Is anyone else concerned that the Raid and “seizure” of the children at the Texas Polygamist Ranch is taking on a life of its own?
Has any notion of “due process” gone out the door in the name of “pedophilia hysteria”?
Lets take a look at the most recent headline to come out of as published in The Dallas Morning News.
“Texas officials looking at possible abuse among FLDS boys”
“Dozens of youngsters swept by the state from a polygamist sect suffered broken or fractured bones in the past, some when children were “very young,” Texas’ top protective services official said today.” This statement was made before a Senate Subcommittee the Texas Foster Care System.
“The state says more than half of the 53 girls ages 14 to 17 are pregnant or already have children.”
Could all of these things be true? Absolutely. Does that fact that they reported in a mainstrain paper mean they are true? Absolutely not…..
Where have we seen this before? Allegations of abuse, children removed, senate investigtions, massive coverage by the media? Adults labeled, tried and convicted in the press without being able to defend themselves and then ultimately tried in a court of law with no convictions obtained.
What am I referring to? If you are a baby boomer or older you remember the McMartin Preschool Trials.
The McMartin preschool trial was a day care sexual abuse case of the 1980s. Members of the McMartin family, who operated a preschool in California, were charged with numerous acts of sexual abuse of children in their care. After six years of criminal trials, no convictions were obtained, and all charges were dropped in 1990. It was the longest and most expensive criminal trial of its time.
The media coverage of the McMartin trails was overwhelming by the standards of the day. The allegations of the children were written up unchallenged in the LA Times.
In March 1984, Virginia McMartin, Peggy McMartin Buckey, Ray Buckey, Ray’s sister Peggy Ann Buckey and teachers Mary Ann Jackson, Bette Raidor, and Babette Spitler were charged with 208 counts of child abuse.
The children’s testimony during the trial was uncorroborated and inconsistent. In 1986, a new district attorney called the evidence “incredibly weak,” and dropped all charges against Virginia McMartin, Peggy Ann Buckey, Mary Ann Jackson, Bette Raidor and Babette Spitler. Peggy McMartin Buckey and Ray Buckey remained in custody awaiting trial; Peggy McMartin’s bail had been set at $1 million and Ray Buckey had been denied bail.
The cases went to trial, and in 1990, after three years of testimony and nine weeks of deliberation by the jury, Peggy McMartin Buckey was acquitted on all counts.Ray Buckey was cleared on 39 of 52 counts, and freed on bail after more than five years in jail. He was retried later on six of the 13 counts, which produced another hung jury. The prosecution then gave up trying to obtain a conviction, and the case was closed with all charges against Ray Buckey dismissed. He had been jailed for 5 years without ever being convicted of any wrongdoing.
There were many lessons that were learned from the McMartin preschool case. Lessons about the power of the press. Lessons about “pedophilia hytseria” Lessons about the nature of due process in and out of the court room.
When I see the headlines I have seen coming out of the Texas Polygamist Compound I see disturbing similarities to the McMartin case taking shape. I see parents labeled, tried, convicted and isolated for the rest of their lives. I see lessons not learned from the McMartin case and cases like it that have followed. I see “pedophile hysteria” taking on a life of its own and ultimately changing forever the futures of all involved hopefully for the better but history proves that it can be for the worse if we don’t take it slow and choose our words carefully…
Make no mistake, there will be criminal charges against parents brought in this case just as in the McMartin preschool case.
To all involved in this case, Lets take it slow and choose our words carefully, the are children and adult futures at stake…..
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