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By MICHELLE ROBERTS, Associated Press Writer
SAN ANGELO, Texas – More than 400 children taken from a ranch run by a polygamous sect will stay in state custody and be subject to genetic testing, a judge ruled Friday. State District Judge Barbara Walther heard 21 hours of testimony over two days before ruling that the children be kept by the state. Individual hearings will be set for the children over the next several weeks.
Child welfare officials say they’ve had difficulty determining how the children and adults are related because of evasive or changing answers…
Does anyone else think it’s kind of scary that the State has done this? Sure, I’m not all about polygamy and underage marriage (what is of age, anyway?) but I am concerned that several hundred people have had their lives turned upside down by a phone call from a person who cannot be found…
I had friends here in Pensacola who were practicing polygamists. Let me tell you, it rocked my little sheltered world when my friend (the second wife) told me the truth. What do you say? I think it’s mostly: what do you think? Eventually, this family was turned into child authorities and went on the run. By the time they came back, our relations were too strained to be able to resume the friendship.
My point is: it’s weird and is considered immoral/illegal by some standards. But, if your standards aren’t the same as the conventionally recognized one–how can you be judged by the conventional standards? Okay, my real point is: what if something you are I are doing and considering normal goes against a set standard? Will our rights be violated because someone else does not agree with them?
{/RANT}
BrightHaven Days 
I understand what you are saying about the government but sometimes things like this need to be taken care of and who else will do it?
I don’t have a problem per say with the polygamy if it is between adults and everyone agrees.
I do have a problem with young girls being married off to men who could be their grandfathers and those girls having no real say so.
If you have watched the interviews on shows such as Larry King with the wives you can see that they are not forth coming with any real info about the situation.
I am very familiar with the origins of these groups and I know people who have left them. Abuse is rampant. These test ordered will start to reveal some of the truth that they refuse to tell.
If you want a really good read about a crime associated with polygamy in Utah read Jon Krakauer’s Under The Banner Of Heaven. It switches back and forth between the crime and early history and ties modern day polygamy to it’s origins and history. I found it hard to put down and finished in only a couple of days.
I’ve also been troubled by this news. What worries me most is the children being separated from their mothers, and not knowing what kind of foster homes they’re in. Will the foster parents be sensitive to their situation, or will they try to force the kids to instantly adapt to the modern world?
I agree that they need to stop abuse, but I do worry about these kids’ lives being disrupted so.
I could argue in my head both sides of this story, I think the whole situation is troubling. I too have read Under the Banner of Heaven. It is well worth reading and very informative!
Hey everybody, thanks for sharing your views on this topic. Sounds like I need to scrounge up a copy of this book. Thanks for the recommendation!
did you see this? what a strong little girl! http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1145&p=front&a=2
Sheryl, you are officially right. Offense rests.