Letters to the Editor
Published Letters: 135 Editor's Choice: 12
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Some more bits of info
[Read the article: Polygamists' progeny]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Before the mothers were separated from the children, they had their cell phones taken from them. My guess is, the men were calling them, telling them what to say and what to do, and that some of those calls were "get those kids and get back here, now". And that's why CPS decided (belatedly) to separate the mothers from the children. But that's just my guess as to what happened.
Regarding CPS using the phone call as an excuse. From what I read, they've been following the rumors about the compound closely. But, they could not act until they had "actionable intelligence". Up until that point, they would be engaging in "religious profiling". Do you think if they just knocked on a couple doors and said "we'd like to interview you about your living arrangements", the women and children wouldn't have been coached ahead of time about what to say? "Yeah, he's my baby's daddy, I love him but he's married to someone else."
Instead, as soon as they (CPS) got a phone call giving details of alleged crimes (rape, beating, something like kidnapping - the caller said she'd be locked in the closet without food and water as punishment) and the name of the perpetrator, and I presume the fact that this was the normal state of affairs there, they acted. Legally, they could not act before this. Unless they wanted the ACLU (or the FLDS's version of such) on their back.
And to the person that was stating that the age of marriage (with parental permission) in Texas is 13, this situation has nothing to do with marriage. These are only "spiritual marriages" that have nothing to do with state or federal law. They are meaningless in that respect, much as gay marriage currently is. The issue here (aside from the beatings and being locked in the closet) is either rape or statutory rape. Even if the wife were the same age as the husband, she is still absolutely permitted to say "No". Shocking, huh?
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@Xanthro
[Read the article: Polygamists' progeny]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]They certainly don’t view it as whoring or rape.
Yeah, and the US government doesn't torture, because they don't consider waterboarding, stress positions, etc. torture. Just because THEY don't call it whoring or rape, doesn't make it not so.
Also, we certainly DO have people alleging rape. The 16-year-old that made the call alleges it. I'm sure they must have that on tape. She's probably the one that told about the bed in the temple too. Maybe they haven't found her yet because she is locked in a closet somewhere. Or has been killed for her actions and is now buried in a shallow grave. Things must be investigated, and in the meantime the children must be protected. If nothing illegal is going on, then cult or not, the kids will be returned.
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The prostitute idea
[Read the article: Best reason to cab it: The subway groper]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The idea of paying for a prostitute will not work. This activity is not about sex, it's about power - just like rape is. He chooses to do this in a specific place - the subway - where people are wedged together with no way of escaping, where he has plausible deniability that he did anything "on purpose", and people in general don't complain when something inappropriate happens for fear a riot might break out. I assume he doesn't do this in shopping malls, in line at the movies, at the post office, etc. since he's never been caught there.
If ever there was a need for the Scarlet Letter, this would be it. In its absence, he should be equipped with a high-voltage electrical shock device that would give him a jolt anytime he got within 2 inches of another human being.
Seriously, though, this is a tough issue. It might be fixable with intense therapy - if he WANTS to stop this behavior. Something tells me he doesn't.
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@captcrisis (and others)
[Read the article: Anti-abortion, pro-Obama]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]captcrisis (and others), you claim that there are many (perhaps even MOST, you claim) anti-abortion people who believe in sex ed, contraception, etc. Can you point any of them out for me, please? Because as far as I can tell, they don't exist. Either that, or they just don't care. Otherwise they'd be making more noise about the tactics of all the pro-life groups.
I heard a program on NPR once that was about pro-choice vs. pro-life. I think the topic was emergency contraception (NOT the abortion pill). The spokeswoman for the pro-life group gave, as its reason for opposing emergency contraception (in addition to IUDs, birth control pills and various other forms of contraception), is that there may be a possibility that the contraception may cause the death of a fertilized egg. If life begins at conception, this would be unacceptable - even though there's really no possible way of proving this has or has not happened.
I completely understand their logic, though personally I do not agree with it. But.
Then the host asked about the group's position on condoms and diaphragms. Her reply was THEY DIDN'T HAVE ONE. See, she agreed that barrier methods have NOTHING to do with fertilized eggs. If they were truly wanting to stop abortions, they should be passing out condoms and diaphragms like candy at Halloween. But she said that that issue was best up to their members' individual consciences.
It's fine to say you're a one-issue group. But don't say you're anti-abortion when what you're really anti- is anti-non-procreative-sex.
I wish some of your pro-contraception, pro-sex-ed friends would join these groups and change their positions about barrier methods, sterilization, etc. Until then, they're just talking through their hat about wanting to abolish abortion but being pro-conception and pro-sex-ed.