After the 1953 Short Creek raid on the FLDS, pictures appeared in Life magazine. While most Americans did not condone polygamy, they were outraged the government would so viciously separate mothers and children. Sympathy for the FLDS was extraordinary and lead to a number of consequences including the end of Arizona Governor Howard Pyles political career, the start of a half century of law enforcement isolation, and ultimately the return of all involved to Short Creek (now Colorado City).
Is history repeating itself?
You be the judge.
From the Tribune:
As a district judge heard the state’s case for keeping children from a polygamous sect in custody, hundreds of electronic and telephone messages were pouring into Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s office.
They came from around the country – including Utah – and most made the same point: Send the children home to their mothers.
By April 17, three days after separating mothers from their children, the office had received 449 messages opposed to the removal of the children and just 32 from people who supported it.
“If you do nothing to protect these rights, you can be assured that you will not have my vote now or ever in the future,” one Texan wrote.
“Do something!!!” said another.
Yet, Perry kept his distance from events unfolding in west Texas. Through his staff, Perry said only that he was in full support of the Department of Family and Protective Services – a position he reiterated last week in an interview with a Texas newspaper.
The public response to the removal of about 450 children from the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Eldorado is included in nearly 3,000 pages of documents acquired by the sect through a records request and provided to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Now, there are some big differences. Governor Perry may have supported the state action, but he did not order it like Governor Pyle did. And it’s way premature and presumptive to write Governor Perry’s political obituary. I hope this demonstrates what I have argued from the very beginning- that an aggressive over reaching action like the Texas Raid only serves to empower and isolate the FLDS.
There are problems in the FLDS Church including under age marriage. Now because of public sympathy and justified FLDS distrust of government, child predators within the FLDS Church have greater cover under which to operate. Texas has undoubtedly put more children at risk through their ill-fated raid.
-Tom
The FLDS Church has come out and said they won’t sanction unlawful underage marriages anymore. That makes it look like Texas’ actions had the desired effect.