Photo: Courtesy of FOX News
Two weeks ago the Yearning for Zion Ranch was raided by Texas police. The ranch, found to be a polygamist colony, was home to over 400 children that were taken into police custody. Police received an anonymous phone call from a young girl in the camp who reported abuse. Currently the mothers of the children are trying to gain custody of their children from the police. However, police are still investigating whether abuse was prevalent at the compound.
So far, reports say that young girls were taught that sex is OK at any age and many started having children as soon as they were physically capable of doing so. From video that I've seen, and articles that I've read, this way of lifestyle seems so tremendously disparate from U.S. society. I would never think that there are secret compounds like this in the U.S., it simply would not have crossed my mind.
It is very interesting to watch the videos and read the stories to further understand this situation. It seems that if you grew up in a polygamist society, you would not want to give up those values and you would never think that that lifestyle is in any way wrong. It is difficult for our mainstream society to impose our laws and regulations on people that simply are living in their own society. It's an interesting learning experience to see how differently lives can be shaped, even in the same country. We will have to follow this developing story to see how the government decides to react.
CNN's coverage of this story has been very detailed.
I would recommend this article Witness: Teens at ranch said any age OK to marry
I would also recommend FOX's article Polygamist Sect Wives Give Birth as Early as Age 13, Investigator Testifies
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