What Did The FLDS Kids Do To Deserve This?

(CBS)  Contributor Ben Stein has polygamy on his mind this morning … and children.

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May I ask a question? What the heck is going on in Texas with the kids caught up in the polygamy ranch disaster?

Look, I am not a fan of polygamy. For one thing, it's all any man can do keeping up with one wife. For another, it's against the law in this country.

But the polygamists that have been in the news have been operating for decades. The authorities knew about it, and them. They didn't do a thing about it for all those years!

Then, on a totally unsubstantiated telephone call about sex abuse - which apparently did not come from anyone even connected to the polygamist compound - the state closed down the compound, and (what is totally incomprehensible) took the small children of the settlement away from their mothers and fathers.

Why? What crime had the kids committed? Why are they being dealt the most drastic punishment imaginable - separation from their mothers and fathers - for no known reason?

The state of Texas has not found one single crime against these children yet. Even if they do find one or two, how can that be a reason for taking dozens, maybe hundreds of children away from their mothers?

The kids are the victims here - not of the parents, but of the incredible, unbelievable cruelty of the state of Texas authorities. If there is evidence of cruelty by the families to these kids, where is it?

Look, I am a huge fan of Texas. I have many friends there and love being there. But what is the attorney general of Texas doing? This is an Orwellian nightmare. For no reason except what looks like a crank call, the lives of these children have been turned upside down and into a screaming horror movie.

Can't someone say the obvious here? That in this case, it's not the Mormons who are the criminals, it's the government of Texas.

Governor Perry, wake up and give those kids back to their mothers until you have some compelling, proven reason to do otherwise. What your state is doing here is Gestapo tactics pure and simple.

[athiestinthesouth]

all the comments that say "thank you ben" are from the men who are responsible for the child abuse!

[chrisnu7]

Ben Stein - I wont discuss hedge funds and muni bonds if you dont talk about pedophilia and patterns of child abuse. WARREN JEFFS, a CONVICTED RAPIST,is their PROPHET - STILL!.
Many religious and ethnic enclaves are functioning without the pestering of local law enforcement...Amish people do not have their children snatched by police and CPS, the Somalians and Ethiopians in my area are respeceted and left alone just fine, even though they choose to not assimilate. Their parenting, food, clothing, even language, remains their own...yet, we resepct the difference just fine. Reason being, they are not hiding behaind a brick wall of sexual abuse and domination for those without resources to escape. A similar "religious" sect was The Children of God. They operated in the US for years. The thrust of their "religion" was young children showering, fondling, pleasing, adult males. Finally, they were driven from the US. The last stronghold of their cult was based in Louisiana...where the poorest child protective laws exist. They now operate quite openly in third world countries....I work with the survivors. Ben, sad, sad, sad.

[athiestinthesouth]

are they still in louisiana? cuz if they are, I know where to get a lot of Napalm, really fast.

[zeb1313]

"As a pediatrician, I am amazed and disappointed at Ben Stein''''s comments of 4/27/08. Fully 31 of the under-age girls taken from the compound are found to have already given birth or to be pregnant." - lrobtex52


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So when is a female mature enough for you to have a baby? when she reaches some number of revolutions of the earth around the sun? THIS is intelligence and should be the defining factor? What if a 14 year old young lady who was physically mature enough to get pregnant and have a baby took a written test and had a higher IQ than a female of 21 years of age? who then say you is the more mature and more of a so-called ''adult?''

I don''t know if you know this or not, but the age of consent and ability to marry varies from one state to another. Does this then mean in your eyes that the maturity of a female varies on the location of the real estate in which she is abiding in, and would you call THIS intelligent?

And how many times do people have to mention in here that the age to marry in Texas is currently 16, and just a short time ago was 14, and in lieu of this has anyone proven that any of these teenage young ladies were impregnated and married earlier than that?

I guess FACTS don''t matter in this discussion, only BIGOTRY and HYSTERIA.

[zeb1313]

"Ben Stein''''s comments might not be surprising considering that he recently released a movie (not related to this issue) called "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" where he demonstrates his support for Intelligent Design. This perhaps shows, or confirms, that Mr. Stein lacks judgement or the ability for critical thinking. When women (girls) are allowed to be married or statutorily raped under legal age (and probably their mothers before them), there can not be any moral justification." - PAK55

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If mankind is not "Intelligently Designed," then morality is relative, not absolute, and then who are you to force your morality on these religious people, and who are you to say what is right and what is wrong? Would you allow them to force their morality on you, and ban your fornications, sodomies, abortions, etc? Would you think of going into some foreign country and imposing your morals on such a country that allowed marriages at a younger age? What standard would you use to argue your case? That it is just what YOU think is right?

Talk about a "lack of judgment or the ability for critical thinking." Your morality is nothing but entirely chaotic.

[athiestinthesouth]

you are one of the pedos from the place arent you?

[lrobtex52]

As a pediatrician, I am amazed and disappointed at Ben Stein''s comments of 4/27/08. Fully 31 of the under-age girls taken from the compound are found to have already given birth or to be pregnant. A disproportionate number of the younger children are found to have old fractures. In my professional life, I am bound by law to report suspected abuse of any child. Does Mr. Stein''s distorted sense of personal freedom truly include allowing these puppy-farms for pedophiles to continue unimpeded? Shame on you, sir. I for one am proud of the state of Texas for having the integrity and courage not to sweep this situation under the rug, even in spite of criticism from people like Mr. Stein.

[jcf68]

Lets just assume the men abused these women (if they did they should be prosecuted). Yet that doesn''t give CPS the right to abuse the women and children. The state has kidnapped these children and refuses to return them. Please return the children to their mothers.

[joyous88]

What did America do to deserve this criminal cabal

of Neo Cons that are so completely Un-American that

they think freedom of religion means you can rape

little

girls and boys

Are all rpublicons becoming Un American greed driven pigs?

[pak55]

Ben Stein''s comments might not be surprising considering that he recently released a movie (not related to this issue) called "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" where he demonstrates his support for Intelligent Design. This perhaps shows, or confirms, that Mr. Stein lacks judgement or the ability for critical thinking. When women (girls) are allowed to be married or statutorily raped under legal age (and probably their mothers before them), there can not be any moral justification. That the state of Texas has allowed this cult to practice this lifestyle all these years is unconscionable. Mr. Stein''s comments meanwhile, are ludicrous.

[prg100740]

Ben, Have you been living in a cave? These people beat their babies, old men have *** wtih teen age girls. These children have no toys, not even crayons. These are some very sick people. Ben, it is obvious you need surgery to remove your head from *** in the lower part of your body!

[jlnat]

I am not a religious person, my faith is knowing right from wrong. If you know what is right then faith will follow in whatever path you lead. I am not here to preach what is right and what is wrong that is not my place. BUT what I do know is the Child Protective Services have over stepped their ground in this case. I would be very afraid of what CPS can and will do to your families at any cost!

Go to You Tube Video''s google "Free Chris White" that is what happen to us when CPS took our family.