Once again the excesses of government and our insatiable need to control our neighbor’s lives and impose our morals and religious beliefs on our neighbors has reared its ugly head. Some members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or FLDS, may have violated the laws of the state of Texas. That point is conceded and has been from the start.

At issue here are the methods employed by the authorities in enforcing our State Laws. Questions arise at to the selective enforcement of certain laws. Also, in question are the rights granted to all citizens by the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

Firstly, let us examine the search and confiscation of certain records and equipment at the ranch. Our government (police) is obligated to investigate when any citizen complains of wrong doing or cries out for help. In this case the complaining victim has yet to be found. Not finding the complaining victim the police decided to search the entire ranch. This is the same as our police going to a domestic dispute and not finding the complaining victim at the address continue to search every house in a two or three block radius. Or the police receiving a complaint at a large apartment complex of someone selling drugs and they decide to search every apartment for drugs and/or drug paraphernalia. Of course, this could never happen in the United States. WAKEUP AMERICA, IT JUST DID.

Although the children are well cared for, the State decided that the children were at imminent risk of sexual abuse and placed ALL the children in State custody. The State concluded that girls as young as 13 were having sex with older men.

Thank God that only happens at the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Never in the history of the United States has a girl younger than 18 had sex with an older man, except within the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

How I wish that were true! In my neck of the woods, girls 8 years old and up are sexually active. And by age 13 or so have a baby. Where is Child Protective Services then? Why are the mother’s of these sexually active girls allowed to continue to have custody of their other children. Are the brothers and sisters of these sexually active girls not equally at risk of sexual abuse. When certain women continue to have babies and every baby has a different father, are they required to submit to DNA testing to establish the father of the children? No. The State could care less who fathered those children.

The women and children of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been put through something that closely resembles the trials and tribulations of the Jews when they were sent to concentration camps in Germany. Their homes have been invaded and their babies have been torn from their arms, maybe never to be reunited again.

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has in its power to change what is happening. If the only thing our society objects to is the age of the girls contracting spiritual matrimony, then let the girls contract spiritual matrimony at the age of 18. Case closed. If the objection is that men have more than one female. Then let’s apply the law equally. Any man or woman found to have sexual relations with more than one person in a one or two year (take your pick) period shall be guilty of bigamy. No more selective prosecution.

We used to be a nation of laws. I don’t know if I can say that anymore. The laws used to apply to every one. I don’t know if I can say that anymore. Everyone was equal under the law. I don’t know if I can say that anymore. The Constitution and the Bill Of Rights used to mean something. I don’t know if I can say that anymore.

What do I know? I only know what history has proven to me. History has shown that when one class of people lose a right, that same loss will eventually affect all classes. History has shown that a right once lost will never be regained without a struggle. History has shown us that people can only be controlled up to a point before they rebel. We have the power to keep our government on tract. Let’s use it before it’s too late.