Prejudice - who, me?

Part of what makes prejudice what it is in is the very roots of the word: 'pre' (before), and 'judice' (judging). I would never be so disingenous as to claim that I have none; every person to ever inhabit this planet has been predisposed to think ill of those different from themselves.

For all of the talk in the politically correct world of today about the evils of prejudice, more often than not Big Media (the BM for short) does more to inflame prejudice than to eliminate it. Case in point: the press coverage in the aftermath of the raid on the FLDS ranch at El Dorado, TX, last year. One got the idea that every man in that "compound" (apparently, in the strange vocabulary of the BM, any property surrounded by a fence is a compound) was engaged in forcible sexual relations with girls barely out of puberty. The girls themselves were so brainwashed that they thought this was all perfectly normal and part of God's plan.

A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. A handful of indictments were issued against FLDS men. No barely-pubescent "abused" girls were ever produced. 460+ kidnapped children were returned to their parents - thank God!

And yet the awful words written about the FLDS at the time of the raids live on. Mine included.

I received a very kind email from a young FLDS woman I'll call "FLDS Mom" (FM) in the interest of protecting her privacy from the likes of the assholes at Caput Penitus Culus. This young mother lives outside of Texas, so her family wasn't directly affected by the raid.

FM wrote:

I recently discovered your blog (in spite of the fact that us FLDS women supposedly don't do that kind of thing). I want you to know that I really appreciate your support even if you think that we're treated like cattle. I promise we're really not but if I can't convince you otherwise, oh well.

I guess what I'm trying to tell you is something that I heard awhile back: All Indians walk in single file....At least the one I saw did. As similar as we all may seem to someone looking at us from the outside, everyone of us is so individual and unique. I can tell you that the things I experience in my lifestyle aren't always what everyone else is experiencing or doing. It's like I tell my children about "outsiders" . "They are the same as us. They have nice people, and they have mean people. They have honest ones and liars. They have everything we have and so don't always judge them by one mean person calling you a "plig" in a very mean way. Even though the ugly can sure make an impression, I've met more nice people than not."

Even if I don't make a good impression on you, I sure appreciate your honesty in it and I appreciate your support of the Constitution and true law and order. Keep up your good work and thanks for being a little of a sounding board for me.

My first reaction on reading this email was, "Huh?" I seriously didn't remember ever having said anything as ugly or bigoted as that. Not me! I told FM as much when I emailed back. Specifically, I said this.

Do I really come across as appearing to believe that the FLDS are all "a certain way"? Because, if I do, I apologize profusely. Far be it from me, the outsider among outsiders, to EVER presuppose that anyone (except State-worshiping Leftists) ever marches in lock step with anyone else. I will admit that some of my early writings about the FLDS from last year were unduly harsh due to the relentless bombardment from Big Media (the BM for short) about the "rampant" pedophilia at El Dorado that has been categorically proven....NOT AT ALL.

Since that time, mostly due to the influence of Toes (Sore Toes and a Bleeding Heart), I've softened considerably - at least, I HOPE I have; your letter now has me a lttle concerned that maybe I am still remiss and an apology is due to you and your co-religionists. I'll be the first to admit that when I get on a roll writing, I can be a huge a**hole (just ask Mrs. Vulture!). But I'm not too proud to apologize when an apology is due, and if it is, I'm all over it.

I had to see for myself if it was true. I went back and read all of my past posts tagged "FLDS". When I read this post from May 23rd, 2008, I realized it was true!

I very much dislike the FLDS cult. I very much dislike the way that they treat their women, like cattle. I very much dislike and distrust cults in general. But in the United States of America, under the Constitution, even the most unlikeable cult has rights, and NO ONE, not the government, not the Texas Stoßtruppen, and certainly not the Texas übermommies, can abridge those rights.

Oh. My. God.

It's hard to explain how very ashamed I am that I could ever write anything so hateful about people I know little about. I can't even BEGIN to express how very sorry I am for those hateful words. It's one thing to blast the Caput Penitus Culus crowd and call them everything but a human being. They deserve it. But what did the FLDS ever do to me?

I offer my sincerest apologies to FM and all of the FLDS people for having ever written something so hateful and bigotted. I hope that you will forgive me. As I explained to FM, my feelings for the FLDS were colored by the propaganda of that time, but that's no excuse. I know better!