How much polygamy is to much?

[Vigilante]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/WireStory?id=4595141&page=1

[Conductor42]

The FLDS have a lot of problems, but most polygamists are normal people. I've lived amongst both 'normal' and FLDS types. If polygamy weren't outlawed, the polygamists (fundamentalist mormon and otherwise) wouldn't have to try to be so secretive, and it'd be a lot easier to go after the perverts and abusers.

The way our govt treats these people is only making the abuse problems worse, not better, because even the harmless ones are afraid of the govt and become secretive because of it.

[Vigilante]

It's not about whether polygamy is OK or not, but it's against the law. Normal people or not, it can't be allowed in this country, unless of course there is no law and I'm mistaken.

[rogue06]

IIRC, the Supreme Court has never ruled whether polygamy is protected by the First amendment. Further, what is the policy for those, like Muslims, who have up to four wives that they married in their home country, then moved to the U.S.? Do we recognize the marriages? A friend of mine recently told me that the British courts have declared the marriages valid (not sure if he is correct though), but I have no idea what the policy is here.

[Vigilante]

The real question is, could any man stand to live with more than one typical American woman? Or afford it?

[almightydollar]

If it weren't for a lot of these wives having been taken as such shortly after (or even, in some particularly disgusting cases, long before) they reach the age of consent, I would not care. These girls and young women need to be protected somehow from being taken advantage of by their elders. We also need to protect the young men of these communities - a lot of whom are forced out to keep them from competing with the older men for wives, or who are abused in some cases.

Perhaps passing a law regarding the taking of multiple wives? Any futher wives married while you are still married to any previous wife must be of a certain age/be within a certain number of years of the husband's age? Further requirements as far as proving the husband's ability to provide for both his original and intended plural wife/wives? Requiring proof that none of the individuals in or preparing to enter into the plural marriage are too closely related? I really don't know, it's like a huge can of worms just sitting on my desk... calling to me.... "opeeeen meeeee...."

[freethinker]

Common sense says that a bigamist has one wife too many. The same goes for a husband..

[rogue06]

If it weren't for a lot of these wives having been taken as such shortly after (or even, in some particularly disgusting cases, long before) they reach the age of consent, I would not care. These girls and young women need to be protected somehow from being taken advantage of by their elders. We also need to protect the young men of these communities - a lot of whom are forced out to keep them from competing with the older men for wives, or who are abused in some cases.

Perhaps passing a law regarding the taking of multiple wives? Any futher wives married while you are still married to any previous wife must be of a certain age/be within a certain number of years of the husband's age? Further requirements as far as proving the husband's ability to provide for both his original and intended plural wife/wives? Requiring proof that none of the individuals in or preparing to enter into the plural marriage are too closely related? I really don't know, it's like a huge can of worms just sitting on my desk... calling to me.... "opeeeen meeeee...."

One of the other problems is that many of the polgamists here will have a dozen kids or more and then go on welfare so that the rest of us can finance their lifestyle.

[nomad]

Perhaps passing a law regarding the taking of multiple wives?

There is one... you can't :) But I think it is rarely enforced. John Stossel in this book even had in his book (as an anecdote) where the district attorney of some town (probably in Utah, can't remember, don't have it nearby) was actually the 4th of 7 wives and said flat out she would not prosecute it. (guess not, it would mean prosecuting herself! :)

Regardless of what you think about polygamy, there are far worse violations going on here. Even without the polygamy, if a woman was forced into a marriage with someone else, when she was underage like many of these girls, even for a single 'normal' marriage we would have reason to object.

[Vigilante]

More on the story, and extra details.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7339392.stm

It's really sad, those poor young girls.

[rogue06]

More on the story, and extra details.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7339392.stm

It's really sad, those poor young girls.

What often gets left out of these stories is what happens to the boys in these communities. Not wanting competition for these girls and young women the vast majority are simply taken to a nearby city and dumped off on a street corner to fend for themselves any way they can. Most live lives as male prostitutes and criminals just trying to survive. That explains why you see so few males in the pictures and videos of the women and children that were removed from the compound.

[Vigilante]

That's because boys/men already have the stereotype of being vicious brutes who can't think beyond the brain between their legs.
If boys were raised proper, I really think they could once again respect and love women properly. Then again, I may be wrong.


We could always threated the guys:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,348171,00.html

[Vigilante]

And some more reporting, with video.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4610290&page=1

[rogue06]

That's because boys/men already have the stereotype of being vicious brutes who can't think beyond the brain between their legs.
If boys were raised proper, I really think they could once again respect and love women properly. Then again, I may be wrong.


We could always threated the guys:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,348171,00.html

This is what I meant:

Polygamy's 'Lost Boys' expelled from only life they knew

Polygamy’s ‘lost boys’ need not walk alone

[Vigilante]

Yikes, freaking cults man.


I live in Arizona, I wish I could mentor if there were any up here.
This guy, how can he abuse the message of Christ like this? I wonder if he even reads a Bible.