Polygamists Are Asked About Fostering Children

The New York Times ^ | May 9, 2008 | KIRK JOHNSON

[Gondring]

ST. GEORGE, Utah — Utah’s attorney general, Mark L. Shurtleff, sat before a room of perhaps 400 people, most of them fundamentalist polygamists, at a town hall meeting here on Thursday night. He asked for a show of hands. How many people, he wanted to know, were related to the children who were seized last month in a raid in Texas in an investigation of possible marriage and abuse of child brides?

Scores of hands shot up. Then Mr. Shurtleff asked his follow-up: How many of you would be willing to take those children into your homes? Without a moment’s hesitation, the same hands rose.

“We think it would be wonderful if that were to happen, and we’re going to continue to try to encourage that,” Mr. Shurtleff said, as the room exploded with applause.

[...]And never mind the question, for the moment, of whether foster placements from Texas into polygamist homes in Utah would ever actually happen for any of the 462 children seized in the Texas raid.

[...]

Mr. Shurtleff fielded the question about whether there might be a raid.

“We do not plan a raid to end polygamy,” he said flatly. “I know you’re worried about that. We’re not going to do it. I don’t care how many talking heads on cable television shows tell Terry and I that we need to cowboy up and be like Texas. We don’t believe that’s the answer.”

[Gondring]

ping

[mtbopfuyn]

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

[nuconvert]

Wonder how much longer attorney general Mark L. Shurtleff is going to have his job?

[SlapHappyPappy]

Well, he’s not the first AG in Utah to ignore polygamy and, in particular, the FLDS, and he won’t be the last. The only time real pressure came on the FLDS in the last several decades was in the few instances where one of the girls or women got out and was willing to press charges. Most of those that get out are too afraid to go public.

[MrEdd]

Well, as soon as Texas CPS authorities ensure that each home is a safe financially secure environment, they could be considered. They will need to be monitored by Texas CPS as well.

Are they willing to move to Texas to be foster families? lots of empty places to live near San Angelo I hear.

[Raycpa]

What is a non-fundamentalist polygamist?

[Dr. Sivana]

What is a non-fundamentalist polygamist?

They usually like to be called "Muslims."

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Those poor kids...they will never break the cycle if they are put back into polygamous homes. Hopefully TX doesn’t take this ‘offer.’

[JRochelle]

If Mr Shurtleff thinks that the State of Texas will turn those kids over to the polygamists in Utah, that he is protecting, well he must be smoking crack.

[Texas Yellow Rose]

  "Well, as soon as Texas CPS authorities ensure that each home is a safe financially secure environment, they could be considered. They will need to be monitored by Texas CPS as well. "

That's WHILE they continue to house these children in places like KIDZ HARBOUR in Liverpool, TX.  I've been there and would not house my dog there.

[mouser]

If Mr Shurtleff thinks that the State of Texas will turn those kids over to the polygamists in Utah, that he is protecting, well he must be smoking crack.

I have no proof but I have read some of the older kids are claiming they were just in Texas “visiting”. If they stick to that story and it can be proving they were from Utah and their parents still live there I am not sure Texas can hold them. will be some interesting court cases.

[greyfoxx39]

Ping

[DuncanWaring]

Wonder how much longer attorney general Mark L. Shurtleff is going to have his job?

As long as he wants it.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

“We think it would be wonderful if that were to happen, and we’re going to continue to try to encourage that,” Mr. Shurtleff said, as the room exploded with applause.

So, Utah's solution would be to take those kids in Texas and dump them back into abusive polygamist families in Utah so that absolutely nothing will change for them. Nice!

[ChocChipCookie]

Is Shurtleff Mormon?

[MEGoody]

Shurtleff appears to be quite the scumbag.

[MEGoody]

I've been there and would not house my dog there.

Yeah, but are you abusing and raping your dog? If you were, then going there might be a wonderful haven for him/her.

[bonfire]

http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=26698

I would say “yes”.

[D-fendr]

I guess if FLDS had built their ranch in Utah, they’d be hunky-dory.

[MrEdd]

Wonder how much longer attorney general Mark L. Shurtleff is going to have his job? As long as he wants it.

Actually, it very much depends on whether this case raised national outcry about the welfare money supporting the polygamist wives and children.

If the rest of the States cut Utah off from the federal welfare and Medicare money spigot over this, Shirtless really will be.

[MrEdd]

I've been there and would not house my dog there.

Yeah, but are you abusing and raping your dog? If you were, then going there might be a wonderful haven for him/her.

MEGoody for the win.

[Colofornian]

Mark L. Shurtleff, sat before a room of perhaps 400 people, most of them fundamentalist polygamists, at a town hall meeting here on Thursday night. He asked for a show of hands. How many people, he wanted to know, were related to the children who were seized last month in a raid in Texas in an investigation of possible marriage and abuse of child brides? Scores of hands shot up. Then Mr. Shurtleff asked his follow-up: How many of you would be willing to take those children into your homes? Without a moment’s hesitation, the same hands rose. “We think it would be wonderful if that were to happen, and we’re going to continue to try to encourage that,” Mr. Shurtleff said, as the room exploded with applause.

Let me get this straight. From other reports, the ones who were placed at El Dorado, TX were hand-picked, the creme of the crop from other fLDS communities. IOW, El Dorado was the "major league city" of the polygamists, and Hildale, UT & Colorado City, AZ, etc. were the "farm clubs."

So this Utah AG goes to the "farm club" folks to see if they want to take in these kids so that they can continue to be developed for "major league statutory rape." (Oh, yeah, this makes perfect sense...Is this guy a Mormon?)

[DuncanWaring]

True.

But I think the chances of the other states taking welfare/Medicare money from the “liddle chillun” are effectively zero.

[Tennessee Nana]

BTTT

[Froufrou]

If the kids have been here more than 6 mos. they are residents of the state of TX. If UT thinks they can help the situation by doing this, they’re sadly mistaken.

And Shurtleff is either a co-conspirator or taking bribes. Why shouldn’t UT be raided? Aren’t they breaking the law there too?

[Froufrou]

Good point. Ping, jonesie,

[ejonesie22]

Nah, too much competition...

[ejonesie22]

Gee, I’m shocked...

[ejonesie22]

Indeed...

[UCANSEE2]

“I guess if FLDS had built their ranch in Utah, they’d be hunky-dory.”

Now, there’s a thought provoking idea.
Great sarcasm.

[Irish Rose]

“We do not plan a raid to end polygamy,” he said flatly. “I know you’re worried about that. We’re not going to do it. I don’t care how many talking heads on cable television shows tell Terry and I that we need to cowboy up and be like Texas. We don’t believe that’s the answer.”

I'm not an attorney general, but isn't polygamy illegal? And wouldn't polygamy being illegal make polygamists criminals? I suppose this attorney general is what we call tolerant: He does not want to interfere with an alternative lifestyle. The law is apparently irrelevant.

Years ago the rest of the Union made Utah stop the polygamy nonsense before letting them in. Do we need to sit them down again?

[Texas Yellow Rose]

The only “dog rapists” ARE AT KIDZ HARBOUR..

[MEGoody]

The only “dog rapists” ARE AT KIDZ HARBOUR.

Prove it. (Of course you can't, because you're telling a big fib.)