I just read an article by David Von Drehle from the May 24 issue of Time Magazine. Yes, I know, I know, I am a little behind, my reading material has consisted lately of Dr. Seuss, Margaret Wise Brown and books illustrated beautifully by Eric Carle. Anyway, I had bought the magazine because of the article regarding the future of the Democratic Party, but by the time I read the article two more primaries had occured, so it was pointless.
The aforementioned article that caught my eye was "The Texas Polygamist Sect: Uncoupled and Unchartered." The article basically covers a story regarding a fundamentalist Mormon sect. It seems one of this type of renegade religious sect floats to the top every decade or so, and all on the inside as well as some on the outside believe they are better left alone. Of course in this case the issue is the physical and psychological well-being of the 437 children. 437 children! 437! They have been put into foster care. Why not allow them to stay with their mothers? I suppose they have to sort out if the mothers are unfit or if their tyrannical culture led by men has made women victims as well.
I don't have the answers. I don't even have an opinion because I don't have enough information. But there is one aspect of this issue, mentioned in the article, that sickens me. The article states: "Caught in the middle is Texas judge Barbara Walther, who was asked to weigh requests from the parents to... reunite nursing mothers with the 77 kids who are under age 2." By no means do I consider this unreasonable. However, the judge's ruling puts a pit in my stomach: "For the nursing mothers, the judge offered a lesson in contemporary feminism: 'Every day in this country there are thousands of mothers who, after six weeks' maternity leave, must go back to work--and they deal with this issue.'" Offered a lesson? That is as if it is standard practice for women to quit nursing at 6 weeks and return to work. Offered a lesson? What if a "modern" stay-at-home mom were to have her baby taken from her because she had a tyranncial husband and told to "deal with the issue?" No, the father would be removed from the home. Not to mention, whether you think it's right or wrong, or downright weird, these women are not modern. They have no clue what modern even means. I feel that they have been thrust into a time machine against their will.
Maybe the scope is so huge it's too difficult to address any one individual, so there are sweeping rulings until they sort things out. But come on, nursing mothers? Why not put them on house arrest at Motel 6 and let them nurse their babies? There Texas, that's my solution.
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That is so completely insane I don't even know where to start...have they encountered any infants who refused an artificial nipple, like mine did? Do they now get to starve to death to really drive that lesson home?
I like your solution. I think we violated the rights of some of these people. I don't have a strong opinion either way on the whole polygamy thing because on one hand it's a persons right, but on the other, I suspect many of these women are somewhat forced and kept in such a lifestyle (even through something as simple as brainwashing and not physical force.) ... Anyway, I can't conceive of every single one of these children having been abused - and if there was even one Mama who had her child unrightfully taken from her, my heart is breaking for her. I can't imagine the pain these Mothers are in.
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