Incredible. Just incredible.

A story that got overlooked earlier this year: In Dallas, it was discovered that a 12-year-old girl had danced nude in a strip club -- and yet the club was allowed to keep its license:

The mere fact that a 12-year-old girl danced nude at a northwest Dallas strip club isn't enough to close its doors.
That's because the city ordinance that regulates sexually oriented businesses does not allow authorities to revoke the license of such a business for employing someone under the age of 18.
The sixth-grader danced at Diamonds Cabaret over a two-week period late last year, authorities say. They also say they found a 17-year-old girl working in the club in January. . . .
"There's a laundry list of things we can use to deny or revoke a license, but having a 12-year-old dancing in their establishment is not one of the things that automatically enables us to revoke their license," said Lt. Christina Smith, a vice unit commander who oversees licensing of such establishments.

This is insane. If there were any sanity left in the world, an angry mob of citizens would have stormed down there, burnt that club to the ground, tarred and feathered the owners, and ridden them out of town on a rail.

Someone please explain to me how (a) there is nothing in Texas law that prevents preteens from performing as strippers, and yet (b) Texas officials can execute a SWAT raid on that polygamist compound and seize more than 400 children on the basis of a bogus tip?

I guess if "reality TV" can have pre-teen pole dancers . . .

UPDATE: In other 12-year-old news:

A Canadian court has lifted a 12-year-old girl's grounding, overturning her father's punishment for disobeying his orders to stay off the Internet, his lawyer said Wednesday.
The girl had taken her father to Quebec Superior Court after he refused to allow her to go on a school trip for chatting on websites he tried to block, and then posting "inappropriate" pictures of herself online using a friend's computer.
The father's lawyer Kim Beaudoin said the disciplinary measures were for the girl's "own protection" and is appealing the ruling.
"She's a child," Beaudoin told AFP. "At her age, children test their limits and it's up to their parents to set boundaries."

(Via Ace.) Hmmm. Twelve-year-olds posting "inappropriate" photos on the Internet. Judges who won't let parents enforce discipline. Do you think these two phenomena might be related?

UPDATE II: For some reason, Whiskey Fire believes the fact that this is part of a custody case means that one cannot draw "broad social or cultural conclusions" from it. I'll keep this in mind the next time some idiot blows up an abortion clinic -- just another isolated incident. Nothing to see here. Move along.