Polygamy versus Abuse

Re-creating the original that was lost from earlier today.

As I read the news today I saw that a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Warren Jeffs and the AG's of Arizona and Utah were offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest/capture. He has been charged with performing at least one marriage ceremony where the girl was under the legal age of consent. Birth certificate records also show he has fathered two children by girls under the age of 18.

While I do not think the State or Federal government should interfere in the consenual relationships of adults, Polygamy in most cases is a different issue. First, there is some concern that these adult women are really consenting. Secondly, and the most disturbing part of this is when it involves minors. Children as young as age 11 have been married.

Most of these children and adult women feel as if they have no choice, they are placed in an environment where many have been raised outside of society. A good majority of them do not realize there are other options to them. Thanks to groups like Child Bride Org, some of them escape. Others manage to escape on their own.

What is equally troubling is this statement from the above linked news article.

Ben Bistline, a Colorado City resident who has chronicled the history of the FLDS church, said Jeffs could be hiding at a number of church-owned properties, including a new compound in the central Texas town of Eldorado.

"He'll never turn up voluntarily," he said. "They'll have to catch him."

Others believed any attempt to arrest Jeffs would end in bloodshed.

"His people are going to protect him with their lives," said Pam Black, a former FLDS member. "They love him, and they would give their lives for him."

My fear as expressed here and in comments from earlier is that this could potentially end up being another Waco situation. Also that in some ways Warren Jeffs reminded me of Jim Jones and I hope this situation has a better outcome than both of those.

Me4President commented on the earlier thread that went *poof*:

From watching about this guy on that damned Dr Phil show with me wife, I think you could throw out the polygamy and he would still be scum.

Women as property, boys tossed out to improve odds of multiple wives, and underage girls forced to marry.I would hope that bloodshed could be avoided, but at some point they have to weigh the risks of inaction and letting more people getting sucked in and violence. Besides, if he was a true leader who believed that God was on his side, he would turn himself in and let God protect him.

Brew stated:

I think me hit on the real core of all this - the guys we're talking about here are just scum and the polygamy is probably just a symptom of that scumishness.

I kinda of go off on a tangent when someone tells me they're opposed to same sex marriage because it'll lead to, amongst other things, polygamy. I can't quite figure out why we as a society should really care as Lisa said, about the living arrangements of consenting adults. Even more so if that practice falls under an individuals first amendment rights - which it probably could in saner climes than Jeffs & Co's nutjob "compounds".

See? Tangent!

I seriously hope we don't have another Waco on our hands.

Then me4president stated:

I agree that it is the people and not the polygamy that screw stuff up. Maybe there are some women happy in polygamous relationships. It is not for me. I get in enough trouble with one wife.

I would be killed with multiples.I don't care who marries whom as long as they are both doing so of their own will and of age. If there is love, regardless of the individuals involved, what could be more pro-family?

(There is one extra advantage of being notified by email when comments come, that way if something like that happens? I can recreate them so they don't have to repost them)

:-)