The FLDS story of children being taken from their compound and turned over to child protective services in Texas is not a new story.
The history is long and has one point: any group that separates itself from the larger society to practice unusual marriage, sexual, child rearing or other unconventional group practices will have serious trouble. Neither isolation, walls, deserts or mountain tops are protection.
I
have observed this history since the original Mormon sect moved to a
desolate desert far from everyone else and found the U.S. Army pursuing
them. Synanon
in California experienced the same thing as did the Branch Davidian's
and a dozen other groups. Usually the group finds itself surrounded by
armed police, sheriffs, the FBI and occasionally an army.
I advised many religious and communal groups in the 1970s and 80s. My advice was simple: If your group has a couple getting a divorce living with you, if a family living with you has a custody battle underway, if your group has under 18 runaways get them out of your group or expect to be surrounded by armed forces with guns drawn. That is simply how our world works.
The reason is simple. We appear to be tolerant but we are in fact a Puritan society. Provoke us with your unconventional marriage, sexual and child rearing practices and we will bring down the Puritan wrath on you. We use child custody laws to carry out our Puritanism.
These days a communal group that lets children smoke and drink alcohol will get shut down too.
Your only hope is to remain very small and innocuous.
The FLDS never asked my advice.