April 24, 2008

Polygamy Ranch Kids In For Culture Shock

I quote from a CNN story this morning. "Many of the children have seen little or no television. They have been home-schooled all their lives. They frolic in long dresses and buttoned-up shirts from another era. Now the 437 children taken from the polygamist compound in West Texas are being scattered to foster homes across the state. full story"

Hey, this news story could have been taken from my book, "Dusty Angels and Old Diaries".
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My sister, Sandra and I not only grew up with no TV in the filthy houses we lived in, we couldn't listen to a radio or have access to a newspaper.

Grandma home-schooled us when she felt like it and dressed us in long dresses with pants underneath them, but we didn't "frolic" in those clothes. We worked long hot hours in the sun in her garden from daybreak until sunset. Yes, we were "unfailingly polite" to others, but suffered bone shattering beatings for small infractions behind closed doors. We prayed "twice a day", but those prayers were reminders from God what would happen to little children who didn't obey their parents and do what they were told.

When we finally pulled away from the mental and physical abuse and grandma's terrible temper, we were in for a culture shock! We had no education. We knew nothing about current events. We had no money nor did we understand finances. Our clothing was just plain weird. Our social skills were backward and naive. We were lost in a great big fast-moving world.


For the rest of our lives have flashbacks of roaches tangled in our hair, mice nibbling on our ears and toes at night, bugs (dead and alive) in our food, and snowdrifts on our beds in the wintertime. That's just for starters!

Yesterday morning I happened to be off work and saw the Dr. Phil show where he was interviewing two boys from the Compound. His questions and their responses could have been my sister and me all over again! We didn't know that people lived any differently! We had no social skills or educational training when we became adults. Even today, it's difficult to stand up for ourselves and speak up when we want something. (Well, for some reason, my sister is pretty good at that.)

Dr. Phil asked the boys how they felt about their parents. Especially their mothers. Each one said they believe if they went back and knocked on the door they would hear several deadbolts being locked.

Religion is so ingrained in people like us that we either feel like nothing we ever do is good enough to make it past hell, or we have set up our own faith that gives us comfort and helps us understand the pain of others much more than most people!

That's also in my book!

I wonder if Dr. Phil was right in telling those two boys that they need to tell their parents that they'd love to have a relationship with them.


He said, "Say I love you. I miss you. My heart is open to you....You can build a bridge from your side. It's up to them to walk across it."

It sounded good on TV and they boys smiled at the cameras, but I don't think they believed him for a second.

I'd say, "Run away from them as fast as you can!"

There are too many roaches, mice, bugs and worms where you came from. If your family wants to change, THEY WILL BUILD THE BRIDGE BACK TO YOU. That's my advice.

Hopefully, those children will find someone who loves them for who they are and accepts them unconditionally. (Kids from this kind of abuse and subjection to powerful people are sometimes not the easiest to live with!)

Maybe they will be fortunate enough to find someone who by example, they will show them what true love and forgiveness is all about, and step-by-step they will find that the healing path is the unselfish giving of themselves to the love of the Universe.

That's a big challenge for the world to offer more than 400 lost children - not counting the children who never get to tell their story!

PS Don't miss my sister's comments that I'm sure will follow this story.

Take Care on the Journey,
Love, Linda

Home:
http://dustyangels.blogspot.com

4 comments:

The Cat's Meow said...

If you went to MySpace on earth day

http://www.myspace.com/BBCrazyDaisy

you would have seen the photo of Grandma in our garden when I was 10
and know how much I hated that kind of life and will never put my foot inside a religious hell hole again. I'm happy I found peace within and my belief in myself & Witchies
I really feel sorry for all the kids and even the mothers. You are right to tell them to run run run for your life. You are taught this low life of a man can have you and your kids for sex anytime he wants,"It's Gods will" You are brained washed into believing this is how life is,if you ? anything about it, you are BEAT,deprived food, belittled, made to pray, because its God, and the bastard preachers will! Thats ALL you need to know. Do as I say or you will burn in HELL!
If I could I'd give everyone of those kids & moms a hug for courage to be able to run, and not look back.

Katy said...

well said, Sandy!

Anonymous said...

Dear Linda,
This could easily have been my story as well. And I say as well,"run, run, run away for your lives!". But when you're a child in this situation - you know no difference & you want what you know rather than the unknown even though what you know hurts, 'cuz that's what think everyone's life is like. My heart goes out to those children as I know what a culture shock it is to them!!! Ginger

Anonymous said...

Beware of the “Mortal GODS” who would subjugate you to their religions, labors, false interpretations, intellectual dominance, and physical abuse.

While the Laws of Karma will balance injustice in the course of lifetime runs;a good baseball bat in the right hands can grant justice in the here and now.

~ BAP