While emotionally appealing, the plea that the Texas FLDS children be returned to their parents fails to answer the question, "What then?" The Short Creek "return policy" has resulted in: the "lost boys," welfare fraud amounting to billions of dollars, 15-year-old girls exercising "free will" to marry 50-year-old men (please!), and women "reassigned" to new husbands outside the bounds of secular law. Which action presents the greater evil?
Nature provides a near 50/50 ratio of female to male, yet in the Texas compound there are four women to every man. Someone is being short-changed. Being expelled from the community, the "lost boys" find themselves unprepared to fend in normal society. These expulsions warrant jail time for the responsible authority and for the parents. How many men can afford to clothe, feed, house and educate 30 children? Polygamy is not only against the law, but by depending upon government welfare for its survival, it crosses the boundary of church and state. Yes, the Texas incident seems harsh, but something harsh is needed, similarly in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff should do more than close one eye.
F.T. Gardiner Provo
According to F.T. Gardiner, FLDS welfare fraud amouts to "billions of dollors." Billions? That is a figure I find extremely hard to believe.
What are your thoughts on this letter?
8 comments:
I was told personally that the AG's office had investigated the allegations of fraud concerning welfare use, and there was only one case that was found in the entire investigation.
Even though this letter is so full of untruths and predjudice I don't know where to begin, I would like to note that both Mark Shurtleff and Terry Goddard have had both eyes open and have done much to insure that infractions and abuse have been dealt with. But they have been smart. Maybe this indivdual should listen to the news and read the letter that was sent to Sen. Reid
outlining the steps they have taken to insure justice be done. And when all else fails, Charity never fails. Christ said : Do unto others as you would have done to you.
Would anyone with some insight into the "Lost Boys" issue care to comment?
As investigators are finding out at the ranch in Texas, these people are very industrious, excellent parents and provide love and care. I have to wonder what kind of person loves to hang on to the sellacious comments that provoke high emotions. A person that runs off of high emotions will not be able to make rational judgements, as we have seen with Texas. A person that can stay calm and collected will view the picture in its entirety and be able to pass a judgment that promotes the wellfare and happiness of a person, which is a freedom of this wonderful nation, as well as investigate appropriately the abuses and help those families get legitamite help. The states of Utah and Arizona have taken the better route. Be rational thinkers, high emotions only cause damage.
I am a contemporary with many of the "lost boys" and although many were legitimate cases. I know for a fact amongst my peers that dozens of "lost boys" that showed up on capitol hill to have their pictures taken were amongst the ages of 18-22 years old. There was nothing lost about them, when they were legal adults. I'm not defending the people that did exile true minors, simply stating that the whole concept of "lost boys" was drastically inflated for the sake of reporting numbers.
Billions? the entire Hilldale, UT and Colorado City, AZ "welfare fraud" problem was estimated at $6 million per year.
You can find more than on a single city block in Detroit or Southside Chicago.
Hi, everybody, I have a well placed source that has relayed to me the
following information in his own typed out words regarding the so-
called "Lost Boys." Judge for yourself this information as well as the
link provided:
John
I am writing to relay some information I have regarding Dr. Dan
Fischer.
This information comes to me mostly through family ties, though some
is first hand.
Mr. Fischer has been the driving force behind the "Lost Boys"
crusade. He has been recognized by many as a wealthy business man
trying to help these poor lost soles. However it may seem that his
personal goals may be differing from public appearance. The first
"LOST BOY'S" were family of the Fischer boys and Dan's wife. They were
the first to receive financial assistance. Not quite the strangers one
might have thought given all the press Mr. Fischer received for doing
this great thing in helping save them. Some of these young men are
living in homes that Mr. Fischer or his younger brother (for legal
reasons) own. These properties were purchased so they could rent them
out to these lost boys and collect a monthly rent payment. I was
present on an occasion when this younger brother talked about having
some of these homes paid off in a few years if they could keep the
boys employed and renting. Several of these lost boys are in employ
for Mr. Fischer's Sandy UT. business. So Mr. Fischer has the advantage
of their labor, their income from that labor, and a good deal of
positive press time to show it off.
I have heard (can not prove, so it's hearsay) from a family
member that Mr. Fischer has recently acquired a grant to help further
provide housing for these lost boys. I am trying to track down the
proof of this grant.
Mr. Fischer has been in the press for such things as offering
bribes to these young men, in the form of cash, and alcohol (parties)
to have them make positive statements concerning his "altruistic"
efforts towards the betterment of their lives. See this link:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8518/were-lost-boys-lured-by-booze
Mr. Fischer was a polygynist, he choose to send his first and
third wives packing after his (now very large & profitable) Co. made
good. He elected to keep the second wife (younger sister of the first,
a Barbie type) as he didn't want to cause his Co. any possibility of
failure if discovered to be a polygamist. He did manage to spin this
his way by becoming an Anti polygamist activist. Now making things all
the better by finding a way to profit from it too.
I am aware of the younger brother making a smiler move by
abandoning his first wife and children so as to keep from being seen
as a FLDS plyg. After finding that this made him look bad. I am aware
of his court case where he defamed that first wife and stole custody
of her children to have as a badge of honor now for his anti plyg
crusade. I understand from court documents, that he even asked for and
received a court order forcing her to pay him child and spousal
support now. This in spite of the fact that as the vice president of
his brothers Co. and the owner on record of the rentals, he earns a
very substantial income.
I hope this information helps you better understand some of the
aspects involved with the "Lost Boys".
>>>There is a GREAT deal MORE to this story than what you even see above that this individual is NOT able to release publicly! Believe me you, if you read what I read from this person's writings, if true, it's SHOCKING! We have passed on to you what we can pass on to you above and trust that you will make your own judgements.
gemsmaker
From a SLC Trib poster Jonathan Wurst:
Lost and Found "Boys"
HTTP://FLDSVIEW.BLOGSPOT.COM/
THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2008
Beginning late 2002 to mid 2003 there was a split in the FLDS church. Winston Blackmore, the Bishop in Canada was demoted, and his brother Richard was asked to be the Bishop. Winston then held a gathering in Canada announcing he would not step down and his brother and about half of the residents joined his new church. There was a few from the Colorado City area who also agreed with Winston, and among them was Doug Cook. Doug Cook was a tile contractor who had just recently split up with his wife. Doug had a few young men working for him when he left the FLDS, among them were two of my brothers. They were all at least 18 except Doug’s own sons. He rented a house in the town of Hurricane, about 20 miles from the FLDS towns of Hildale and Colorado City. This became the first “Lost Boy” party (safe?) house. Literally dozens of boys, some as young as 13, would catch a ride down to this house every night. I don’t know what they were doing to gain such recognition, but the Hurricane police department got rather tired of going over there. Although this was not the only place to disappear to, it was well known by many parents who drove down there every night looking for their sons and sometimes daughters.
If a girl leaves, she “escapes” If a boy does he is “kicked out”
Over the next few months I went there twice to pick up my sister Fawn, and look for some of my minor aged nephews who had caught a ride with my brothers and their friends. Later Doug moved his house and crew to St George. Other older guys got thier own place, but my brothers nephews, and their friends lived at Doug's. The “Lost Boy” term was invented by Dan and Shem Fischer. Dan Fischer a wealthy dentist and former member, and his younger brother Shem who had just recently left the church, paid these guys to come to Salt Lake for a party, and on July 31, 2004 they all gathered on the steps of the Capital building. Most of them, including my brothers, were rather embarrassed and to this day refer to being called a “Lost Boy” as an insult.
One month later Dan Fischer got six of the young men to sue Warren Jeffs and the United Effort Plan (the trust the people of the FLDS held their homes and property in) I am really grateful that my brothers refused to be a part of the lawsuit even when their friends were. Thanks for not hurting your parents more, guys!
The Six “Lost Boys” were: (ages in 2oo4)
Richard Gilbert (19) – Whose parents had left the FLDS several years earlier
Richard Ream (21) – Who joined the church headed by Winston (truck driver)
Walter Fischer (2o) – Who was asked out of the house for advances to his step sister
Don Fischer (18) – Walters’s younger brother, both worked for Doug Cook
Dean Barlow (18) – (Can’t remember him, lots of Barlow’s :>)
Thomas S Steed (18) – Whose parents had left the church several years before
There were quite a few minor boys in the news articles about the “Lost Boys” but none were included in the lawsuit because their parents would have made them come home. Most of the underage boys I saw were living with their older brothers. One of my sisters did give custody of her 15 year old son to one of my uncles who had left the church long ago. I am sure there are others like him, but I don’t know them. She got tired of chasing him home, and let him go.
I want to address the ridiculous story that these guys were “kicked out” to reduce competition for brides. I am sorry, I am laughing just to type this. If it wasn’t all over the news I would think it was a cartoon. If these guys wanted to compete for the girls, they sure didn’t try very hard. All you had to do was obey the doctrines of the church. I am sure some men in the FLDS have as many wives as they do because there weren't enough young guys who would settle down and obey the church doctrines. Two of my brothers are now married to young ladies who left the FLDS, and one (I hope) is getting married soon. Be a man, Brig!
Now I don't have any criticism for the Diversity Foundation that Dan Fischer has created, nor the charity schooling that he is doing for some of these guys, but the lawsuit was like suing their own parents. I think that was awful, and led (among the other three lawsuits paid for by Dan Fischer) to the siezure of the UEP Trust and all of the homes on it.
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