Posted on 05/26/2008 8:42:15 PM PDT by Jim Noble
“BTW, all laws are enforced by guns and prisons.”
That’s what they said when they invaded the Branch Davidians and that is precisely why some of us do not trust the government. The only thing standing between us and tyranny is the Constitution. The FLDS folk were deprived of their Constitutional rights so tyranny reigned that day.
“BTW, all laws are enforced by guns and prisons.”
Totally disagree. The only law I fear enforced is speeding which I do all the time. No guns or prisons enter the equation. Just the embarassment of being caught and the mildly annoying fine. No, we obey laws because we have generally found them to be just, especially because we have chosen people to institute them.
In your opinion, should LE just leave FLDS alone?
“That’s what they said when they invaded the Branch Davidians and that is precisely why some of us do not trust the government”
There are SO many better reasons not to trust the government and at the same time respect its necessity. Thats like saying that you dont trust air travel because of Lockerbie.
I'm not defending anything. I think Casey, Lawrence, and Goodridge were wrongly decided.
The power behind laws can be societal expectations in highly developed people. However, the enforcement in the breach is Law enforcement, courts, guns and prison. That’s why it’s important to choose our representatives in government and the laws we support with great care.
Saundra, you are under the impression that the only rights on the FLDS compound were those of the adults. The children have rights, too: life,liberty, and pursuit of happiness, endowed by the Creator. The State of Texas has determined the definition of marriage as one man, one woman and ensconced that definition in our State Constitution. We have decided that one of the rights of children is to be protected from coercion into sexual activity and marriage before reaching the age of majority and that it should be difficult to or carry penalties for infringe on that protection.
That definition has been law for a while, and the State Constitutional amendment on the definition of marriage passed our Legislature in 2005, and was upheld by a 72% vote in February, 2006.
The State of Texas will protect girls from being sexually assaulted by men who are much older than they, whether under the guise of an illegal “marriage” under a religion and when it’s individualistic predation on young girls. We will not allow parents to “consent” to sexual assault.
If parents attempt to allow their daughters to be married before the age of consent or to “spiritually join” those daughters to men outside of the State laws regarding marriage, we will step in, using the least force necessary to enforce the law and protect the girls.
Wow, some sanity.
I also was thinking about the age of consent to marry with parental permission in the state of Texas. All the girls on the roster shown on 48 Hours were sixteen, and undoubtedly had at least one parent’s consent to marry.
But then I remembered—none of these are legal marriages. The husband in such a case is only protected from prosecution for having sex with a minor if he enters into a legal marriage with her. In the case of FLDS they are in a catch 22—they can’t legally marry because it is illegal if one spouse is already legally married, but they must legally marry in order to have sex between a minor and an adult.
They are hoisted on their own petard.
Poor logic. We do enforce the law concerning the granting of marriage licenses.
Good thoughts.
Another side effect of the case is that my husband, who has always argued that there can be no rape within marriage, has had to rethink his stance. He has a basic assumption that marriage is a covenant between two consenting adults. He’s had to look at the definitions that others use and the abuse that some men are capable of.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.