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Show World&Hation Page 20 Monday, April 16, 2008 Texas officials defend decision to separate mothersfrom children ELDORADO, Texas (AP) - State officials Tuesday defended their decision to suddenly separate mothers from many of the children taken in a raid on a polygamist ranch in West Texas. Texas Children's Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner said the separation was made Monday after they decided that children are more truthful in interviews about possible abuse if their parents are not around. When state troopers and child welfare officials seized 416 children from the compound, 139 women accompanied them on their own and had been allowed to stay with the children until Monday, when they were driven back to the compound. Only women with children under 5 could stay at the San Angelo Coliseum where they were being held. Meisner said the decision was made after much discussion with experts. "We believe their treatment at home if a parent wasn't present. The mothers have complained the state deceived them, but Meisner said the situation was explained and, while there were tears, the operation went smoothly. "I can tell you we believe the children who are victims of abuse or neglect, and particularly victims at the hands of their own parents, certainly are going to feel safer to tell their story when they don't have a par.Ti there that's coaching them with how to respond," Meisner said. Although Meisner calied the decision typical in any case her agency works "every single day," she also ticked off a list of obstacles making the seizure of more than 400 children from a polygamist sect anything but typical. Meisner said child welfare officials still can't find birth certificates for many of the children, making parentage and age determinations impossible. She said many of the children don't know who their parents are and many have the same last name but may or may not be related. "It's a difficult process," she said. Authorities raided the sect's ranch more than a week ago in response to allegations that underage girls were forced to marry older men. About three dozen of the women who returned to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ranch spoke out Monday, after 11 days in temporary shelters. They said in interviews that police surrounded them Monday and gave them a choice between returning home, or relocating to a women's shelter. "It just feels like someone is trying to hurt us," said Paula, 38, who like other members of the sect declined to give her full name. "I do not understand how they can do this when they don't have a for sure knowledge that anyone has abused these children." Brenda, a 37-year-old mother of two teenage boys, said the women were threatened with arrest if they resisted the court order. Previously, the women had been told they would stay with the children at least until Thursday, when a custody hearing is scheduled, she said. The state is accusing the sect of physically and sexually abusing the youngsters and wants to strip their parents of custody and place the children in foster care or put them up for adoption. The sheer size of the case was an obstacle. Brenda and others were critical of CPS, saying the agency misled them as to what was to happen Monday, weren't told why the children were removed from the compound and given inaccurate messages about opportunities to meet attorneys. "We got to where we said, 'We cannot believe a word you say. We cannot trust you,'" she said. Officials said the investigation began with a call from a young girl who has yet to be located by CPS. The women in the sect said they suspect she may be a bitter ex-member of the church. The FLDS practice polygamy in arranged marriages, sometimes between underage girls and older men. The group has thousands of followers in two side-by-side towns in Arizona and Utah. The church has repeatedly fought because of its lifestyle before. Men, women and children have been swept up in raids that took place in 1935, 1944 and 1953. "It's been all through history, " said Brenda, the mother of two. "We were just here trying to live a peaceful, happy, sweet life. We don't understand why we can't do this freely." DELTA A N D NORTHWEST Air Lines merged Tuesday, the merger is good for the airlines but could lead to an era of fewer flights and more confusion at the airport. AP photo Airline giants merge PHOENIX (AP)-Getting hitched may be the right move for Delta and Northwest. But for beleaguered air travelers, it could usher in an era of fewer flights, more confusion at the airport and even more crowded planes. The merger could kick off a wave of airline consolidation. And while the effects would not be immediate because the combinations could take months to get regulatory approval, industry observers say get ready anyway for fewer carriers in the sky. "It's not an industry that works," said Mark Cooper, director of research for the Consumer Federation of America, who lobbied Congress against a bid by US Airways for Delta last year. "We're now getting to the point where there are so few carriers left, and they still can't make money," he said. Mergers, combined with a recent spate of airline bankruptcies, mean passengers in many cities can expect fewer flights to choose from, and they'll be packed even fuller than they are now. Greater demand for remaining seats translates into higher ticket prices. "There's no doubt in my mind fares are going to go up," said Rick Seaney, chief executive ofFareCompare.com, which tracks changes in airline ticket prices. "Consumers are deluding themselves if they think that's not the case." Peter Schiff, president of brokerage firm Euro Pacific Capital, said the changes could put air travel out of reach for Americans of modest means. "Although many Americans have come to regard affordable air travel as a birthright, from a global perspective it remains the province of the wealthy," Schiff said. That could mean more headaches for travelers already reeling from a string of cancellations due to stepped-up scrutiny of safety regulations by the Federal Aviation Administration. The merger announcement by Northwest Airlines Corp. and Delta Air Lines Inc., which would create the world's largest airline, has already ignited talks among other airlines as they seek to bulk up to combat rising fuel prices in a slowing economy. Continental Airlines Inc. executives told employees Tuesday that the airline wants to remain independent but warned "the landscape is changing" and said it would consider its "strategic alternatives." The executives did not say what they might consider, but Continental has held talks with United Airlines in the past. United CEO Glenn Tilton issued his own statement to employees Tuesday in which he called industry consolidation "one of the changes necessary" for the industry to get to sustained profits. "We will participate in consolidation when and if it is the right choice and provides the right benefits for employees, customers and shareholders," Tilton said. A Continental-United pairing would create an airline even bigger than the DeltaNorthwest offspring, which will keep the Delta name if regulators and shareholders give their blessing. An industry dominated by a few massive carriers would give Wall Street what it's wanted for a long time fewer planes in the sky. SPECIALIZED c a n n ilH Buy Any Bike or Exercise machine Valued At F u l l I\Z1SFKF> 111$150'$ Get This Much In Free Stuff Includes FREE STUFF!!!!! Helmets^! Racks^! 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