Moral High Ground in Texas?

For y'all that don't live in Texas, we love our liberty. In fact, one of the reasons that Texas is so great is our independence and individuality. Of course, since we are so modest... we'd never let on that things could be less than perfect in the Lone Star State.

Not today. The part of being Texan is telling it as it is. In good conscience I have to protest the travesty taking place near ElDorado. There is a polygamist compound there that identifies itself as Yearning for Zion Ranch of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a breakaway sect, and the "official" Mormon Church, headquartered in Salt Lake City, does not recognise them.

A phone call, allegedly from a sixteen year old girl, laid a claim of sexual abuse. This prompted the authorities to descend on the compound in search of the victim and the perpetrator or evidence of a crime.

I have no problem with that in general. My issue is that as of right now over 400 kids have been removed and may be placed in foster care.

On Monday, investigators spent a fifth day searching the 1,691-acre West Texas compound and announced that a judge had now approved the removal of 401 children for possible foster placement, pending court hearings, because of suspected abuse or neglect.-- from the New York Times

Right there, in plain view of God and everyone we see the state arbitrarily cutting the parental rights away without obvious cause. Me, I think that this is on par with the Waco incident a few years back. Essentially, we have what amounts to a commune that isn't really bothering anyone being persecuted by government agents simply because the lifestyle doesn't square with the JQ Public version of "normal".

Oh, and they haven't found the girl who made the phone call yet.

I only have one wife. I don't agree with what I know of the Mormon faith. But, that doesn't allow me to trample on thier rights to live as they see fit so long as they harm no others. And, try as I might, I have yet to find anything to imply that the citizens living in the ranch are doing anything other than living thier lives and trying to worship as they see fit. Yep, it's that whole First Amendment thing in action.

Last time I looked, Texas was supposed to be the proudest state in the United States of America. It's too bad we are not living up to it today.