[ExI] flds raid, was general repudiation...

[BillK]

On Sun, May 25, 2008 at 6:21 PM, Lee Corbin wrote:
> It's a question of sympathies, not logic, and certainly not due
> process. It's okay to hate the FLDS. None of this would be
> tolerated for a minute if it were any kind of group that had
> an iota of popularity among the American citizens, or even
> an iota of popularity with the all-important foreigners.
>
> I think that that explains it all.
>


The thing to remember is that the FLDS have got away with this before
and they remember it constantly in ongoing negotiations with Arizona
and Utah.

<http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/DN-polygamists_25tex.ART.State.Edition2.467ff56.html>
Quote:
For many sect members, the Yearning For Zion case brings up painful
memories of the 1953 raids on Short Creek – a now-renamed town on the
Utah-Arizona border where more than 300 FLDS women and children were
sent into foster care.
They hope the West Texas case will play out like Short Creek did:
After a public backlash that brought down an Arizona governor,
families were eventually reunited.
-------------------

But times have changed and public opinion has changed.
See this Texas news report:
<http://www.tampabay.com/news/article472366.ece>
Quote:
Citizen response to the situation was initially one of great sympathy.
However, that public feeling is starting to turn into anger. Initially
many saw the women — and, in particular, the children — as helpless
victims. However, with the passage of time and the nonstop news
coverage, public opinion has taken a decidedly different course; that
is, great outrage and anger at YFZ males.

The YFZ women are now viewed by many as willing participants who lie
to protect their distorted way of life. One prominent San Angelo
citizen pretty much summed up current thinking on the YFZ bunch when
he said, "No matter which way you cut it, it's nothing more than a
quasireligious harem for a few select old men."

His take on the situation is starting to become the prevalent public
opinion about the YFZ group. Many constituents are calling for an
aggressive overhaul of current laws and regulations to make it more
difficult for YFZ-type groups to operate in Texas or to even
contemplate a move to Texas. While we San Angeloans have an
independent frontier "live and let live" attitude, we have zero
tolerance about the abuse of children. In many ways, the YFZ clan has
done the "outside" world a great service by helping us recall a basic
American tenet — that no religion or group has the right to deny any
American the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. I'm sure I speak
for the majority of my fellow San Angeloans.
---------



BillK