As I said before, if you don't think a child of yours should marry as early as 13, 14 or 15 for whatever reason, a sort of "ageism" or for subjective developmental reasons, so be it. You are their parent. It is true that many children are still children at 14 or even 17. I think though we increase those numbers by not asking our children to learn and be accountable. In the FLDS sect it seems they are largely successful in keeping such early age marriages together. There's something different about the way they socialize their children and in makes them successful in marriage at a much younger age. In that respect I think we can learn from them.

"It seems to me that whether one believes God created us or one believes nature did it, the only logical, non-arbitrary point we're meant to begin reproducing at would be when we can. Reproduce, that is."

Agreed.

"But you go further:

'Paedophilia in fact is simply a secular legal concept.'

I don't know when the laws came into being or when paedophilia was defined. I doubt very much it's all that modern of a concept. However, I'd hope we can all agree that sex with anyone under the age of puberty is wrong so 'paedophilia' is a valid concept. Jesus Christ was very adamant about about not harming children and that it would be better to drown in the depths of the sea.

I agree with him."

Then harm should be your guide. Speaking as one sexually experienced (I'm sure that's NOT a surprise) I don't think a young girl would be an ideal sexual partner if she has not matured sexually. I would not give a girl in puberty or one not having gone through it. If I had betrothed her at a younger age, which is in fact marriage as scripturally breaking it required divorce, I would wait until she was in my view ready. I care about my children. Practically speaking it's hard to find men for my daughters. We've taught them to be boys. I had not realized that arranged marriage was such a good idea until after my children had become a little older so I did not betrothe them.

"Paedophilia sure as hell harms children emotionally and physically: higher suicide rates, promiscuous behaviour following the abuse, STDs, physical pain and damage, etc."

Marriage is simply not paedophilia and the law agrees. If a child is educated in sexual behavior there should be no reason to expect physical harm. STD's come from promiscuous behavior, not from sexual behavior at a young age.

"I believe that criminalizing sexually motivated self-determining behaviour (as a result of their hormones and normal natural feelings including emotions and desire to form relationships) in adolescents from having sex — and people from having sex with said adolescents — is in practice difficult to enforce and probably gives mixed returns at best. I believe, if anything, young people should be encouraged to marry rather than engage in promiscuous unmarried sex, which is the alternative, realistically, for many of them."

I think that's pretty close to what I think as well.

"I've talked to many adult women about sex and one of the questions I've asked — out of curiosity — is how old they were their first time. The ages vary, but certainly include immediately after entering puberty. This and every year after that is common. I find it hard to conclude this is a great evil nor that our laws against it are particularly effective. They seem to dissuade open long-term relationships and marriage, more than they do sex."

The unintended consquence of our culture and our laws is to make a generation of whores and whore mongers out of our young men and women. We can preach all we want that sex before marriage is not a very good idea but what happens, even in the churches, is that they go ahead and do it anyway. Marrying them off might not be such a bad idea. Early. Society is not constructed to do that so that is why people who believe such things live in compounds or ranches.

"I believe society has a legal right to set the age of consent and I respect it as you are obligated to, your religious beliefs to the contrary notwithstanding."

Ok then, but even the laws of Texas permit a 13 year old to marry. What they don't permit is a 13 year old to marry a man with a wife already but they permit the big man on campus to sow his wild oats with as many gullible children as he can find, and the law won't do anything about it unless it is not "consensual." Consent is almost always a given if she says yes to someone roughly her own age.

"I don't think you're saying it's Biblically allowed to have sex with pre-pubescent children. However, your reference to paedophilia being simply a secular legal concept so openly stated, I would like you to clarify.

At what is the earliest age/developmental maturity you believe a person should either be able to marry and/or engage in sex?"

Passing puberty, based on the verse in Corinthians about being past the flower of her age.

"My personal preference would be a statutory number as the age of consent, set by society as debated in its legislature(s), and then, if anything, an exemption allowing sex between people younger than this age who are legally married and have also reached the age of puberty."

The reason paedophilia comes up in association with polygyny is not that polygynists are paedophiles, it is because the state has forbidden marriage to more than one partner at a time and created an age of consent. In Texas you can get married off the books MONOGAMOUSLY to a 13 year old with parental permission. You just can't have another bride. I don't see how this helps. Much better that we just say that polygyny is legal then these people cannot be arrested for anything other than "forcing" a girl to accept marriage or doing so without consent. It doesn't seem to be harming the FLDS for instance in comparison to society at large where divorce rates are much higher, bones are broken more often, and so on More →

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Comic Relief

Thank you Bama Pachyderm. 9/11 TROOF. More →

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It's as Old as Catholicism. Older than that really.

No one ever discovers a truth of scripture for the first time. Someone else already had. My definition of a "Cult" would involve some new revelation, as I am what is known as a Cessationist. I'll discuss that further at some other time, if someone wants me to. For now, unless someone in the first 100 years of the church saw it, I don't buy it.

So Scott's article over at "Grits for Breakfast" is especially interesting. I had never known this was the Catholic Position, but it is. Anyway Scott's point is rhetorical. Why haven't we moved on the Catholic Church in the same way in view of what they teach. With a Hat Tip to Grits, I'll move on to make my points, since Scott has covered the first one.

"Let's consider what would happen if Casey's notion were applied more widely to religious groups when abuse arises among their leadership. In all seriousness, why wouldn't the same logic suggest seizing the assets of the Catholic Church? According to them, 'The marriageable age is fourteen full years in males and twelve full years in females, under penalty of nullity (unless natural puberty supplies the want of years).' That's far younger than any marriage alleged to have occurred among residents of the YFZ Ranch." (Bold portion from the Catholic Encyclopedia).

Doh! I'm really late to the table on this one, aren't I? Interpretation? Before all this age of consent nonsense, the Catholic Church actually made a SENSIBLE declaration with exceptions regarding marriage. Guys 14, Girls 12. This corresponds roughly to the age of sexual maturity or at least functionality. There were EXCEPTIONS just as there are in our age of consent laws for circumstance, that's what "Natural Puberty Supplies the Want of Years" means. If you bud early, you can marry early.

Now, a view into the way the writers of that doctrine viewed marriage. It was as a contract between parents. If history of the less ancient is insight into history of the ancient, it would seem that marriage customs have changed little (putting aside the forbidding of Polygyny) since ancient times.

"Betrothals [sponsalia] require seven full years in the contracting parties."

Kids don't fall in love and marry at 7, they are contracted for marriage by their parents, and the RCC did not allow it's members to contract for marriage until a child was 7. That is sensible also, since in times of old you probably didn't have an idea of who was going to "make it" in life (that would be SURVIVE) until a child reached about that age. You could probably introduce the two kids and see if they were going to be roughly compatible for one another as well.

All of this I have said before and been labeled a paedophile for my trouble and I hadn't even read the Catholic position. I had merely read the Bible and gleaned those rough patterns of behavior and principle and law from those readings. If you want some fun reading my time in hell for those statements, go here.

So where does this leave "Fundamentalist Christians?" Catholics can in their church, change doctrine. We can't. Reformed Persons rely on scripture alone as a source of all doctrine. We rely on history to clue us in on what is heresy since there is no new revelation, there can be no newly discovered doctrine.

So if you are a fundamentalist Bible Banging, "God's way or the Highway" Christian. Stop. Read that Bible. You'll find that the Catholic position, while sensible, is essentially "progressive" because the BIBLE, that big black thing you SAY you believe, doesn't even set THOSE limits. Paedophilia in fact is simply a secular legal concept and even THAT concept, despite what you may believe, does not forbid 54 on 13 year old sex. It just restricts it to the confines of marriage.

Polygynists and their apologists by the way, have always been around. You need only read Augustine to know that.

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Texas has to prove that a FLDS man has TWO underage wives, not one.

Yes, I've been saying that, one of the columns reprinted over at Ave Maria Gratia Plena is what I've been harping on for a while. Either the columnist is reading my work (smug self congratulations) or it is actually more likely that it's simply so obvious other people notice without my help. My daughter has occasionally kicked me under the table for similar self important sins of ego in Sunday School.

I like these quotes from the second article the "Coffee Catholic" refers to today:

"I need to remind you that the State of Texas still recognizes common-law marriages where no official ceremonies are required?" (Tom Avant writing for the Abilene Reporter News)

We HAVE A WINNER. I haven't opened my fat gob on this subject because I didn't know for sure. I did strongly suspect it judging from the fact that no arrest warrants have been issued. If it were true that the state needed to see its official sanction for compliance with its laws then there would already be a warrant. They're not being nice, they can't issue a warrant. So let's see what that means they're looking for.

A lack of permission on the parents part. Namely that the parents were extorted into giving a child in marriage (a child always means daughters in reality).

A lack of willingness on the part of the child. This is the crucial element in the conviction of Warren Jeffs. Elissa Wall was said not to be receptive to the advances of her "common law" husband Allen Steed. I will take this time to point out once again that Allen Steed hasn't been convicted of anything. He has to rape Elissa for Warren to be guilty of something. Why has Allen not been convicted of anything? Hmmmm? What if he NEVER is?

And here is what they ACTUALLY have to prove, which is why all the DNA, if no one comes forward to cast a pall of doubt on the willingness of the wife in question or of parental permission. They have to prove within the framework of their statute of limitations and jurisdiction that an older (more than three years older than his bride) FLDS man had two wives in some verifiable legal construction and that at the same time, one of them below the age of consent. They cannot possibly be operating on the idea that they saw that crime. They in fact only assert they saw pregnant girls.

"Did you know that records show that, at the time of Jesus' birth, women could marry as young as 9 and men as young as 14 or 15? Did you know that many historians believe that Mary could have been between 13 and 15 when Jesus was born?"

Yes, an iron clad proof can be made from the 66 books of "protestant" canon that King Josiah was 13 to 15 years old and married to TWO wives. More →

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Merry Cate Noel

Weird two in the morning musings. Previously the foster mother of our Rozita Swinton has been identified as "Kate Rosemary" which is a "pen name." Kate has written two books, "Raising Shane" and "After Disclosure" which USED to be called "The Feminization of Job" and used to be listed as being by "Merry Cate Noel."

I don't know if this is yet another failed pen name for "Kate Rosemary" or the real name of our mysterious foster parent. Is this her? Merry Noel. Search the page.

UPDATE: Merry Cate Noel = Mary Catharine Nelson. Merry (a homophone for Mary) Cate is short for Catharine, and Nelson contains all the letters of Noel. It's also "cutesy." MERRY NOEL! Mary Catharine Nelson by the way, is Vice President of Published by Westview, the book company that publishes her book. More →

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Why not use the old fashioned caseworker? THAT WOULD BE A MOTHER.

Sure, when you want a better result in parenting, choose an absentee parent. The Salt Lake Tribune.

"This year, CPS paid a $4 million federal fine for not checking on foster children often enough."

Texas is going to solve that by over emphasizing the care of FLDS kids, (so they won't get nailed for losing or abusing THEM) but the span of control is still high.

"As Child Protective Services caseworkers track the progress in foster care of children removed last month from a polygamous sect's ranch in Eldorado, they'll work on just 15 cases at a time."

Well, that's not TOO bad, but I imagine the average "FLDS Caseworker" (that would be a MOTHER) has a much smaller load. In the meantime;

"...the average CPS caseworker monitors more than 40 children and parents at once.

Some lawmakers are questioning whether the focus on the sect children is fair to the 27,000 other children in a system already struggling with heavy caseloads and high staff turnover."

Ya Think!?!?! It's about the children..... The state of Texas is constructing their little Potemkin Village for us to see. How did that work out?

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Congressman Conaway opens another front AGAINST the FLDS.

From "GoSanAngelo"

WASHINGTON - "San Angelo's congressman said he favors a congressional probe into a company with ties to the Schleicher County polygamist sect raided last month, but he's not rushing to judgment about the defense contractor based in Nevada.

U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Midland, a member of the committee that might investigate, said the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ran legitimate businesses. NewEra Manufacturing of Las Vegas reportedly was awarded more than $1 million in defense contracts."

Yup, keep multiplying the lines of attack. Kick them when they are down, maybe they'll stay down. If they know what's good for them. C'mon FLDS, why don't you just die?

"We still live in a country where you're innocent until proven guilty," Conaway said.

You gotta be kiddin' me right? NO WE DO NOT, NOT ANY LONGER.

"Authorities now suspect the phone calls were a hoax but don't expect that would weaken their case."

See? There is now no known warrant, and they still keep the kids and are destroying the FLDS in PR wars. But you're "innocent until proven guilty," in this country, RIGHT MIKE? You gotta forgive Mike, he needs to get re-elected.

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Warrant? What Warrant? We don't need no stinking warrants....

The cancellation of the warrant for Dale Evans Barlow means one of two things.

Texas' Keystone Cop Gestapo can and is operating now with NO warrant and doesn't need one. Of course that would have been true from the moment they breached the gates of YFZ for that to be true now.

THERE IS A WARRANT, which is why they were vague on the date of cancellation of the first. They've been operating on another warrant for another cause now for who knows how long.

Some legal eagle out there could tell me more about this. I am as always, just your humble pharisee.

I also note as I have before, this little bombshell came at the right place in the news cycle. Late Friday afternoon. The Salt Lake Tribune to my knowledge was the first to break the story. 5 hours later I saw it in the Austin Statesman.

OUR STORY SO FAR, on the one month anniversary. Read it in the Salt Lake Tribune.

SAN ANGELO, Texas - On the one-month anniversary of a massive raid at a polygamous sect's ranch, here are the numbers:
* 599 DNA samples collected;
* 464 children in state custody;
* 16 group shelters caring for the children;
* One warrant canceled;
* No charges issued.

I'm still wondering if there is another shoe, like, another warrant. I think Scott at Grits saw it first.
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What Friends of the FLDS do next. Yes, YOU are a friend of the FLDS, or you had better become one NOW.

Eventually the number of horses changed in mid stream will become the issue. Texas now admits the original warrant is invalid because they have known, probably since BEFORE they went to see Rozita Swinton in the first place. So as "Friends of the FLDS" what is the next step? First let's examine the new information in the "Statesman."

"The phone number used to call the crisis center is the same one once used by a Colorado woman, identified as 33-year-old Rozita Swinton of Colorado Springs, accused of making previous false reports of abuse.

Investigators have not said whether Swinton made the call to Texas authorities, though Vinger said she is 'still considered a person of interest.'"

The official state Political Newspaper of Texas now asserts that the call came from Rozita. Vinger still stonewalls but the actions, and the murky business about WHEN the warrant was canceled shows that Texas is nervous about the dates.

I agree if Texas goes in and finds no evidence of the crime and if they went in for bad cause they can't turn around and go out when they see a murder in progress. This is essentially their case for staying. The FLDS argument will now be in part that Texas knew going in that they had no cause, but Texas will counter with "Ok, we'll discipline the offender, but what about the crime we saw?"

So what is the CAUSE they say they saw? What they say the saw is an obviously pregnant young girl. The lines of defense are now several. One, as discussed previously, and elsewhere in the press, a pregnant young girl, even 13 years old is NOT prima facie evidence of a crime. This cause is also attacked on the basis of technique. My wife and I saw a clear example of age confusion tonight. We were at Home Depot and saw a car load of what HAD to be teenagers (or were they) but one was wearing a lot of makeup and looked "hard" before her time. I could be wrong of course, but that's the point. The Visual Verification of age is invalid. Either I'm right and the young lady I saw tonight with too much makeup and a cigarette was 16ish, or I'm wrong. But the state trooper looking at a homespun young woman at YFZ has been looking at too many examples of the former in making his or her judgment. Life may not wear as hard on FLDS young women as the normal high school girl. We already have plenty of statistics about venereal disease among teenage girls in the general population that would make them "old beyond their years."

So unless they can say that one of the three or two or one girls they say WAS the pregnant girl that they "eyeballed," the second cause fails and Texas' Keystone Gestapo has to pull the horse switch in mid stream again. Which is why all the leaking about abuse. The bishops record. Molesting young boys. 31 girls that have been pregnant. Broken bones and so on and so on and so on. All of these are for two reasons. To provide cause that has been found before old causes expire. We've seen this in politics, it's called the "Fishing Expedition." Keep digging until you find something. Why? Because they "know" it's there, we'll get to that later. The other reason is to keep public sentiment behind them and to keep truly moral politicians (oxymoron I know) from backing up the FLDS. The CPS only has one handler holding their chain, and as long as it is not jerked, they'll keep snarling and biting.

So why does the Texas Keystone Gestapo "know" there is a crime there? Imagine a sequence of questions a CPS official asks themselves prior to "going in." One is; "How Many Kids Are There?" Since there are more than 460 kids in one place, The Keystone Cop Gestapo feels pretty sure of themselves. ANY flimsy cause will work because they KNOW the stats.

"According to the experts, 62 percent of girls are sexually abused by the age of 18 – outside the YFZ Ranch.

According to the experts, 31 percent of boys are sexually abused by the age of 18 – outside the YFZ Ranch.

According to the experts, most rape victims are under 12 years old – outside the YFZ Ranch."

Since the national average of bone breakage is HIGHER than that of the FLDS kids, let's outline what the Texas CPS Gestapo has alleged. It tells us what they were sure to find and WHY the headlines are as they are. It also tells us why they have not problem going in to round up ANY large group of kids in one place, because they are so certain of what they will find.

The list of AUTOMATIC allegations when rounding up "a lot" of kids.

Sex abuse of young girls. Check.

Sex abuse of boys. Check.

Broken Bones. Check.

What this means is that if you give CPS a large enough target, and a reason to be mad at you, they're goin' in. They have such broad power to "protect" the children that no one worries about the fact that the warrant is for someone not there, we have our excuse, we're goin' in. The only reason for holding back is that they're not mad at you. After they're in, round up all the kids, grab all their medical records, start interviewing them and sure as shootin', SOMEONE will be GUILTY of SOMETHING. THIS MEANS YOU. This means YOUR church school. This means YOUR day care. This means YOUR Church. This is why you must stop this now. This is why you must be a friend of the FLDS, at least for the duration.

Even with all these "certainties," there is no arrest warrant for anyone for any crime yet and it's starting to look like they're going to let Rozita Swinton off the hook (the poor abused thing) not because they really sympathize with her, but because they don't want attention drawn to their frequent jumps from rolling log to rolling log. Eventually it will become obvious. Texas figures they'll find something before you wake up. As far as they are concerned, THEY ALREADY KNOW THEY WILL, not because of evidence, but because if they rounded up 460 kids of families like yours, they know they would find the same things. IT MUST STOP NOW.

Next, why you want to side with polygamists. More →

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FLDS Warrant CANCELED.

Now, there is no warrant for "Dale Evans Barlow." The state of Texas abandons it's ORIGINAL CAUSE. My guess is they don't intent to pursue Rozita either. They'd find out way too much they don't want to know. .

AMARILLO, Texas -The Salt Lake Tribune- "Texas authorities have canceled the arrest warrant for the Arizona man who had been suspected of physically and sexually abusing a teenage girl -- allegations that launched last month's raid on an FLDS ranch in Eldorado."

And he don't know nuttin'.

"'The bottom line is the warrant is no longer active,' said Tom Vinger.
Vinger said he did not know when the cancellation occurred. He would not comment on whether the cancellation confirms the girl's calls for help were a hoax.
'We're still investigating that,' he said."

I'll tell you what they seem to be doing, they seem to be trying to put out the Rozita Swinton fire. Rozita will probably show up at the Democratic Convention in her home town. Texas will probably "neglect" to pursue her like Utah has "neglected" to pursue Allen Steed.

They're also pursuing their second cause, exclusively. That is ignited by seeing (sorry Prairie Fire, eyeballin') crimes while in the Ranch. For false cause. Cause they knew and now admit to be bogus.
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FLDS adults were NOT molesting boys, sorry 'bout that. Rozita to appear in court AFTER custody hearings over.

Ok a few days ago the Texas Keystone Gestapo (not to slander Pennsylvania by the way) let you draw your own conclusions about how many boys were being "molested" and whether or not adults were doing it. Now it's apparent that no adults are involved, but nevermind, the damage was done and that was the purpose of the first story. Put salacious details out there and hint at a role for the horrible over 50 year old sex pervert men, and then after the damage is done, pull it back a little. Just like they usually do. The Houston Chronicle.

"State authorities are investigating whether younger boys taken from a polygamist ranch in West Texas were sexually abused by older boys, not adults, a state official clarified Thursday.

Documents taken from the Yearning for Zion Ranch near Eldorado indicate that younger boys were molested by older boys at the ranch, said the official, who asked not to be identified. No other details about the alleged abuse were available."

So what they do is get into Church "counseling" documents where it may be discovered that some boys "played doctor." I'm NOT suggesting that this is in any way alright, but don't tell me you don't know of someone who has been involved in this sort of mistake as a child. Apparently they handled it internally.

There was also this tidbit, buried at the bottom of the story.

"Individual custody hearings are to be completed by June 5."

How odd that Rozita Swinton's NEW court date that was rescheduled from a few days ago, has been put off until, NO, DON'T TELL ME. Aw, YOU PEEKED.

"Thirty-three-year-old Rozita Swinton is scheduled to be in court June 6 for a pre-trial conference in connection to an incident in February, according to the El Paso County Court Clerk's office."

The day after. (Channel 9, Denver)

PS: Do you want to bet she shows up here, now that she's free from court appearances? The 2008 Colorado Democratic State Convention. It is in Colorado Springs. Look for her there. More →

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Rozita Swinton Update.

It would seem at least that Rozita Swinton is a separate entity from "Kate Rosemary" (UPDATE, or is that "Merry Cate Noel"), I am now assured by her publishing company that "Kate Rosemary" does exist, and has been seen by the author of the article in the "Westview" where Rozita is profiled. "Kate Rosemary" is in fact a "Pen Name" used by the author to protect foster children in her care or having been in her care.

Clarence Swinton, the man Rozita Swinton says is her father, is in fact her father from all indications. The dates DO square up. It's a troubling commentary on our criminal justice system but Rozita's father was on work release 8 years or less after his conviction for 1st Degree Murder. It is a further commentary on our criminal justice system that Clarence's scheduled date for termination of his probation is in 2014 but he can engage in activities that cause court orders to be issued in two states to prevent him seeing his daughter, and still he is out roaming around.

Rozita spent 5 years in foster care, was kidnapped, went through Texas and California and ended up in Colorado. Again, all of this according to the "Westview" article's author. It should be noted that "Westview" also published "Kate Rosemary's" book.

What remains odd is why no one feels "at liberty" to speak about Rozita's "kidnapping." Certainly the "kidnappers" would have committed a criminal offense. The story is not a secret, Rozita's identity is NOT being protected. It's all now a matter of public record that she went on a wild ride kidnapping which as near as I can figure deposited her in Colorado, where she stayed. One of the cell phones she used to make calls was registered to Courtney Swinton, a sibling, also from Tennessee, also in trouble with the law and listed as living in the same apartment complex as Rozita. It has never been confirmed that Courtney did anything more though, than have his name used.

With Rozita's hearing put off until June it's my supposition that something really stinks about her story beyond the fact that it is now obvious she was "Sarah" and ignited the FLDS/YFZ raid in Eldorado. A person calling crisis centers in the extreme Southwestern portion of Florida and buying cell phones to make calls to mislead the police in places as far away as the Seattle Area and back in Tennessee is either very well traveled or has other people involved in her deceit. It will be interesting to find out exactly what all the connections are. More →

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FBI - "We've Got Nothing on the FLDS"

Ok, do you really think Texas' Keystone Gestapo is going to do it? Really, if there is a crime and they are proceeding legitimately, more power to them. But as you know, I don't think they are. The FBI has Bubkes on the FLDS. Deseret News "Feds Stymied."

"Federal authorities have been probing allegations of crimes involving the Fundamentalist LDS Church and its leader Warren Jeffs for years — but have been unable to develop enough probable cause to launch a full-scale investigation or bring charges.

'Those cases where you hear rumor and innuendo about child brides and corruption, we have to have reasonable suspicion to open an investigation,' U.S. Attorney for Utah Brett Tolman said Thursday. 'Beyond that, we have to have probable cause to even get search warrants and grand jury subpoenas. That we have not been able to establish on numerous occasions.'"

Hey Texas, maybe the FBI sent you in first, to see how you'd do. More →

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Rozita Swinton, The BOOK.

And I'm not kidding. Rozita has a book. Two. About her. Well, it's about her and other foster children. KRDO Denver. The article is sourced from HERE. Westview Publishing.

"A Tennessee Newspaper is reporting that Swinton was sexually abused before being placed in state custody. Citing unnamed sources, it also claims Swinton was 'kidnapped by an associate of her abuser and taken across state lines to Texas and then California where she escaped.'

The book Raising Shane, written by her foster mother Kate Rosemary, talks about Swinton's past. "Rozita came to live with us when she aged out of the foster care system. She is one of the most interesting people you can imagine."

In another book, After Disclosure, (a new title for the work "The Feminization of Job") she writes about how Swinton was 'tragically abused.' Rosemary says, '(she) suffered from one of the most extreme forms of posttraumatic stress disorder: she had been diagnosed as having developed multiple personalities' all of which could explain why she reverts back to being a teenager when calling police."

The dates in the story don't make sense.

"Swinton's father Clarence was released from jail in 1992. He was originally convinced of first-degree murder back in 1965. After serving only 12-years, the Governor of Tennessee commuted his sentence. The Tennessee Department of Human Services filed a restraining order on her behalf, not only in Tennessee, but also in Colorado."

This is a typo or misquote. (EDIT, I deleted a large portion of this entry as I found the source information, which made more sense, but still left a lot of questions.)

Listening to the audio of the report from KRDO it get's even worse. Swinton is said to have spend 5 years as a kidnap victim as a teenager. But she graduated from High School in Nashville. She in fact went to two High Schools in Nashville. And she was a LDS missionary (not FLDS). Something REALLY doesn't add up.

UPDATE. The article at KRDO is poor quote. The source, Westview publishing phrases it this way:

"Rozita Swinton’s father was one of the hundreds of convicted felons released by then-Governor Ray Blanton during the pardons for money scandal that led to Lamar Alexander taking office early. Clarence Swinton was convicted of First Degree Murder in 1965 and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. His sentence was commuted by Blanton after he served only 12 years. In 1992, while Rozita was still in the Department’s custody, the Tennessee Department of Human Services (now DCS) had a restraining order issued against him on her behalf. When he located Rozita in Colorado in 2005, this order was registered in that state so that it could be enforced there."

That clears things up a bit. Clarence served from 1965 to about 1977. But Rozita is still born in 1974. (not so clear)

It doesn't add up though. Also Westview Publishing doesn't understand it would seem, the difference between "Mormons" (LDS) and the FLDS.
This would make more sense. Clarence Swinton gets out in the 1977-8 time frame. Comma. Then later in 1992 there is a restraining order. The wild odyssey of kidnapping across the country into Texas and California by unnamed persons has a strained time frame though, to say the least. Since KRDO has created a good deal of confusion, I've contacted the story's author and asked for clarification.

Personally, it wouldn't shock me if there was no Kate Rosemary at this point. It wouldn't shock me even if it turned out Kate Rosemary was Rozita Swinton.

UPDATE: The book AFTER DISCLOSURE is not published. "Kate Rosemary" has two books, both self published (not a crime) by an author for which there is utterly no reference outside the fact that she is listed as publishing two books. The other book is the "Feminization of Job" (now titled "After Disclosure") I am also now aware of other facts regarding the story in "Raising Shane" and in the article on which KRDO bases it story that render significant portions of it false. I'll keep digging. I couldn't update portions of this story until May 2nd, since my internet went down.

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Oh Shut Your Pie Hole....

Under this banner headline in the Houston Chronicle:

Official: "Older sect boys may have abused younger ones
Dozens have old bone fractures; some boys possibly were molested."

We have the following;

"Documents taken from the Yearning For Zion Ranch near Eldorado indicate that younger boys were molested by older boys at the ranch, the official, who asked not to be identified, told the Houston Chronicle.

No other details about the abuse were available."

Just shut up already. This is simple slander. Either pony up with the details or shut up.

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My 15 Seconds of Fame

According to site statistics, I'm can see "Iowahawk" from here. I'm Up From the Deep. More →

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Taking on "Find Law" over the FLDS Fiasco

Thanks to my friend Robert Kirkpatrick, for finding this one. It's not a RESCUE, it's ABUSE, by Texas.

The Rescue of Children from the FLDS Compound in Texas: Why the Arguments Claiming Due Process Violations and Religious Freedom Infringement Have No Merit
By MARCI HAMILTON

"The Due Process Argument: Whether or Not the Caller Was Legitimate, the Important Point is the Lack of Any Government Misconduct and the Serious Evidence of Crimes to Children

There are now allegations that the calls to the authorities spurring the raid were placed by a woman who was not within the YFZ compound. Even if proven, however, this claim would not affect the validity of the authorities' actions. Absent clear evidence that the state fabricated the call or misled the judge who granted the initial search warrant, neither of which seems remotely plausible, the entry cannot be faulted on constitutional grounds. Once the authorities were inside, the evidence of criminal behavior was so plainly apparent that further investigation was more than warranted."

Not being a lawyer, and only a pharisee, I must go carefully but it seems to me that Ms. Hamilton does not present a complete case. There was no informant for instance, inside. Sheriff Doran has a warrant for the perpetrator, who he knew was not present. There is the additional question of how much did Texas know and when did they know it regarding the location of the call and who made it. I am CERTAIN that Sheriff Doran and the Texas CPS has had it's share of false alarms. Are we saying they have no obligation to verify in the face of increasing evidence that bare minimum the report was fake? How can Dale Evans Barlow be holding someone inTexas when he hasn't visited during the LIFETIME of the supposed victim? Marci makes a case that suspicion alone warrants invasion. Suspicion that has no foundation. Essentially one of the members of CPS can just say, "I'm SURE of it" and launch a search. Based on the statistics at WorldNetDaily, I guess they can go anywhere anytime if there are a large number of children in one place. Then there is the whole issue of "eyeballing" as discussed by "Prairie Fire."

Since it is clear that Texas and the CPS Gestapo and Sheriff Doran knew the man the warrant was for, was not there, since they have employed the questionable age verification technique of "eyeballing" since the probably knew it was not a local number from which the tip came, and since we have yet to hear whether or not one of the three, (no two, um maybe one) girls they saw pregnant was one of the ones they "eyeballed" initially, which they feel is their reason for continuing the search, I'd say there is a lot of question. Since, as I and a number of others believe, with excellent reason, that Texas was there without cause, and found no cause while they were there. It should be over. You can't keep looking for a crime when you haven't found one yet and a pregnant 15 year old is NOT prima facie evidence of a crime. They haven't even found one of those yet. More →

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Why does Texas THINK they will find child abuse?

Because as an accomplisher of it's goals, CPS in general has been an abject FAILURE. From WorldNetDaily, Joseph Farah.

"Is the secular state really better at determining what's best for the children of the YFZ Ranch than are the parents of those children?

According to the experts, 62 percent of girls are sexually abused by the age of 18 – outside the YFZ Ranch.

According to the experts, 31 percent of boys are sexually abused by the age of 18 – outside the YFZ Ranch.

According to the experts, most rape victims are under 12 years old – outside the YFZ Ranch."

Thus the CPS Gestapo (Ok, I'm going to start calling them that) KNOW that if they round up enough children and start looking, they'll find SOMETHING. Well, NORMALLY they would find something. This is vaguely reminiscent of the 2000 Florida Recount. I figure Gore supporters were so adamant about recounting because they thought they knew what they would find. Stuffed ballot boxes are similar to neglected mandates in this case. Similarly the Texas CPS swaggers into a large group and can feel pretty confident they will find something, they figure they already know it's there, regardless of probable cause.

If half the 460 some odd kids are female, that means there should be about 230 x .62 with evidence of abuse. That's 142. They've only rounded up 31 and they haven't told us what their ages are and we know they aren't using scientific method to determine age.

Half that number of boys are sexually abused, so that would be 71.

The Texas CPS Gestapo is NOT finding normal rates of abuse. In fact they are having a hard time documenting abuse. In fact the rates of abuse in society at large show that either they must be given MORE power to invade homes and question children or they simply aren't doing their job. Unfortunately the CPS then in fact ARE the Gestapo, sent in when you are in popular disfavor, so as to find something they have a mandate to oversee that they are fairly certain they will find.

Ask yourselves, could your church survive such scrutiny? Probably not. Thus CPS can be sent in with allegations of Child Abuse ANYWHERE. In a large enough group of people SOME crime will be found. When they don't have to have probable cause they are simply used as a tool of oppression. Gestapo. KGB.

By the way Mr. Farah is not completely up to date yet. For instance, Sheriff Doran has said there was no informant inside the ranch. More →

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Texas Politicians Get Nervous About CPS...Clear Throats. CPS Visits Woodshed.

The Texas CPS has been using vague allegations of wrong doing on the part of the FLDS to keep public support for what they are doing. This has bothered a lot of watchers, myself included. Now Texas Senator Jane Nelson is starting to express ever so mild concern; From GoSanAngelo;

"Wednesday in Austin, the chairwoman of the Senate's Health and Human Services Committee was unhappy with information the department presented about the weeklong raid begun April 3.

'I agreed to this format with the understanding that the agency would cover the topics we discussed,' said Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville. 'That didn't happen at the hearing, which concerns me because, as policy makers, we have a responsibility to ensure that the agency is fulfilling its mission.'

'We have asked for a written response by the end of the day to the questions we put to the agency and are now awaiting that response.'"

No, you mean they aren't being accountable? You mean CPS is starting backfires essentially, to control the fire?

"With regard to Cockerell's comments on broken bones, a briefing issued after his testimony states, 'We do not have X-rays or complete medical information on many children, so it is too early to draw any conclusions based on this information, but it is cause for concern, and something we'll continue to examine.'

FLDS members reacted sharply to Cockerell's comments, saying the state is deliberately misleading the public to cover its own errors in the case. A physician at the ranch who is also an FLDS member said most of the broken bones were from minor falls, and that there is no pattern of abuse there.

Parker said state officials are 'trying to politically inoculate themselves from the consequences of this horrible tragedy. This is just an attempt to malign these people.'"

Yup. It would appear that CPS did not turn in their homework and didn't come to class prepared either.

"The presentation from Cockerell included information supporting the CPS allegations that physical abuse has occurred at the ranch and suggestions that the boys might have suffered sexual abuse.

He offered no details in support of the sexual abuse allegations in his presentation to the committee. He went to the lieutenant governor's office immediately after his presentation and later sent out an aide to tell reporters he would not comment further."

Woodshed! And then;

"At that point, Nelson issued a statement demanding further information."

Apparently Jane is starting to feel a small bit of courage...

"We have asked for a written response by the end of the day to the questions we put to the agency and are now awaiting that response."

FLDS Doctor Denies abuse at YFZ Ranch. (Salt Lake Tribune)

"Grits for Breakfast" is on it. More →

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Prairie Fire Reveals Ultra Scientific Age Determination Method of Texas CPS.

It's too good. Read it. "Texas CPS employs "eyeballin'" experts to determine teenagers' ages." More →

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FLDS Women (and their men) willing to sacrifice to get their children back.

I wouldn't interpret the following as a split between the men and women of the FLDS. I'm guessing that FLDS women are acting in concert with their men. If the men are the threat, take the men out of the home, let us have our children back. Essentially to continue holding the kids then means that Texas is opposing religious freedom, stating that it's citizens do not have the rights that the US Constitution says they do.

AUSTIN, Texas (Deseret News)— "Attorneys for 38 FLDS women filed a new appeal Wednesday seeking to have more than 400 children returned to their mothers.

The petition alternatively asks the 3rd Court of Appeals to order the men to leave the YFZ Ranch and allow the children to return, or order mothers and their children to live elsewhere.

'The trial court could order the men — the alleged perpetrators of abuse — to vacate the ranch, or it could order the women to live elsewhere with the children during the pendency of the investigation,' says the petition filed by attorneys for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid."

Amended Petition for Writ of Mandamus.

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Surrender Monkey Harry Reid goes on Offense, against US Citizens who are Polygynists.

I say bring it on you gutless surrender monkey. You can't go after terrorists who kill US Citizens, but you're going to send the Polygyny Police after us. Bring it Harry, you'll just wind up legalizing it.

WASHINGTON -Salt Lake Tribune- "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff today to say the two should 'kiss and make up' after the they dueled this week in news reports over action taken against crimes in polygamous communities.
Reid, D-Nev., blasted Utah and Arizona in a radio interview on Monday, saying officials in the two states were afraid of taking action against the polygamous sects in their states because the groups had developed political clout. Shurtleff, a Republican, and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, a Democrat, fired back that Reid was ignorant of their efforts.
Wednesday morning, Reid called both attorneys general and was helping to set up a meeting between the two and the U.S. Justice Department to boost coordination between the agencies.
'He called to say, "Let's kiss and make up. We have the same goal and that's to get more federal involvement,'" Shurtleff said of his conversation with Reid.
Reid's comments to KUER's Doug Fabrizio were prompted by the raid of a Texas compound in which several hundred children were removed from their homes and an investigation into child abuse launched. Reid said he was a cheerleader for what Texas did and that Utah and Arizona should have done it decades ago.
On Wednesday, after The Tribune and other news outlets reported on the political flare-up, Reid and Shurtleff agreed to move on and talked about their mutual goal of establishing a federal task force to look into potential federal crimes within the various polygamous sects. Some estimates show about 60,000 polygamists living in Utah and Arizona, though Nevada also has a share of polygamists as well.
Reid spokesman Jon Summer said the discussion is yielding results.
'Looks like everything is moving in the right direction as far as stepping up enforcement,' Summers said. "And, at the end of the day, the ultimate goal is to step up enforcement and to protect children and women from abusive situations."

Sure, advocate for the rights of homosexuals, (Rated 67% by the HRC, indicating a mixed record on gay rights. (Dec 2006)) but attack heterosexual persons with sincere religious convictions. Make my day Harry.
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FLDS Children have Broken Bones.

The state of Texas is now switching focus. What's the matter? Having an admitted 22 year old man with an admitted "child bride" who is "monogamously married" to her isn't enough? Can't they just hang their case on the fact that 25 months ago Pamela Jeffs was underage and her husband is four years older than she is? Apparently not. While we wait to see if they are planning to file criminal charges against Pamela's husband, Texas offers us this, again with the inflationary language, short on specifics.

"AUSTIN (Deseret News) — The chief of protective services in Texas is telling legislators that investigators have uncovered a history of physical injuries, including broken bones, in children taken from a polygamst sect.

Commissioner Carey Cockerell, who oversees the state agency now caring for the children, said medical examinations have revealed numerous physical injuries, including broken bones in "very young children."

Well, confound it, arrest someone. Wait. "Medical examinations have revealed numerous broken bones in very young children," well at least, that's what you are meant to hear. Just as before with the pregnant underage girls, of which there may now be NONE, we have an interesting construction. First, "Numerous physical injuries" could mean they all came into Texas custody with scuffed knees and bloody elbows. Bumps on the head. Kids are like that.

Next they say "Including broken bones" which means, well, two or three kids could have had broken bones because what they say next is "very young children." These two statements are meant for you to think there are a lot of broken bones in infants. There is no definition of "very young children" here, do they mean kids under 4? Boys under 4 break arms, my 2 year old daughter took a leap off the second story of a building once, and didn't break anything, then she jumped off an awning support in my back yard into my arms and incurred a spiral fracture of her right leg. I assure you there was no abuse involved. In the first case she was walking, started to run, and squeezed through an opening in a retaining wall before her mother could catch her. In the second, well, who would have thought that dad saying, "Come here, don't climb up that" would result in her reaching for me, and breaking her leg.

They've got NOTHING yet. Maybe nothing EVER. They're feeding these stories into the public consciousness to keep their lame case afloat. Does this mean there won't be charges? Nope. There could be. Pamela Jeffs' husband could be arrested I suppose. That's going to be difficult since it doesn't fit the paradigm of fat balding sweaty old men sex perverts bending over 13 year olds. He can easily make the case he is in a common law marriage with parental permission. They might get a conviction, but it will paint Texas as a bunch of moralistic prudes imprisoning a young man for loving a younger girl and making a lifetime commitment to her. That's going to be a tough one if they try it.

Physical abuse? It means Texas is getting DESPERATE. Just as they had lots of teenage girls they wanted us to believe were sexually abused, now they are proffering lots of "very young children" with broken bones, but that's just a sound bite too. We're probably talking a couple of four year old boys with broken arms. Like that never happens.

UPDATE from the Houston Chronicle;

"Medical exams indicate that at least 41 of the 463 children in state custody had previous broken or fractured bones, said Marleigh Meisner, spokeswoman for Texas Child Protective Services."

That's less than 10%. The average citizen in a developed country has two bone breaks in their lifetime.

The rate of bone breakage among children is 11% according to one study, among children with no mental disorders, it was 22% for those with mental disorders. More →

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Arrest that man!

From the Salt Lake Tribune;

"(Pamela) Jeffs is one of 26 women CPS says is a minor - although a court document prepared by a state investigator lists her as 18. Attorney Rod Parker, an FLDS spokesman, also said Jeffs is 18.
'Her husband is 22 and they are a monogamous couple,' Parker said, noting the father 'is being deprived of the opportunity to spend those first special moments with his son on a basis that makes no common sense. Infant babies are not going to be indoctrinated.'
The couple also have a 16-month-old son, who is being held at The Children's Shelter in Austin.
Crimmins said Jeffs and her infant will be placed in a shelter together, assuring their safety. CPS has allowed mothers to remain with infants 12 months old or younger who are in state custody.
Crimmins said that all 26 females now deemed to be minors have children. CPS previously identified five teenagers who were 15 or 16 when they conceived a child."

This story is absolutely loaded.

First of all, Texas has come forward with no proof whatsoever that the girl in question is not 18. They have asserted that, but haven't demonstrated that. In addition, the FLDS who have been never known so far to lie in their public pronouncements state that her "husband" is 22. Judging by the age of their child, Texas may have a case right here, but they have to prove she is not monogamously married to her husband and also married without her parents consent. A case will be made by defense council that they are married "common law" or that the statute of limitations has run out on his previous "Crime" with Pamela or that the effective date of the law that governs this issue was after she became pregnant with their first child. If you will note here that the age difference (4 years) and the declaration of paternity the FLDS is admitting, then if there was a crime they've already shot themselves in the foot. Pamela Jeffs' husband should be arrested. There is no warrant yet.

Why are they holding Pamela Jeffs? As their attorney states, the infant cannot be indoctrinated. It's highly unlikely her 16 month old could be either. There is no concept of prior restraint when it comes to free speech anyway. They'd have to be shown to be indoctrinating their child and then it would have to be shown they were indoctrinating their child to do something illegal. Even THEN that's a tough call. This is prior restraint of free speech and an abridgment of our Freedom of Religion. Either they must charge Pamela Jeffs' husband, or they should let them go.

As far as the remaining "children", there has been no statement from Texas as to what ages the "children with children" are other than the upper limit. For all we know there are only 17 year old "children with children." Someone needs to ask the age distribution. Not all of the girls they are holding have kids or have been pregnant according to Texas, so why do they keep mentioning 53, when they say now that only 26 are minors with children? As I told you before, the numbers Texas gives you intially to make their case, keep going down, if in fact a high number makes their case. The numbers Texas gives us have always behaved in a fashion initially favorable to their case, then they change. More →

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Ok, been there, SAID THAT.

"ABUSING THE WEIRDOS, AGAIN. It's time to drop the Texas crusade." Read the whole column. It's time to quit picking on the FLDS and pack it in. The Colorado Springs Gazette.

"Thursday, a Colorado lawyer filed a scathing 39-page motion that says Texas authorities knew that Barlow, the man they had a warrant to find, was in Arizona at the time of the raid. Prominent Aspen Lawyer Gerry Goldstein, who owns a law firm in San Antonio, claims evidence that Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran spoke with Barlow on a cell phone, confirming his drivers' license and location in Arizona, before executing the raid. In the phone call, says Goldstein's lawsuit, Barlow advised the sheriff he had not been to Texas in 20-some years, and had never heard of the girl he was suspected of raping."

Been there, said that. Click the link or scroll down. I've made the next point as well, but not AS well;

"Young teenage girls should not be pregnant. That's not to say, however, that young pregnant teens stand as prima facie evidence of crime. If so, then cops should raid every high school in every state, where they will find unwed, young, pregnant teens, some impregnated by men. And they most certainly should raid every Planned Parenthood outfit and other abortion businesses that routinely sell abortions to young pregnant teens."

Told you. More →

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Now comes the state of Texas...

Shock and Awe phase. Make us think there are a LOT of pregnant (were pregnant) young girls. Remember there has been a recent change in law. From FOX News.

"Child Protective Services spokesman Darrell Azar says 53 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 were living on the ranch in Eldorado. Of that group, 31 already have children or are pregnant."

UPDATE: From the Deseret news, Texas confirms that after the above BLARING headline, they only have two pregnant girls. The FLDS contends they only have one that could have been "underage" at the time. We still do not have a list girls who are 14 and WERE pregnant or are pregnant. We do not have the number for 15, or 16 or 17. If there is a 17 year old with a 2 and a half year old child for instance, it might not matter.

"A total of 53 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 are in state custody after a raid 3 1/2 weeks ago at the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado. Of those girls, 31 either have children or are pregnant, said Child Protective Services spokesman Darrell Azar. Two of those are pregnant now, he said; it was unclear whether either of those two already have children."

UPDATE: Absolutely SPASTIC with anticipation, the prosecution is finding that they can't get to what they think is "Evidence." Boxes and boxes of FLDS documents may fall under the privilege of the confessor. Defense attorneys must look first and the FLDS don't have that much in the way of resources to plow through the room size stack of evidence. They're going about it at the rate of about a box every two days. The Deseret News;

"Defense lawyers Bob Switzer and John Fahle, both of San Antonio, began going through the papers two weeks ago, Switzer said after a hearing Monday before 51st District Court Judge Barbara Walther.
But the state asked for an independent reviewer to take over the job. Officials were unsatisfied with the pace at which the lawyers were reading the documents - it took Switzer an entire day to read about half of the papers in one box labeled 'bishop's records' alone - and were concerned that they may assert privilege in an attempt to exclude evidence from potential criminal cases."

Obviously the hope is to find non privileged records of births and ancestry so as to make the case regarding the "abuse" of young girls. Clearly they don't have that now. The state of Texas made a big announcement about how many girls had been pregnant trying to make their case look strong. At the rate that the hopefully damning evidence is trickling in (because defense counsel must look FIRST) the Rozita Swinton evidence and the lack of currently pregnant underage girls may destroy all cause for a warrant in the first place. It will eventually be asked "Which Girl did you see while at YFZ that was pregnant?" and if it isn't one of the 2 (or one) that is, they had no cause to go further. Clearly they had no cause to be there in the first place, but we're putting that down to an understandable mistake on the part of Texas.

Texas' position will eventually have to be "we came in with right motive but bad evidence" and then "saw a crime". The warrant is still operative right NOW because they are pretending not to see Rozita Swinton, because legally, they haven't made a determination about her yet. Once Rozita is acknowledged, and she will be, then they have to show why they continued their investigation. Texas is hoping they can find documentary evidence to base another warrant on, before that. If they cannot they must pack up and go home. Or they SHOULD. Actually they should have already.

They are depending entirely on finding real cause before every false cause is shown to be that, legally. More →

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Miley Cyrus Pictures and the FLDS Fiasco

Hey, isn't that an over 40 (50?) year old man with a minor child under 16 who is not fully clothed?

Pictures of Miley Cyrus where she appears semi nude have reportedly "embarrassed" the young star. Miley, who is Billy Ray Cyrus' daughter and who is best known as "Hannah Montana" is 15. Gradually we are starting to hear of her as "Miley Cyrus" not so much as "Hannah Montana." And now there are "provocative" photos of her. How Ironic, while we all wring our hands about FLDS girls being pawed over by old men. Every old man in the WORLD with a computer can now do himself a "Big Favor" with the latest copy of Vanity Fair. What is more likely to cause abuse? The Abusive Teachings of the FLDS or pictures of Miley Cyrus, former child star, now budding "virtual whore?"

This is certainly not a comment on Miley's actual virtue. I am sure her parents have kept her close and safe. But they seem to be planning the next stage in her career. I promise you it's not porn, it's suggestive. See them here. Honestly, I have no idea how long the link will last.

Now, I don't go looking for this sort of thing, but it was on the DrudgeReport. I was looking for new FLDS info and lo and behold. Her parents were right there. Weren't FLDS parents "right there?" Does this encourage the sexualization of a child? Is this an oppressive atmosphere? Does this encourage pedophilia? A lot of the pictures were taken out of doors under heavy lighting with Miley apparently naked from the waist up, save for a bedsheet. I'm sure one of the over 40 men got more of a view than we did. Where is Harvey now? Are APC's and snipers surrounding Billy Ray's home? More →

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Texas Law Changed Specificly to "Get" the FLDS.

Hey, if you don't like what someone is doing, do what Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R- Kerrville TX did. Change the law in a state full of millions of people to make something that was perviously legal, into something punishable by LIFE IN PRISON.

"A Texas lawmaker who helped pass legislation strengthening the state's marriage laws in response to the Fundamentalist LDS Church presence in his state said he believes criminal charges will result from the Eldorado raid earlier this month."

"Hilderbran's original HB3006, which was incorporated into a larger child welfare reform bill, SB6, in 2005, raised the marrying age with parental consent from 14 to 16 and included provisions that made it a first-degree felony to marry a child under the age of 16. Being convicted of doing so is punishable up to life in prison. The measures also had criminal penalties for people who officiate such a union and sanctions against parents who knowingly endorse a union and provide false information about the age of their marrying children."

From the Deseret News.

Harvey is a nearly 50 year old man, with two young daughters. Does this suggest that Harvey is married to a younger woman? I dunno, just idle thinking so far. Harvey may be the paragon of virtue. It's hard to get Biographical information on him. I don't think most men who reach 35 though and have no kids have been monks. My apologies in advance Mr. Hilderbran if I have raised a suggestion with no foundation in the truth. That would be, um, unfair. More →

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Is Texas Killing FLDS Kids? If one dies, that will be how it looks.

Of course we all hope not. That would of course be a tide turning event that makes Texas the villain, not the hero. The Salt Lake Tribune;

"At least three children taken from a polygamous sect's ranch are in the hospital and attorneys for their mothers say they have received little or no information about their conditions. Attorneys for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) are working to identify the children, the hospitals, and to arrange for their mothers to visit the children. 'We can't seem to get anyone on the phone with authority to make that happen and the mothers don't even know the seriousness of the situation,' said Amanda Chisholm, a TRLA attorney.

The legal aid society, which represents 48 mothers, said one 2-year-old child lost a severe amount of weight while staying at the San Angelo Coliseum.

TRLA said the organization was told two days ago that the child was in shock and lethargic, but has received no new information since then about where the child is or regarding her current health situation."

We know that when Texas wants to manipulate FLDS mothers, they lie to them (go with your kids or you will NEVER get them back). We know when Texas wants to paint a picture of abuse, they lie to us, in terms of numbers by exaggerating them (as in 40 moms are in shelters by their own choice, not telling us that at least 17 are there to stay with their children). We know over 20 FLDS kids came down with chicken pox shortly after they were sent to the San Angelo Concentration Camp (excuse me, Colosseum). Texas asks us to believe there are 20-25 "abused underage girls" when in fact there are one or two that MIGHT be, (and that would only be if Texas turns out to be right). There are missing kids, kids sick enough to be hospitalized. Isn't Texas doing a GREAT JOB? The mother of this child is not being allowed to visit her. Unless they think they have a case of Münchhausen by proxy, why is this being done?

Of course, with the state involved, the news comes out well after the actual event, so they can create a cover story. Damage control. Fine. I have no problem with wanting to control damage but it is in that environment that crimes of the state are covered up altogether. Damage control gone wild is a cover up.

UPDATE: Make that NINE KIDS.

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Texas Already Losing FLDS Kids.

Twice now the state of Texas has miscounted the number of children they have. Now, as they have finished moving them, they have already started to LOSE them.

Quote:

CORPUS CHRISTI - "A Corpus Christi attorney representing two mothers from the Schleicher County polygamist retreat raided this month says that child welfare authorities cannot account for two boys."

From "GoSanAngelo." More →

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There can be only ONE. The FLDS responds to Texas

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

SAN ANGELO, Texas - "An attorney for FLDS families in Texas today challenged the state's claim of a pervasive pattern of underage girls having children, saying the state's own documents show that just two teenagers in custody are pregnant.
Rod Parker, who also acts as a spokesman for the polygamous sect at the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, said he was basing his statements on a list that was given to him by an unnamed source who said the document was generated by Texas Child Protective Services.
Of the three teenagers listed as pregnant, Parker said, one is about to turn 18 and another refused to take a pregnancy test, he said.
'That leaves us with one,' he said.
Based on that list, Parker said, 'I challenge the CPS to come forward with the pregnant minors'."

Texas has at the outside three girls that the could hang their case on, maybe one. From the tone of his story, they are not friendly witnesses to the state.
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Coat hanger abortions and FLDS Polygamy. The winning scenario for Texas vs the FLDS and Polygyny

For those that love our liberty in this country, for those who know what that liberty is made up of in our Constitution, there has never been any doubt. Once the facts of the FLDS/YFZ raid were known, the raid was the abomination, not the potential practices of the FLDS.

Only the most blinkered of us think that there are no "underage marriages" among the FLDS. Indeed, it's rather easy to suppose that some of those marriages are to men that are well past the 3 year age difference limit that immunize those males from criminal prosecution in the pregnancies of young girls. Texas is trying to keep the ball in play until they can prove something like this occurred. CNN reports:

"Also Thursday, Texas child protection officials said more children were moved from a temporary shelter at a San Angelo, Texas, coliseum into foster care. Among them were 25 girls believed to be minors -- all of them with children -- who had previously claimed to be older than 18.

The District Court motion filed Wednesday requests that Walther conduct a hearing to determine whether 'good ground' existed to issue the two search warrants in connection with the raid."

Texas believes that if they can keep the kids long enough, and keep the mothers long enough, they will find at least one of them that had sex with a male that is over 3 years in difference of age than she is. This is from a group of 25 girls they THINK are underage who SAY they are not. Once they find this person, they will then continue to keep as many kids as possible and rely on public revulsion for this act to excuse their destruction of our rights. Every time someone rises to defend their rights (and consequently all of our rights) they will be assailed with images of overweight, wrinkly, ugly old men thrusting on 13 year old girls who are supposed to be unwilling. This is the "coat hanger" argument of the anti polygyny crowd for just as back alley coat hanger abortions are waved in our face to justify elective abortions, creepy old men deflowering cowering beautiful virginal young girls will be the talisman waved in our faces to convince us that all polygyny is bad.

The facts remain. A pregnant 13 year old is not evidence of a crime. This is true because 13 year olds can get pregnant in entirely legal circumstances and in fact they do so regularly. A lot of them in open society get pregnant by a boy within three years of age of them, and get an abortion.

A "young looking" girl that claims to be 18 and is pregnant and doesn't want to testify otherwise is not evidence of a crime. For the above reason, and because of the presumption of innocence. The guilt is not even hers since if there was a crime, it would have been committed by someone else.

The state of Texas entered the YFZ ranch as the evidence presented in my last post shows, knowing that the alleged perpetrator was not there and probably hadn't been. They entered the YFZ ranch without taking advantage of the now considerable power to trace phone calls and see where they came from. They then proceeded to assume that certain things seen while they were there amounted to evidence of a crime when in fact MOST of the time such things are encountered elsewhere, they are NOT evidence of a crime. A lot of pregnant 13 year old girls have not been legally raped. They have a worthless boyfriend who is close to their own age.

So, now we are down to 25 girls who SAY they are not under the age of 18. In truth, they could even be above the age of 17 and things would be OK. The state of Texas is interrogating them, holding them against their will, or using their children to keep them under the state's control so as to continue to examine evidence until a crime can be discovered. It is by no means certain that such a crime will ever be discovered. They don't know who committed the crime. They don't exactly know what the crime was. They don't know where it was committed. They don't know for sure it was committed when it was actually a crime (Texas law HAS changed recently). They don't know who the crime was committed against. They don't even know if the statute of limitations has expired on a crime that they may discover. What they do know is that if there is a crime, the bodies of the 25 girls they still have are part of the evidence chain for that crime.

So they search, and search and search and search in the FAITH that with all they have heard and been told about the FLDS, they WILL find a crime. This is not within the scope of the original warrant, not even now. What Texas hopes to do is make us see grunting old sweaty men popping Viagra, popping little girl's cherries and no sooner than grunting and rolling off their terrified victims, finding another little girl to abuse. If they can find ONE GIRL by false imprisonment, illegal search and seizure, a girl whose name they do not yet know, they can succeed in distracting us from the truth of what they have done by waiving that bloody coat hanger in our faces. We'll give them a pass, and they know that. Never mind the fact that if they came to YOUR church, rounded up everyone, went through all their stuff and looked and looked and looked, they would probably find something wrong as well. A porn stash. A pregnant teenager. Marijuana. Evidence of tax evasion. Something. It wouldn't be right to have any of those things in our congregations or homes but they would be there. Worse yet, they could be made to look like they were there, and we will have put out the welcome mat for our own destruction by telling the police they can go anywhere.

Do you know why police have on occasion, planted evidence? To justify an illegal search and seizure. The most nightmarish scenario for you, John Q. Public is that they WON'T find anything when they search your houses, so it will be put there, so as to keep the invader safe.
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Sheriff Doran acted on bad information, and knew it.

Before going in, Texas had and Sheriff Doran had extensive ID information in their warrant including the names of all involved, the alleged perpetrator and the victim "Sarah". Birthdates, names, etc. So much so that they were utterly certain who "Dale" was. He was on probation in Arizona. They talked to him on a cell phone, they knew he was not in Texas, they had every reason to believe he had not been there in recent years. From the 51st Judicial District, in the state of Texas, Schleicher County.

"The face of the affidavit..reflects that affiant Long and Sheriff Doran had "obtained a copy of a judgment [from] the Superior Court of the State of Arizona" reflecting that Dale Evans had been convicted and was currently under supervised probation in the State of Arizona."

There's a lot more, I had to type that portion because I can't copy the PDF File. I don't have the software. But please, by all means, go read it yourself. Texas KNEW they would not find a victim of this man's advances, before they went in, but they went in anyway. More →

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Gary Demar's fascination with the FLDS and Polygyny

Over at American Vision, my old acquaintance Gary Demar has this to say:

“Once the Bible is rejected as a standard for moral values, then everything is up for grabs. It’s getting more difficult to argue against polygamy after the way consensual homosexuality is being legalized.”

I do not agree, and we’ve talked about this, that abandoning the Bible is requirement for supporting polygyny. I disagree entirely. I agree that legal homosexual relationships make it hard to refuse polygynists or polygamists. I’d be happy to debate you publicly rather than privately on this subject.

When I was "coming out" with my views on polygyny, my mother connected me again with Gary and we debated the topic briefly, and privately on the phone. Gary's eventual exasperated response was "Why don't you go just get another wife?" This is because he had no refutation.

I remind him AGAIN of that conversation, and point out that he has no business whatsoever claiming publicly that polygyny is against scripture when he privately has been unable to offer a refutation. Gary, any time you want to have the debate I'm ready, but this time it has to be public. More →

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