Our own Tibet
April 8, 2008 1:42 PM Subscribe
Our own Tibet.
Foster families being arranged.
Nowhere near as bad as the actual Tibet, of course, but a rather prominent modern example of the dominant culture and government forcing its will en masse upon a minority culture without anyone in the media blinking.
Real child abuse may have been involved and may have been stopped by this CPS action, and I LOL at Mormons and their wacky I'm-gonna-become-a-god beliefs with everyone else but given the history and things like the Missouri Extermination Order(?<=) (only rescinded in 1976, btw) this entire action seriously could have been handled better. Like for one thing the seizure of 401 children (all of the children in the entire community, I suspect?) into state protective custody - if that was really necessary - could have been announced and justified in a way that didn't make me think "Gee, I wonder whether the anonymous tipster ever actually existed?"
Also reminded me of a recent post on the Australian government apology to Aborigines.
Foster families being arranged.
Nowhere near as bad as the actual Tibet, of course, but a rather prominent modern example of the dominant culture and government forcing its will en masse upon a minority culture without anyone in the media blinking.
Real child abuse may have been involved and may have been stopped by this CPS action, and I LOL at Mormons and their wacky I'm-gonna-become-a-god beliefs with everyone else but given the history and things like the Missouri Extermination Order(?<=) (only rescinded in 1976, btw) this entire action seriously could have been handled better. Like for one thing the seizure of 401 children (all of the children in the entire community, I suspect?) into state protective custody - if that was really necessary - could have been announced and justified in a way that didn't make me think "Gee, I wonder whether the anonymous tipster ever actually existed?"
Also reminded me of a recent post on the Australian government apology to Aborigines.
This post was deleted for the following reason: This seems like a really awful way to go about making a post about this stuff. -- cortex
What?
posted by loquacious at 1:50 PM on April 8, 2008
posted by loquacious at 1:50 PM on April 8, 2008
Fascinating juxtaposition. I don't think I agree with it, especially to the extent you're likening Warren Jeffs to the Dalai Lama and polygamists to Tibetan Buddhists, but fascinating nonetheless.
posted by jabberjaw at 1:50 PM on April 8, 2008
posted by jabberjaw at 1:50 PM on April 8, 2008
This is as related to Tibet as wolverines are related to unicorns.
posted by mullingitover at 1:51 PM on April 8, 2008 [5 favorites]
posted by mullingitover at 1:51 PM on April 8, 2008 [5 favorites]
Get your own amateurish overwrought under-researched blog.
posted by ND¢ at 1:52 PM on April 8, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by ND¢ at 1:52 PM on April 8, 2008 [4 favorites]
I haven't been following this story too closely, but your framing leaves a bit (less editorializing) to be desired.
posted by Dr-Baa at 1:52 PM on April 8, 2008
posted by Dr-Baa at 1:52 PM on April 8, 2008
It's cultural relativism gone crazy!/political correctness gone mad!
posted by Artw at 1:53 PM on April 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 1:53 PM on April 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
My partner has a Mormon sister and, near as I can tell, has not had her children taken from her. I think that has to do with, for example, the lack of child abuse, than religious tolerance. Purely anecdotal, I grant you, but consider it another data point before equating Mormons, who are citizens in an already-established country, with Tibetans, whose homeland was taken over by the Chinese.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:53 PM on April 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:53 PM on April 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'll say one thing about polygamy, it's about the only thing CNN is willing to give screentime to in favour of the primaries. Sorry Tibet, sorry Zimbabwe.
posted by Artw at 1:54 PM on April 8, 2008
posted by Artw at 1:54 PM on April 8, 2008
I mean, really. You're going to compare and contrast Tibet with... the FLDS? A known polygamist cult with a long history of abuses, with its leader and "prophet" currently in jail on numerous counts of incest and statutory rape? A cult that practices forced marriages, and then throws all the boys out in the street to permit even more forced polygamist marriages? Almost always to older men with younger women?
That's not a "minority culture". That's a fucking open sore and blight on humanity.
You seriously have the wrong end of the stick, here.
posted by loquacious at 1:55 PM on April 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
That's not a "minority culture". That's a fucking open sore and blight on humanity.
You seriously have the wrong end of the stick, here.
posted by loquacious at 1:55 PM on April 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
Have you seen how his followers reacted to Warren Jeffs when he appeared in court? The group is based on a cult of personality. A community like that is no place for a child.
posted by topynate at 1:56 PM on April 8, 2008
posted by topynate at 1:56 PM on April 8, 2008
Regardless of the merits, titling your post "Our own Tibet" and having the entire above-the-line post consist of the phrase "Our own Tibet" and then having the first thing after the break be "I know, not really our own Tibet" smacks a little of trying to start a flame war, no?
posted by The Bellman at 1:58 PM on April 8, 2008
posted by The Bellman at 1:58 PM on April 8, 2008
Wow, um, no. See here for a good NPR piece re the Warren Jeffs cult. The whole series is worth a listen.
posted by longdaysjourney at 1:59 PM on April 8, 2008
posted by longdaysjourney at 1:59 PM on April 8, 2008
Can someone explain how a compound of this size (1700 acres?) can operate as a polygamist/pederast haven and stay under the radar for so long?
posted by docpops at 1:59 PM on April 8, 2008
posted by docpops at 1:59 PM on April 8, 2008
Hyperbolic Headline? check.
Dubious-at-best Analogy to Current World Events? check.
Terrible Framing of an Admittedly Interesting Underlying Social Issue? check.
Want Your Five Minutes Back? ...
posted by joe lisboa at 2:00 PM on April 8, 2008
Dubious-at-best Analogy to Current World Events? check.
Terrible Framing of an Admittedly Interesting Underlying Social Issue? check.
Want Your Five Minutes Back? ...
posted by joe lisboa at 2:00 PM on April 8, 2008
This is a shitty FPP and should be taken down post-haste.
posted by adamrice at 2:00 PM on April 8, 2008
posted by adamrice at 2:00 PM on April 8, 2008
What?
posted by chunking express at 2:01 PM on April 8, 2008
posted by chunking express at 2:01 PM on April 8, 2008
Metafilter: Get your own amateurish overwrought under-researched blog.
or "Get your own amateurish overwrought under-researched blog."
Is there any other kind?
posted by stenseng at 2:01 PM on April 8, 2008
or "Get your own amateurish overwrought under-researched blog."
Is there any other kind?
posted by stenseng at 2:01 PM on April 8, 2008
docpops writes "Can someone explain how a compound of this size (1700 acres?) can operate as a polygamist/pederast haven and stay under the radar for so long?"
Going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing...money?
posted by mullingitover at 2:01 PM on April 8, 2008
Going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing...money?
posted by mullingitover at 2:01 PM on April 8, 2008
I'm sort of alarmed at the thought of over 400 newly minted True Believers suddenly unleashed on the world. Couldn't we find a new, secluded, non-rapey, non-crazy place for them to live their lives without the threat of more missionaries running loose?
posted by docpops at 2:02 PM on April 8, 2008
posted by docpops at 2:02 PM on April 8, 2008
docpops writes "Can someone explain how a compound of this size (1700 acres?) can operate as a polygamist/pederast haven and stay under the radar for so long?"
Going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing...money?
Or fear of having another Waco on our hands?
posted by dismas at 2:03 PM on April 8, 2008
Going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing...money?
Or fear of having another Waco on our hands?
posted by dismas at 2:03 PM on April 8, 2008
Atheists never do this kind of thing.
"Thank you, God, for the healing gift of a one-God religion."
posted by nevercalm at 2:03 PM on April 8, 2008
"Thank you, God, for the healing gift of a one-God religion."
posted by nevercalm at 2:03 PM on April 8, 2008
Warren Jeffs? I didn't know you had a MeFi account. Of course, now that you've self-linked, you won't for very much longer.
posted by wendell at 2:04 PM on April 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by wendell at 2:04 PM on April 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
the extent you're likening Warren Jeffs to the Dalai Lama
My turn to say "what"? As if I mentioned either Warren Jeffs or the Dalai Lama.
You're going to compare and contrast Tibet with... the FLDS?
Nope, I'm comparing and contrasting China being cavalier and prejudicial in its handling of Tibetans with cavalier and prejudicial actions against fringe Mormon churches in the U.S.
That's not a "minority culture".
Mormons in general and these West Texas compound guys aren't a minority culture. Riiiight.
Atheists never do this kind of thing.
Naw, they just, y'know, guillotine all the Catholic priests in France. (I am an atheist, btw.)
Hey, if one anonymous phone call seem like sufficient justification to remove 401 children from their families to you, and if you really think this would be equally unquestioned in the news were this, say, a Native American or an Amish insular community, fine, consider it unremarkable.
I'm not saying that this wasn't a situation requiring government intervention, I'm just saying that we wouldn't be so cavalier about riding into a village and taking all the children if they weren't Mormons.
posted by XMLicious at 2:07 PM on April 8, 2008
My turn to say "what"? As if I mentioned either Warren Jeffs or the Dalai Lama.
You're going to compare and contrast Tibet with... the FLDS?
Nope, I'm comparing and contrasting China being cavalier and prejudicial in its handling of Tibetans with cavalier and prejudicial actions against fringe Mormon churches in the U.S.
That's not a "minority culture".
Mormons in general and these West Texas compound guys aren't a minority culture. Riiiight.
Atheists never do this kind of thing.
Naw, they just, y'know, guillotine all the Catholic priests in France. (I am an atheist, btw.)
Hey, if one anonymous phone call seem like sufficient justification to remove 401 children from their families to you, and if you really think this would be equally unquestioned in the news were this, say, a Native American or an Amish insular community, fine, consider it unremarkable.
I'm not saying that this wasn't a situation requiring government intervention, I'm just saying that we wouldn't be so cavalier about riding into a village and taking all the children if they weren't Mormons.
posted by XMLicious at 2:07 PM on April 8, 2008
Docpops: it's been on the radar for a long time, but basically the authorities were too worried about the public's reaction to move in until they had political cover (which they finally got in the form of the complaint being filed by a girl living at the compound). You'll have to listen to this whole report for the details, but basically the cops were worried that a raid would have been seen as "state interference with religion". The last time they tried something like this, in 1953, the political fallout was immense.
posted by longdaysjourney at 2:09 PM on April 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by longdaysjourney at 2:09 PM on April 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
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posted by a robot made out of meat at 1:50 PM on April 8, 2008