I used to watch a series on HBO, strictly for its entertainment value, which some of you may have also seen called Big Love. For those of you who never watched the show it was about a polygamist family. Recently the controversy over polygamy has been in the news again only this time it was not in Arizona or Utah as it usually is but rather in Texas. Apparently in El Dorado Texas there is a polygamist ranch which was part of the FLDS church.

Last week state officials raided the ranch and most recently made a decision to separate the roughly 400 children from their mothers. State officials claim that it was in the childrens best interest to separate them from their mothers. This all began when a 16 year old made a phone call claiming that she was being abused within the ranch. The mothers are now are using the media, who they rarely grant interviews to, to try and gain sympathy from the public in order to try and get their children back.

As I watched the interview on CNN yesterday with one of the mother's it was obvious that she was coached as to what to answer. The mother would all together avoid some of the questions or couldn't give a direct answer. Then she said something which was the most upsetting part of the whole interview to me. She tried to compare their current situation to that of the Jews in WWII. Anderson Cooper, who was conducting the interview, then asked her if she was fully aware of what had actually happend to the Jews in WWII and she answered that she was that in fact she was a well educated woman in history and had a university degree.

At first I didn't know if I should laugh but the more I think about it the comments from that mother are upsetting more than anything else. I can't imagine what university she went to but I just find it so mind boggling that some one could allow themselves to be so brain washed. After hearing her try to compare her plight to the Holocaust I have no sympathy at all for these women. I think that both Utah and Arizona should follow Texas example and take all children out of any polygamist environment. All the brain washed mothers should then be forced to have their tubes tied. Ok I know that sounds a little crazy but I don't beleive it's any crazier than the comparison she tried to make.

Some of you may think that I spend my weekends going to parties, nothing could be further from the truth, I'm usually re-writing my anaylsis papers on the weekend. These are pictures of my weekend trip to Chihuahua. Each year my friend Jesus has a really big party for his birthday, he's in the second picture wearing the gold mask. He always goes all out for his parties, he rents one of the bars in Chihuahua and only those with an invitation can get in. This year the theme of the party was, I really don't know what the theme was but we were all told to wear a mask. See if you can find me in the first picture.
Like Adolfo's party, see my past posting, I always look forward to Jesus' party because it gives me an opportunity to see old friends that have moved away. Some people come from as far away as California, Monterrey, and Hermosillo to name a few. There's nothing like a good party to bring together old friends. Far too many times friends and family wait until something tragic to happen to come together. I hope everyone else had a great weekend.

This is a picture of my 2 1/2 year old nephew Kaelen. He lives with my 3 sisters: Esperanza, Bernadette, & Genevieve in Albuquerque NM. Genevieve is his birth mother and Esperanza and Bernadette are his surrogate mothers. Over spring break I picked up my mother and went to visit them for Easter. Unfortunately I don't get to see them as often as I would like but being with him made me feel like a kid again. I had forgot how much fun coloring and hiding Easter eggs could be.

Other than playing with my nephew about the only other things I did was go to the local flea market there and church on Sunday but mass was held outside and as usual the weather did not cooperate. It was sunny but there was a slight breeze which made it cold enough to have to wear a light jacket. Luckily I had one but many people did not. I hope everyone else had a good a good spring break.