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Coffin in Living Room Led to Florida Incest Arrest
Reuters ^

Posted on 02/28/2002 7:36:19 AM PST by Dallas

MOORE HAVEN, Fla. (Reuters) - Acting on a tip that a Florida family was keeping a child's casket in their living room, police discovered a 53-year-old man living on an isolated farm with his sister as a couple and their 13 children and grandchildren, authorities said on Wednesday.

Police believe the couple may have exhumed the body of their infant son from a grave in nearby Okeechobee County 12 years ago and kept the remains in a pine box, Glades County Sheriff's chief deputy Kenneth Holley said.

No charges were filed against the pair for digging up the remains because the statute of limitations had run out but police filed a single charge of incest against the man. He was being held Wednesday at the Glades County Jail on $150,000 bond.

Holley said the sister had not yet been charged in the ongoing investigation into one of the most bizarre incidents in memory in rural Glades County, a citrus-growing area bordering Florida's Lake Okeechobee.

"Some of our norms are defined by law. Some people don't agree with the norms and they live outside the law," Holley said. "Our main concern was for the welfare of the children."

Investigators believe the 13 children were delivered and schooled at home. They described the house as orderly and the children as disciplined.

"You have to wonder. Didn't they know this wouldn't work out?" Holley said.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: sasu
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To: OWK
What are the Libertarians moral absolutes--other than: Thou (and thou's government) shalt not interfere with thy neighbor unless he physically harms thee or thy property?
61 posted on 02/28/2002 10:31:32 AM PST by 62chrysler
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To: r9etb
Amen. I couldn't agree more.
62 posted on 02/28/2002 10:34:18 AM PST by 62chrysler
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To: Bush2000
Well, maybe the gov-mint didn't want to have to figure out what to do with all those children! They probably figured she wouldn't run away.
63 posted on 02/28/2002 10:40:04 AM PST by Marysecretary
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To: 62chrysler; OWK
Thou (and thou's government) shalt not interfere with thy neighbor unless he physically harms thee or thy property?

Try asking him the natural follow-on: what makes that particular one absolute?

64 posted on 02/28/2002 10:41:56 AM PST by r9etb
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To: OWK
Uh... they're genetically deformed?

Obviously the odds are higher of producing genetic defects in a smaller gene pool, but there are lots of other risks that can produce these defects. Alcholism, drugs, and on and on. So using your same concern about the potential genetic defects why not as you say, " submit that every act of persuasion short of initiated force should be undertaken to prevent such adults from engaging in FILL IN THE BLANK HERE WITH ANY HUMAN ACTIVITY THAT COULD PRODUCE A HIGHER CHANCE OF GENETIC DEFORMITIES".

Don't worry, I won't call you a statist ;-)
65 posted on 02/28/2002 10:42:27 AM PST by Registered
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To: 62chrysler
What are the Libertarians moral absolutes..

Libertarianism describes a system of political philosophy.

As such, it deals with things political.

All of libertarian philosophy is predicated on a single moral absolute.

It is immoral to initiate force or fraud against any inidividual or to delegate it's initiation.

This does not mean that libertarians discard all other moral judgements, nor does it suggest that libertarians are moral relativists. It means that libertarians recognize political mores (the just actions of state) as a separate and discrete entity from the moral questions of individuals.

Many libertarians are Christians. They apply a Christian morality to their personal lives, but would not dream of employing government guns to initiate force against their neighbors to apply those mores in the political sphere.

66 posted on 02/28/2002 10:45:56 AM PST by OWK
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To: OWK
Many libertarians are Christians

Like the van Dams?
67 posted on 02/28/2002 10:48:39 AM PST by Registered
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To: OWK
Registered: So some humans have more value than others and that value impacts your thoughts about this situation?

OWK: Huh? How the hell did you get THAT from what I said?

Obviously you don't think it's a matter of inflicting harm, as that would justify the use of force to prevent it from occurring. (Your words: As such, I would submit that every act of persuasion short of initiated force should be undertaken to prevent such adults from engaging in sexual activity. )

So if it's not harm, it must be undesirable for some other reason. Specifically, if the possibility of genetically-deformed offspring is reason enough to strongly dissuade incestual relations, it means that genetically-deformed offspring are obviously less valuable than children with normal genes.

68 posted on 02/28/2002 10:51:25 AM PST by r9etb
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To: Registered
Like the van Dams?

Can you elaborate?

69 posted on 02/28/2002 10:51:36 AM PST by OWK
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To: Registered
man...this has got to be confusing to a child....

My Mom is my Aunt......geez

do they call her Aunt Mom or Mommy Aunt.....

70 posted on 02/28/2002 10:52:49 AM PST by is_is
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To: r9etb
Obviously you don't think it's a matter of inflicting harm, as that would justify the use of force to prevent it from occurring.

I'm not so sure it's all that "obvious" to me.

As I said in my first post... It's a tough call.

A good case could be made for either position.

71 posted on 02/28/2002 10:53:15 AM PST by OWK
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To: chookter
,,, wow! A game the whole family can play! They ain't too smarts but they have a whole lotta fun. Why am I thinking of that movie "Deliverance" right now?
72 posted on 02/28/2002 10:54:45 AM PST by shaggy eel
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To: OWK
Isn't this the kind of call that the Supreme Court should be for, instead of deciding where we can spend our money before an election?
73 posted on 02/28/2002 10:58:24 AM PST by MARTIAL MONK
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To: Dallas
Hey, as long as the relationship was between two consenting adults, yada, yada, yada, </sarcasm off >
74 posted on 02/28/2002 11:02:45 AM PST by semaj
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To: Registered
I'll see your van Dams and raise it a Yates.
75 posted on 02/28/2002 11:06:15 AM PST by csvset
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To: shaggy eel
Why am I thinking of that movie "Deliverance" right now?

I don't know, but I'm hearing banjos playing in the distance.

76 posted on 02/28/2002 11:12:21 AM PST by wimpycat
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To: semaj
yeah,...it's not like she was an intern.

Cut em some slack...

77 posted on 02/28/2002 11:14:02 AM PST by Dallas
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To: OWK
This does not mean that libertarians discard all other moral judgements, nor does it suggest that libertarians are moral relativists. It means that libertarians recognize political mores (the just actions of state) as a separate and discrete entity from the moral questions of individuals.

Still cruising FR?

There are many issues that cannot be decided simply by stating that one is a libertarian. One is abortion, which requires a judgement as to when a fetus legally acquires human rights.

Laws against incest have long been justified as necessary to prevent harm to children. You could argue that this is technically unjustified, but that has been the argument.

A more interesting question would be to ask, on a case by case basis, is at what age brother/sister incest began. I spent more than six years in a child abuse agency and never saw or heard of an incest case where it was initiated by a child. I would go somewhat further a say that it is rare to the point of non-existance, for children to be sexually attracted to anyone they grew up with. So incest, when it occurs, is most likely to be between people related by marriage rather than blood, and far more likely to be initiated by an older person. This calls up the question of abuse.

78 posted on 02/28/2002 11:15:59 AM PST by js1138
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To: PLOM...NOT!
Ya got me... I missed that one.
79 posted on 02/28/2002 11:16:51 AM PST by Teacher317
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To: OWK
A good case could be made for either position.

Maybe we could just take the middle road and start a non-profit charity that runs Public Service Ads and booths at various state fairs with the motto:

"Don't boink your sister."

It would need a catchy jingle of course.

80 posted on 02/28/2002 11:24:16 AM PST by Cogadh na Sith
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