This weeks editorial focuses on the children removed from the F.L.D.S. compound in Eldorado. KAUZ General Manager Mike De Lier asks if it was right to remove them.

"Regardless of your feelings about polygamy, should moms and children be separated by the state?" We asked this question in one of our daily polls on www.kauz.com.

You responded this way: YES -- 54 percent; NO -- 46 percent.

Pretty close!

We have to ask this question: "why so?" Why should the state assume parental control? To date, the state has not determined the name of the caller or validity of the call that triggered this whole episode.

Though we do not agree with the practice of polygamy -- aren't there also some rational concerns about the safety and well being of these children who have been taken from their mothers? Caring for off-spring is natural, complex and necessary. We need to ask another question: "How would you feel if the state came into your home, made a judgement call on your parenting and took your children?"

In the past the Children's Protective Services of Texas have had extreme issues of their own -- as concerns professionalism, maintaining the safety of children --- doing their jobs as mandated by the state.

There may not be a clear understanding at this time of all the issues and of all the consequences. So we are going to post the poll question again for a couple of days on the local news page and report the results back to you Monday during our regular newscasts. So if you are interested in this issue, please go to www.kauz.com and answer the question. You can also go to the "Editorials" Blog and give your opinions.

If you'd like to comment on this editorial, logon to www.kauz.com and head to the Editorial Blog Section and tell us what you think.