Deseret News | Reid calls polygamous communities a form of 'organized crime'

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Reid calls polygamous communities a form of 'organized crime'

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the beast | 8:16 p.m. July 24, 2008

They call it bleeding the beast, they teach their followers to bleed the government financially for everything they can, food stamps tax evasion welfare fraud, why do you think the people in Texas had to go in and do D.N.A. samples, because they pretend not to know who the daddy's are so they can collect welfare from you and I who go to work everyday to pay taxes to support their Zion Ranch, From what I know this is stealing, if you want the truth read a few of the books written by women who have escaped this horrible lifestyle then tell me God has anything to do with this practice...Please

jwr | 8:17 p.m. July 24, 2008

Attack Harry Reid, but please remember these people have been supporting themselves at the expense of the taxpayers, no doubt much of the property they buy was with tax payer money. They breed their women but cannot support them. I'm not against polygamy if you as a consenting adult want to live that way but please don't take young girls and give them no options to be married off to some old duffer plus if you can afford to support them without collecting taxpayers money. Since when should tax payers support a religion oops I forgot we are in Utah.

Football Aristotle | 8:30 p.m. July 24, 2008

Boring

Comments continue below

Have They No Shame? | 9:03 p.m. July 24, 2008

Coming from a long line of Utah Pioneers, on all sides, these FLDS disgust me. Pioneers were PROUD people who worked hard and took care of their own and passed it down to their children. Not lying and cheating to collect others dimes to support their children. Lying about who the fathers of your children are to steal food dollars from others? Saying in essence "I am a whore" for this supposed man's bottom line? There is only shame in these women .. I would be embarrased to call any of them a sister, they are theives and liars. Stand up tell these decetful men you will NOT lie to save them money, you will NOT comprimise your integrety for their bottom line.

Member not for long! | 9:10 p.m. July 24, 2008

I am done with anything called LDS or Mormon.

Sleuth | 9:14 p.m. July 24, 2008

Reid is making his claims to disprove the real issue; he wants to separate himself from polygamy per se. His Senatorial peers suspect that he too is a polygamist. So in order to prove himself pure and above polygamy, Reid must refute polygamy by immediately attacking "polygamist groups" with "RICO" statutes, like the Mafia; how utterly pathetically disingenuous.

Polygamy "should" (notice I said "should," which means I am moralizing), be no more a crime than fornication, adultery and same-sex relations between homosexuals. Why is it ok for some to enjoy recreational, non-redeeming, sexual relations with as many women and men as sates one's prurient interests and that not be a crime against society as well? Moreover, how does one justify marrying and divorcing many times like it's a sacred religious ordinance? Hypocrites!

You know, I HAVE A DREAM. I have a dream that someday our bigoted societal lemmings will think for themselves, making rational, objective, reality-based decisions, which have been thoroughly subjected to independent, rigorous investigation and analysis to the extent that they participate in the social and political processes of our great nation.

Heads Up | 9:23 p.m. July 24, 2008

Harry may not be perfect but Tax evasion, welfare fraud, bigamy and child abuse are WRONG and a CRIME. It's no way to live!!! How can they hold their heads up?

Craig D | 10:00 p.m. July 24, 2008

"The most obvious crime being committed in these communities is bigamy, child abuse ï¿½ teen and pre-teen girls are forced to marry older men and bear their children."
ï¿½other crimes ï¿½ include "welfare fraud, tax evasion, massive corruption and strong-arm tactics to maintain what they think are the status quo. These crimes are systematic, sophisticated and are frequently carried out across state lines."
ï¿½
I'm no fan of Polygamy (except for the delicious Polygamy porter you can get in Utah), but its chauvinistic to assume that because a group of consensual adults decides to live in a polygamist situation that they automatically pimp their young daughters and commit all these 'other crimes' such as 'massive corruption'.

Seems to me that the solution is to prosecute crimes people actually commit, not prosecute behavior between consensual adults simply because you THINK it will lead to criminal behavior. Equating polygamy with 'organized crime' is absurd.

Steve | 10:10 p.m. July 24, 2008

Hurray to Senator Reid.

It is time these groups are driven out of existence.

Religious freedom is the right to believe what one chooses to believe.

But, there are limits to what is allowable.

Child rape is not protected under the 1st Amendment. Underage marriages are not a constitutional right. Welfare fraud is not a protected activity. Nor, is abandoning your teenage children because they compete with older men in your community. And, the Supreme Court determined more than 120 years ago that polygamy was not constitutionally protected.

These organizations have been allowed to practice their twisted activities for far too long. Enough.

All of the leaders that advocate these activities need to be in an appropriate prison after being prosecuted for their numerous crimes. All funds, bank accounts and property should be seized under the RICO statute. Parents need to be given a very simple choice: Protect your children and remove them from harm. Or, the children should be removed from a criminal atmosphere and adopted out.

These organizations cross the line. It is time that government come crashing down on them.

** The FLDS folks will blast this posting. Each you should probably be serving time also..

Lynn | 10:17 p.m. July 24, 2008

Looks like another WACO is on the way. Anything to take your mind off what is goin on in the world.

To Naive Steve | 1:46 a.m. July 25, 2008

"In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."

More Wacos | 1:53 a.m. July 25, 2008

Lars,

You are a very scary person.

Bob | 6:19 a.m. July 25, 2008

In case you missed it, Go back and read the comment by "Truth". He lives by some of these government freeloaders. As another person said, we need to stop the Utah version of the Sapranos.

Obama Republican | 1:36 p.m. July 25, 2008

Do not group all Poly's together. I worked for years in SLC right next to a Auto Painting shop. The family practiced the principle. They did not try to defraud the Government in anyway. In fact some of the classic cars they refurbished were amazing. They were 100 normal except for the 3 wives.

Another normal family walked by as I hiked to Angels Landing in Zion's. I saw what I think was a Poly with his many children hiking. It looked to me he was just a dad trying to have a nice day out with his children. The clothing gave them away, but I am still not sure they did not have horns, hat and bonnets you know.

Regulation is needed but let them live their lives as they choose.
No child brides, but adults can do their on thing.

Emma | 1:47 p.m. July 25, 2008

And still no comment that John Edwards has a child by a woman not his wife. Perhaps this woman is considered by Edwards, his spiritual wife.

realitycheck | 1:49 p.m. July 25, 2008

ah - the poser using my name is back at 7:34pm. That's obviously not me - probably Willie in hiding. Guess I'll change my name so the faker can't circumvent my issues.

Nice try, poserboy.

My statements must be hitting a sore spot for the FLDS to pretend they are me.... That in fact makes me feel pretty good...

realitycheck | 3:34 p.m. July 25, 2008

Emma - what on earth does John Edwards having a child with another woman have to do with anything?

I really don't think he tries to mind-control the child, doesn't restrict the movement of the woman, doesn't preach to them until their ears bleed, and probably won't make the child marry an old man. And I doubt the kid will have to wear a prairie dress to school.

so what does this have to do with anything FLDS?

To "Sleuth" and others that | 4:40 p.m. July 25, 2008

may think polygamy should compare to other "vices" in life. This is incorrect because polygamy has been shown to show a disproportionate amount of the other problems to go along with it! These problems include the "child marriages" control of women by religious manipulation, welfare fraud and such.
Of course, you are right that other issues need worked on in life such as infidelity, but these have little to do with polygamy. Most polygamists state that they "must" practice these things to "get to heaven" and they brainwash others into their thinking. This is a form of terrorism or other crimes.

John Lambert | 9:54 p.m. July 25, 2008

Not all adult members of the FLDS church practice polygamy. So even with that group the attempt to call them all law breakers is unjustified.
Underage marriage involving men at least ten years older is at least as common among Muslim polygamists in New York as it is with the FLDS.
I am not trying to say that there are not crimes being committed by the FLDS, for it does appear that Jeffs has comitted several crimes, but I do think it is wrong to judge everyone by the same standards.
For those who try to bring in same gender relationships, same gender relationships are not prosecutable offenses, polygamy is so the deabates are uneven.

Emma | 6:44 a.m. July 26, 2008

Reality Check, What do you know or not know about Edwards and the way he treats his "spiritual wife" and their child? You have made assumptions about him, just as you have made assumptions about each and every unique FLDS family some of which, unlike Edwards, are monogamous. So now, why is it okay for Edwards but not for those in Texas? Why is he not labeled "common law" bigamist as were the FLDS? My issue is with applying the same standards to one individual as to another.

A person who has had | 5:00 p.m. July 26, 2008

various relationships at different times in their lives (with or without children) and whom end them legally are not bigamists. We are talking about people that try and carry on more than one marriage relationship at a time! This is usually hurtful and causes many problems including force, underage "marriages" and spiritual and sometimes physical abuse of women. I don't know anything about the Edwards' situation, but if he is not claiming to be married to more than one person at a time (and if he is not carrying on a secret relationship while being married) he is not a bigamist. One relationship at a time is the key to what we are talking about.

Proud of Senator Reid | 8:12 p.m. July 26, 2008

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is the highest ranking LDS federal official in the history of the United States. (Yes, ranks higher than Benson.) He sent four of his kids to BYU and is active in the DC stake.

Some of the posts on this thread are shocking for their disrespect of Brother Reid.

Shame on those who put politics ahead of brotherhood!

Who Am I | 9:45 a.m. July 27, 2008

Isn't it lovely when people claim they know the identity of a poster by the comments of that poster. Common sense dictates that there is no possible way for any of these bloggers to know who is posting what.

When someone comes to the conclusion that a person is FLDS based solely on the context of a comment, that shows the person doesn't make judgments based on any real evidence or logic. This person simply makes a judgment based on emotional responses to a story.

My point is, if anyone claims that so-and-so is FLDS, or so-in-so is Carolyn Jessop, or so-in-so is Flora Jessop, based on the context of a comment, then that person's conclusions and reasonings cannot be taken seriously.

For example:
"My statements must be hitting a sore spot for the FLDS to pretend they are me"

"Again, the FLDS are blogging under different names"

There is no way of knowing who is posting what comment. This type of reasoning should only come from western movie lynch mobs, and it would do the world good if people would stop behaving like this.

SO WHAT IS THE LAW? | 8:54 a.m. July 28, 2008

IS IT FOR SOME OR ALL?

The law is that a person can | 7:10 p.m. July 28, 2008

be married legally to only one person at a time! They may have had other relationships, but they have to end them legally before they become involved with another person(other than associating and talking care of children that may be their responsibility financially or otherwise), but they cannot still be legally married to the other person! How hard is that? Perhaps hard for the a brain washed person, but not really hard at all for the average American citizen.

Go Feds! | 9:53 p.m. July 28, 2008

You all miss the real agenda of the U.S. Government. Islam allows polygamy with up to 4 wives. A crackdown on polygamy in America is a crackdown on radical Islam and the potential terrorism that goes along with it. The FLDS and other polygamist groups are just warm-up for the Federales. They have much bigger fish to fry, and in my opinion, that is a good strategy!

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