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THE BABE IN THE BUNKER Barbara Simpson

Free the Texas children now!

Posted: June 02, 2008
1:00 am Eastern

© 2010 

It never ends. The hell on Earth created for the parents and children from the polygamist sect ranch in Texas goes on and on.

Just as the parents got the court decision they needed which would have reunited them with their children who'd been taken by the state under false pretenses, one judge throws a monkey wrench into the plan, effectively stalling it because of further demands on the parents.

What's worse is that the terms set by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and Texas District Judge Barbara Walther are treated as acceptable and enforceable.

What rubbish! What utter nonsense!

The whole mess is unconscionable, patently illegal, morally wrong and, if it isn't, should be, criminally prosecutable.

The Yearning for Zion Ranch, in Eldorado, practices polygamy and is run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Polygamy was renounced by mainstream LDS in 1890.

The state conducted a heavily armed raid on the ranch April 3, resulting in the seizure of more than 440 children and their placement in foster homes across the state. The "justification" for the raid was the state claim of a "pervasive pattern of sexual abuse" and immediate danger of further mistreatment.

The whole case was based on an anonymous phone call from someone claiming mistreatment on the ranch. The raid was conducted and "justified" even when it was shown the phone call was a hoax.

Apparently with a straight face, the state, with orders from Judge Walther, kept control of the children. Some 430 are in foster homes. More than half are younger than 5 years old. Only nursing babies remain with their mothers.

The parents endure the separation from their children in addition to chaotic custody hearings with the aid of hundreds of lawyers.

Their legal appeals finally resulted in some sanity with the Third Court of Appeals finding the state had no evidence the children were in "imminent danger" and, that there were "legally and factually insufficient" grounds for their removal.

It was revealed that early claims of more than 31 pregnant teens on the ranch weren't true; more than half were adults – one was 27!

Despite such embarrassing revelations, the state and Judge Walther hung tough. Parent's appeals to the Texas Supreme Court resulted in a May 29 ruling reinforcing there was no legitimate basis for the raid or the continued control of the children. State claims of sexual abuse of all the children were rejected.

Parents joyously planned reunions with their babies as soon as June 2.

But they didn't plan on the stubbornness of Judge Walther. Late Friday, May 30, Walther reinforced her requirement that all parents sign state-prepared requirements before reunification with a child.

Identities must be established, parents must agree to attend parenting classes, parents must report travel beyond 60 miles and may not leave the state and CPS will conduct follow up visits, interview children and investigate further possible abuse.

Did I miss something? I thought the court ruled there had been no abuse!

(Column continues below)

   

Even if parents agree to these insulting demands by the judge and CPS, reunions will be difficult and time consuming because children are housed across the state.

No doubt appeals will be filed, and no doubt this travesty of justice will continue. But more must be done.

The parents and tough lawyers should fight this to the point that county and state policies are revised. Further, every person involved in the child theft and the ranch raid should be fined, fired and see long years behind bars. Judge Walther should be removed from the bench.

If you're looking for the cause of it all, just look at the so-called "child protection system" of that state (and others) and judges with their own agendas and all else be damned.

Americans blame politicians for abuse of the system for personal views and this travesty of justice in Texas shows (if we ever doubted it) that judges are in on the action too. They believe they know best what should be done, to whom, how and when.

Individual rights are attacked on every side. In the case of children, anything goes. Even an innuendo of "abuse" can result in a complete dismissal of parental rights with children seized and foisted into foster care. That lives are damaged and ruined means nothing to these demagogues. To hear statements that children can adjust easily to such changes is chilling.

If you thought our system of laws would protect the rights of all U.S. citizens regardless of their religious beliefs – well, now you know you're wrong.

Clearly, what happened in Texas involved a deep-seated dislike of the sect's religion. All that was needed to put armed police in place to storm the ranch, was an anonymous, unchecked, untraced, unverified phone call, an autocratic bureaucracy and an out of control judiciary.

Consider that in California, a court has ruled that parents who home school are breaking the law. It's been stated that once a child crosses a school doorway, parents have no control about what or how that child is taught. States require the teaching of moral issues that violate family and religious beliefs and parents are virtually powerless to resist. States require vaccinations and other health exams for school attendance with threats against parents for non-compliance.

The courts are setting precedent that parents have few, if any, rights over their own children.

Where will we see the next example of child seizure with court approval? It could be closer to you than you think.

The Chinese have a phrase: "May you live in interesting times."

The catch is, it's a curse.

Indeed. That's where we are – interesting times, and frightening, too.

God help us.





Barbara Simpson, "The Babe in the Bunker," as she's known to her KSFO 560 radio talk-show audience in San Francisco, has a 20-year radio, TV and newspaper career in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.





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