Smackdown Time for Uncle Warren, by Mike Watkiss, azfamily.com, August 8, 2011

Smackdown Time for Uncle Warren

By Mike Watkiss
azfamily.com
August 8, 2011

http://www.azfamily.com/news/watkiss/Smackdown-Time-for-Uncle-Warren-127252083.html

Law enforcement officials, left, and right, escort Warren Jeffs, center, out of the Tom Green County Courthouse Friday Aug. 5, 2011, in San Angelo, Texas. Jeffs, a polygamist sect leader convicted of child sexual assault walked out of his sentencing hearing in protest Friday, after reading a statement he claimed was from God. The statement promised a "whirlwind of judgment" on the world if God's "humble servant" wasn't set free.(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

SAN ANGELO, Texas -- Bullies never pick on people who can fight back and they always seem run when someone stands up to them. So, it really shouldn't come as any great surprise that Warren Jeffs ran out of the courtroom like a whinny little boy when prosecutors began presenting the sentencing phase of his sexual assault trial in Texas.

Had he stayed, Jeffs would have had to come face to face with his nephew, Brent Jeffs. Brent is a wonderful and courageous young man. He grew up in the FLDS community and as young children, both Brent and his older brother, Clyne, were sexually abused by their Uncle Warren.

Clyne ended up taking his own life.

Brent fought back.

First, he sued his prophet uncle. Then he wrote a powerful book called "Lost Boy." Now, in the ultimate smackdown, Brent Jeffs is sharing his horrific story with the jurors who have already found his uncle guilty of sexually assaulting two little girls and are now deciding just how many decades Uncle Warren will be spending in a Texas prison.

During this sentencing phase, jurors have also heard more sickening audio tapes of the so-called prophet sexually grooming children to satisfy his own perverse and powerful appetites.

The FLDS community is now reportedly stepping forward to denounce the underage marriages and reportedly pledging that they will no longer engage in such practice.

Yeah, right!

I have to confess I have heard these kinds of promises before. And you know what? They will probably keep the promise as long as the "outside world" is watching. But as soon as the satellite trucks drive away and all of the bombastic talk show hosts -- who are now spewing their righteous indignation over an issue that they have ignored for so long -- return their attention to Casey Anthony or the Kardasians, these guys will probably go right back to business as usual.

Because that's what bullies do when there is no one to stand up to them.