As a hyper-proponent of the First and Fourth amendments, it took a long time, but, after looking at the facts carefully, it is impossible not to defend and praise Texas officials for removing more than 400 children from the Yearning For Zion ranch in Eldorado, Texas, owned by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Look, I vigorously defend the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of religion. I also vigorously defend the Fourth Amendment that guarantees that the cops can't bust down your door without reasonable cause. However, the facts speak for themselves:
- Of the 53 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 who were removed from the Texas compound, 31 either already have children or are pregnant.
- Texas authorities are now saying there is evidence that boys, as well as the young girls, may have been victims of physical or sexual abuse.
- Medical examinations indicate that nearly 10 percent of the children have broken bones. In the real world, less than 1 percent of American children suffer a broken bone each year, according to one source.
These are, as Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said, members of the FLDS church who "wouldn't be in Texas if we didn't kick them out of Utah." Shurtleff defends Utah and Arizona law enforcement, which was roughed up pretty good a few days earlier by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who accused Shurtleff and his Arizona counterpart, Terry Goddard, of turning a "blind eye" to polygamy.
