Seizure of Children from Alleged Polygamist Sect Reversed
The Third District Court of Appeals for the State of Texas ruled today that the seizure of 464 children from the Yearning for Zion Ranch in El Dorado Texas by law enforcement was not founded on sufficient evidence. Readers will no doubt remember how many in the media such as CNN and others were quick to criticize the law enforcement for not acting sooner given the fact that in the media’s mind it was clear that there was ample evidence of wrong doing long ago. So far it has been shown that the calls made in the original complaint may in fact have come from a outsider who was making false claims and other claims of abuse of multiple minors have yet to be adequately documented.
The presumption of innocence and the need for law enforcement to show a probable cause to a objective judiciary prior to arrest and charges in our country is absolutely essential to the functioning of our democracy. There has been an incremental sliding away from these corner stone principals since the events of 9/11 2001. In our collective paranoia to be free from all threats both internal and external we have bartered our true freedom for a false sense of security. This was the real damage done to the United States by that attack. The goal was to shake our faith in our system of government and justice.
At this point no one knows the truth of the what the true situation was at the alleged polygamist sect ranch. The authorities have scared hundreds of children and now likely made counter cultural heroes out of a situation that could have been handled much differently with cool, calm, and reasonable investigation. How many times in our literature and history has it been shown that when government acts with with unreasonable haste that our democracy is diminished. The major reason law enforcement has failed miserably in many poor African-American and Hispanic communities is the presumption that they act out of prejudice and without appropriate investigation by the citizens who live in those neighborhoods. However, we should not blame law enforcement, because in reality they are just reflecting what the majority in society believes about those who not mainstream.
The government clearly has a duty to protect all its citizens but the best way to do this is to follow the Constitution strictly and completely. For if we truly believe in our system of government then that will provide all the necessary tools to maintain a just society. Straying away from our principals will place our nation in greater danger than any alleged crime.