by Amy Jo Browne

Created on: May 16, 2008

Like many other Americans, I read the bigger news sites on a daily basis, and this Yearning for Zion Ranch raid in Texas caught my interest in early April when it first began. The more I hear and read about this I more concerned I am that we are not seeing the whole picture of the raid of the Yearning for Zion Ranch and if you have ever had a run in with Children and youth or Child Protective services, as they are known you understand my concern.

Yes, I understand they were marrying girls off at thirteen to become mothers in this sect at the Yearning for Zion Ranch, but truthfully, the only part here is parents were arranging the marriages. All over America each day there are teenagers having sex, and creating babies that their parents or society as in foster care are taking care of the babies and though it is frowned upon no one punishes the parents because their teenagers are having sex.

The reason the parents at Yearning for Zion Ranch are being punished is for the forced marriages and the conception of the babies. Why is mainstream society not punished because teenagers are having babies? If mainstream society were to force the marriage of teenagers who conceived a baby then it would be breaking the law.

Mainstreamed teenagers can have babies but religious teenagers at the Yearning for Zion Ranch cannot have babies, what a message the government is sending to teenagers and people in general. Am I the only one who sees this injustice between two very different segments of society?

Religious freedoms are what America was founded upon, yet we as a society dictate to certain religious groups that their religion is wrong. Granted in some cases where there is outright abuse this is a great thing but I wonder if we have not done the wrong thing with those at the Yearning for Zion Ranch.

The Amish communities also marry young, keep to them selves yet they are left alone. Their children do attend school, but they are for the most part separated from society and are not persecuted because they are different from of us in mainstream society. In each religious group in America, there are others who do not like them or follow the religious principals but do we raid their churches and steal their children as we did at the Yearning for Zion Ranch?
No, we do not, because we believe in religious freedom for everyone it seems but those at the Yearning for Zion Ranch.

I could see taking the children down there at the Yearning for Zion Ranch if the children were being abused. However

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