http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Sun, 1 Jun 2008 21:31:53 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/05/15/121640.php#comment-722745 Purple Tigress, This really is a travesty for all the children involved. Juliann 722745@blogcritics.org Sun, 1 Jun 2008 21:31:53 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/05/15/121640.php#comment-722707 There is no happy ending for these children. The girls are kept in ignorance. Both boys and girls are taught to lie. Any time any segment of the population is oppressed, there can be no true happiness. 722707@blogcritics.org Sun, 1 Jun 2008 19:20:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/05/15/121640.php#comment-719109 Brandy, Time will tell how this has affected and impacted the children. This situation has been so traumatic for both the children and their mothers. I suspect it is going to take years to sort out and the children once again are victimized. 719109@blogcritics.org Sun, 18 May 2008 20:27:08 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/05/15/121640.php#comment-719107 Richard, Thank you so much for your comments and for the op-ed piece you and Johana Scot wrote in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. I am not at all surprised at the chidren's play behaviors. This is a horrible situation for everyone and the children are the innocent victims of a system that has failed them and continues to do so. Juliann 719107@blogcritics.org Sun, 18 May 2008 20:21:16 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/05/15/121640.php#comment-718765 I agree - simply placing them in foster care is not the happy ending to the story. And I wondered as you state you did, above, how the extremity and suddenness of the 'confiscation' of the children affected them. From their point of view, they were snatched out of their homes and away from everything and everyone they knew. That had to be traumatic. Whether or not the change is beneficial long term, I think only King Solomon could answer. 718765@blogcritics.org Sat, 17 May 2008 12:03:31 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/05/15/121640.php#comment-718544 Thank you for taking note of the op ed column Johana Scot and I wrote for the Star-Telegram. As you may know, 11 mental health professionals, sent in by the state of Texas itself after the raid have spoken out, horrified by what they saw. One of them said this about how the children played, after their mothers were taken from them: "Children were grabbing toys from others and using the toys as play weapons against each other and their 'captors.' In my estimation they were acting out their fear and anger" Links to all of the statements can be found on the Blog at www.nccpr.org --Richard Wexler Executive Director National Coalition for Child Protection Reform 718544@blogcritics.org Fri, 16 May 2008 14:04:27 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/05/15/121640.php#comment-718354 Sam, thank you for your comments and question. To answer your question is speculative on my part but I believe the mothers of the YFZ Ranch are grieving tremendously. Their children have been taken away and there is great uncertainty if they will ever be returned. Also the mothers lives seemed to have been focused on taking care of the children Now that their roles of caregivers have been eliminated I cannot imagine how they structure their days and nights. Depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, loss of self-esteem, blame, shame, sadness, guilt, worthlessness, etc, and the list of negative emotions could go on and on for what they could be experiencing. Their anguish was real from the interviews I saw on the television. Just as the children have been severely traumatized so have the mothers. 718354@blogcritics.org Thu, 15 May 2008 21:53:36 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/05/15/121640.php#comment-718335 Dr. Mitchell, the entire situation is terrible. Whether you agree or disagree with polygamy, one should abide by the laws of the land they live in. The state of Texas has made of mess of everything. I hope the way things were handled will not alter the outcome for the mothers and their children. I love the refugee idea. How do you think the mothers are coping? 718335@blogcritics.org Thu, 15 May 2008 19:49:31 EDT