Obviously, as many people have mentioned, it's criminal that more official attention hasn't been paid to the victims of polygamy, particularly the children. I can ALMOST understand that they backed off on doing anything about the state of Shirley's house, since she presumably wouldn't file a report, but her children were living in those conditions as well. Doesn't the City have a responsibility to keep them safe even if their mother won't? While their father may not be "legally" married to their mother, in this day and age it doesn't relieve him of the financial responsibility to support his children. Maybe jailing all these polygamous father's as deadbeat dads is the way to settle the entire issue, because with up to 150 children each, they won't possibly be able to meet their financial obligations to all their dependents.
That raises another subject: if government, whether local, state or federal, is not willing to get involved to protect the women and children from the mental, emotional and physical abuse of this lifestyle, perhaps they can be persuaded for a more mercenary reason. I don't doubt they're aware of this consequence of polygamy, but maybe someone should spell out the scenario for them, and suggest a cost/benefit analysis. I'm referring to the obvious dangers of the pervasive incest. Even when they're not knowingly marrying siblings and first cousins, these groups are far too small a society for the amount of intermarriage that takes place. I would be surprised if they weren't already experiencing a higher than normal rate of birth defects. Considering the ultra-conservative, pseudo-religious mindset of these people, it would also not surprise me if such defects were blamed on some moral "failing" of the mothers, ostracizing them and driving them even further into poverty. Except then who picks up the cost? Government, of course, at one level or another. Don't get me wrong; this isn't a Trumpist rant - I would bite my tongue out first! I'm merely saying that this reality may be the way to motivate authorities to get involved, even if their motivation isn't in the least altruistic.
Really, all anyone had to do is look back at European history. The Royal families of Europe have had genetic anomalies, but overall it was kept under control because for the most part, relations closer than second cousins were forbidden to marry. But in the 19th century the number of monarchies had shrunk, and they were already related. So by continuing to intermarry within a similar closed society, diseases like hemophilia, untreatable at the time, ran rampant. Forms of insanity, less discussed, also affected members, as well as the larger world. Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, who started WWI, was Queen Victoria's grandson. In fact, maybe these messiah complexes the leaders of these cults clearly have, along with overly controlling, obvious antisocial, pedophile tendencies, are actually the result of their own inbreeding. Not that it would excuse them in my opinion. But if true, it would pose a public health risk and potential economic burden, forcing authorities to take action. Everyone who agrees should sign the petition on the Sisters' website.
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angelbaby3838
8 years ago
Just to answer your concern about financial responsibility:
In one of the episodes they say that the first wife is not just the only person legally married to the man, but all the wives the come after leave the father's name off of the birth certificates for their children. If they were to attempt to get financial compensation the man can claim to not be the father & because there is no legal documentation it makes it more difficult & less likely for that child support to be placed on them. I also believe that it was stated that the children coming from any "marriages" after the first call their father by his name & aren't allowed to call him dad/daddy/etc.
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Questionality
8 years ago
Legally that's twaddle, but I"m sure they've brainwashed them on the issue. The name on the birth certificate has no legal significance (unless it's one where they dad accepts the role, but that doesn't mean much either). They file for child support, DNA tests are done (dad has to pay if he is the father - that's about 500-1000 per kid) and they have to pay child support. That would be the fastest way to bring down the cult. All the moms sue for child support.
erutangis
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