Posted on 06/07/2008 4:39:31 PM PDT by JRochelle
Gov. Rick Perry hinted Thursday that members of a polygamist sect whose children were recently returned amid a botched sex-abuse investigation should pack their bags, a newspaper reported.
Perry, who was in La Baule, France, for a European business conference, said that the state of Texas has an obligation to protect young women from being forced into marriage and underage sex, The Dallas Morning News reported in its online edition.
He also warned members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that child sex abuse won't be tolerated and even suggested that followers of the renegade Mormon sect may want to get out.
"If you are going to conduct yourself that way, we are going to prosecute you," Perry said. "If you don't want to be prosecuted for those activities, then maybe Texas is not the place you need to consider calling home."
Willie Jessop, an FLDS elder who lives in Utah, said Perry's remarks were shocking, particularly given a Texas Supreme Court ruling that forced this week's return of 440 sect children on the grounds that child welfare officials provided scant evidence that the children were in danger.
"It's an outrage that he should even make such gross and broad allegations," Jessop said. "He's listening to people that tell lies about the FLDS."
FLDS officials have accused the state of persecuting sect members for their religious beliefs.
Texas authorities raided the sprawling compound in west Texas in early April after three calls to a domestic abuse hot line, purportedly from a 16-year-old mother who said she was being abused by her middle-aged husband. The calls are now being investigated as a hoax.
Perry said that using the information state authorities had at the time, "they acted with the best interest of those children."
"If responsibility needs to be taken for (court edicts) saying that we stepped across some legal line, I'll certainly take that responsibility," the governor said.
Jessop, who has insisted that children at the ranch were not mistreated, has sidestepped questions about underage marriages at the Yearning for Zion ranch. But he did announce this week that the church would no longer sanction marriages of any girl too young to give legal consent.
Though the children have been returned, a criminal investigation continues.
Isn’t the Governor suggesting that the FLDS disobey a Judges orders? Is that breaking the law?
Ha!
The governor wants them to “move on”,
but the judge made them sign an agreement
not to leave the state!
Too funny!
Well if they leave Texas they will be some one else’s problem. Most likely Utah’s.
Yea the judge told them to say put. However the Governor know knows how much trouble and money they have cost......they are not worth it!
LOL....I bet Phil Bredesen would like for me to move on too..
but I’m not going anywhere
besides Marsha Blackburn loves me
That was my first thought also, but I think he was making a broader point:
“If you don’t want to be prosecuted for those activities, then maybe Texas is not the place you need to consider calling home.”
I’d like to see the direct quote on this from Jessop:
“he did announce this week that the church would no longer sanction marriages of any girl too young to give legal consent.”
Most of the time me either but then he comes out with his "don't mess with Texas" and I can't help but be proud of him...darn it. This was no hint though. He came out and said if you are going do do that stuff here and you will go to jail.
He didn’t say they could take the kids.
Try making that silly argument. Common sense is a gift.
BTW, LeGrande I sure hope you will keep all your nazi and Hilter references off this thread.
I rarely hit the abuse button but I did on another thread where you brought that up.
Do you think he is suggesting that they abandon the kids? What kind of heartless, stupid governor does Texas have? You don't need to answer, I already know the answer : )
Gov. Ricky should focus instead on real issues facing Tx....
border security, reducing property taxes, stop trying to outsource or over toll the highways. Leave the FLDS clan
alone and stop Govt. interference of their affairs.
I think the governor wants rid of ALL OF THEM!
If I were the governor I would want rid of all of them!
I would replace them with a nice Amish community!
I rarely hit the abuse button but I did on another thread where you brought that up.
LOL, The truth hurts doesn't it? I noticed that you had to call in the Cabal. Are you feeling insecure?
We don’t like you. Get out.
Who would want to move into such a place?
A place where molesters roamed free.
Since the place is fenced in, I think thay should put about a thousands pigs in there and let them live there.
See what I mean by ‘litteman’ agitprop?
“Yea the judge told them to say put. However the Governor know knows how much trouble and money they have cost......they are not worth it!”
They haven’t even begun to add up the bills of this mess. Amazing though, they were so incompetent they couldn’t find evidence after years of investigation. They finally act and then they break the law themselves.
I wonder if Perry has said this to illegals or murderers.
Spoken like a man who regrets not giving all the girls the HPV vaccine while he had them protective custody. Has he been this brassy to the illegals?
Aw, I’m touched that you care!
:)
That's not a nice way to refer to Gov. Perry's backers
It would be nice if he’d promise the millions of illegals who live in Texas will be prosecuted if they don’t leave too.
I liked this part too. HMMM. What's got into him?
Can’t argue with that?
I think there will be more scrutiny on them now and I suspect that with that they’ll be a more mainline group. Heck I think Schleicher County would like to keep them as they are the 3rd largest property tax payer in the county and they pay ontime.
Chum, bait, etc. doesn’t always require a response. In fact it becomes hard to carry on a one way conversation.
Mainline? (Oh, I get it. They'll take the bed out of the temple)
Thanks. Be nice if somebody got tough, you know what I mean? The FLDS people aren’t quite the same threat as millions of people sucking our resources dry. But what do I know compared to Governor Good Hair.
If I were the governor I would want rid of all of them!
If they left, wouldn't he be forced to go get all of them and bring them back? He sounds psycho to me. If he really wanted to get rid of them, why doesn't he offer them a lot of money? He is going to be paying them a lot of money anyway.
(Would these pigs ever be "hosed down" by Mormon mainliners?)
Well they couldn’t prove a crime. They illegally ripped their children away. They spread all kinds of misinformation about them.
Sure glad our govt works for us, otherwise they could be a threat to us.
Well, I hope he does take the legal responsibility, including both paying the civil judgements, and doing the jail time for the Federal civli rights violations.
OTOH, since he deliberately didn't use email to communicate about this as it was going on, so there wouldn't be a record, it doesn't look like he intends to stand by his word.
Talking out of both sides of his mouth I see. First he denies that underage marriage is happening, then he says the church would no longer sanction it.
If they are no longer sanctioning it, that means they did before. That's an admission of guilt if I ever saw one.
Except that Utah will turn a blind eye to the child abuse. They don't care so it won't be a problem there.
(Right. 'Cause all those Texas Baptists sittin' on a civil jury are so in tune with polygamy & "prophet" placement marriage for teens to older men they might as well get advanced loans)
Yep. Dang it’s weird to be supporting him...just on this though and whatever country it was that he told to MTOB about executions wasn’t it?
“It’s an outrage that he should even make such gross and broad allegations,” Jessop said. “He’s listening to people that tell lies about the FLDS.”
Sounds like a comment someone in the ROP would make.
Maybe in you mind's eye, but not one that would pass muster in a court of law
I believe the state is the only one to be proven wrong so far in this case.
Yes, I can’t remember which country that was. France maybe?
Nah it will be in Federal Court and the Clinton appointees will be happy to stick it to Texas.
I don’t remember. He sure seems to be traveling a lot lately though.
Maybe he’s auditioning for Secretary of State! I think his ambitions go far beyond Texas.
Yet he turns a blind eye to people illegally crossing our border every minute of the day and night.
Uh Huh. I think SOS is a tad too low though.
LOL, what do you think he has in mind? VP?
It is a Federal case, federal jury.
I bet a change of venue out of Texas is easy. Every single Texan has a financial stake in the outcome and can not be expected to be neutral.
This sounds like “all coloreds leave town by sundown...” and by the by... what is the governor of Texas doing at a European business conference when his state is being infiltrated by illegal aliens.. who often commit real crimes that can be proven with actual evidence.
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