Do you know where your children are?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/05/22/flds.ruling/index.html

Finally, the common sense prevailed. The court had concluded that FLDS children were taken from their homes illegally.

It is hard to imagine what these people went through. Few things are worse than losing your children, and it is hard to imagine the trauma the children had experienced from being separated from parents. I do not condone the practice of marrying off young girls to old men and polygamy as a whole. I find the practice of expelling young boys (to decrease the pool of men looking for wives) into the world they hardly know without any tools for survival simply horrific. It is hard to justify marrying off underage girls, and marrying them (or anybody else) again their wishes is simply reprehensible. Having said that, what the state of Texas did to these families is even worse. What they were planning to do is incomprehensible. From all the statistics and research, it is quite obvious that to end up in foster system is a fate much worse than being married at 16 (provided the bride consented). Saving these girls from teenage pregnancy within marriage would be substituted by high likelihood of teenage pregnancy outside of marriage. Who wins?

Then why was it done? What purpose would be served if the government succeeded in taking the kids away? It was evident that there was more to the story than protecting underage girls from early marriages; otherwise, why would the government take boys and very young children?

I am happy that the polygamists prevailed. Otherwise, it would put many people, myself included, in danger of losing kids without due process. It would give the government unreasonably broad permission to take the children and then sort out the facts. As is, government is too involved and trying to gain even more control over people's private lives, families and children.

As for the state of Texas, that money could've been so much better spent on children that are in real danger of abuse and children in foster homes. But hey, that wouldn't be so exciting, wouldn't it?