Deseret News | Polygamist seeks taxpayer $$ for defense

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Polygamist seeks taxpayer $$ for defense

Cats | 11:16 a.m. May 1, 2009

This guy is disgusting.

John Pack Lambert | 11:24 a.m. May 1, 2009

Please stop calling the FLDS "Utah-based". They are headquartered in Colorado City, which is in Arizona, which makes them Arizona-based, not Utah based.

Stamp | 11:36 a.m. May 1, 2009

He was a millionairre last week - but now he cant pay his legal defenses? I see he has property he can liquidate, try that first.

I'm sure Canada has laws IRT this.

Comments continue below

Oldcowboy | 12:07 p.m. May 1, 2009

Like it or not his argument is just as good as the gay rights argument. And his great sin is to marry all these women who agree with him rather than just having sex with them and having no futher legal commitment as is general in population. Plenty of people having affairs,(no court cases for adultry!!!) you can even make appointments on facebook for sex em and leave em now days. WE SURE LIVE IN A STUPID SOCIETY

Hey John! | 12:38 p.m. May 1, 2009

The FLDS Church originated in Utah as a splinter group from the mainstream LDS Church, and is legally incorporated in Utah (hence the Utah courts involvement in the UEP). I think that makes it a Utah-based group.

re: Oldcowboy | 1:02 p.m. May 1, 2009

"Like it or not his argument is just as good as the gay rights argument."

Except that gay marriage isn't known for oppressing women and children and trampling their rights, like polygamy is. If you want women and children to be treated in America like they are in Iraq, by all means, support polygamy.

Jancis M. Andrews | 2:12 p.m. May 1, 2009

Blckmore carefully ignores the fact that on 18 October 2002 Canada ratified the protocol on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimation Against Women (CEDAW)and is legally obligated to uphold it. CEDAW states that polygamy contravenes women's equality rights and also harms their children. As well, Canada's Charter states that women have complete equality with men -- something the FLDS does not recognize. Moreover, our Charter states that religious rights are not absolute, but cease at that point where its practices start to contravene the rights of another. Considering the government has already stated that polygamy contravenes women's equality rights, Blackmore doesn't have a leg to stand on. And in poll after poll, Canadians make it clear they do not want to see concubines and harems in Canada. Blacmore's own concubines have been brought up since birth to believe they must enter polygamy and be subservient to men or their souls will burn for ever in hell, which clearly demonstrates that the FLDS is not a bona fide religion, but a cult.

deci | 7:14 p.m. May 1, 2009

Many religions teach that the man is the head of the household and women must be subservient to men. Nothing new in that dept.
Men and women should also be free to choose whether or not they want to enter into a polygamous relationship. Whether their decision is motivated by secular or religious reasons should be irrelevant. To allow secular polyamorists to live unmolested while prosecuting religious polygamists is a gross violation of Canada's charter on religious freedom whether or not a majority of Canadians approve of it. The whole point of Canada's charter is to protect minority rights.

Equality in polygamy | 9:17 a.m. May 2, 2009

In Canada, two women can be married and that's fine. But add a man to those two women and suddenly it becomes an abomination. All three of them become criminals in the eyes of the law, and not only them, but everyone who attends the ceremony. Even the flower girls could be locked up.

Pretty strange.

Even stranger, going by the logic of Jancis Andrews above, if you added two men to the two women (thus achieving compliance with her equality protocol) then that would be fine. So if Blackmore wanted to get around the equality trap, hed could marry one man for every woman.

Perfect equality. You dont have a problem with that, do you, Jancis?

Nancy Mereska | 11:40 a.m. May 2, 2009

The diatribe against Jancis Andrews by Equality in Polygamy (EIP) is absurd. Canada, more than any other nation, has all the legal ammunition it needs to stamp out the practice of polygamy once and for all. That means Mormon polygamy, and polygamy in Muslim, African, Asian, and fundamentalist Christian cultures. What EIP doesn't recognize is that in Canada, we have worked to have the leaders of the Mormon polygamous cults arrested. Section 153 of our Federal Statutes protects those under the age of eighteen from being sexually exploited by those in authority over them. Blackmore and Oler's lawyers can argue religious freedom until they are blue in the face. Religious law does not supercede civil law in Canada. If it did, we would have anarchy! So, do your research EIP before you try to attack a woman who has certainly done hers!

Nancy Mereska, Coordinator, Stop Polygamy in Canada

bill b39 | 12:57 a.m. May 4, 2009

why does canada and the usa want to persecute mormans for polygamy -- shees let them live they way they want to -- we have muslims communities all over and each man in a muslim communty can have up to 10 wives and no one persecutes them. this polygamy thing with the mormans is strictly discrimination.

cj | 2:28 a.m. May 4, 2009

Remember these are not mormons that they are persecuting.

gb | 7:55 a.m. May 4, 2009

Yes, please remember to differentiate between Mormons aka "LDS" (of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and those who call themselves "Fundamentalist Mormons" which the LDS church does not recognize. If a Mormon (LDS) is found to be practicing polygamy while claiming LDS church membership, they are excommunicated. It is against the law and against LDS teachings.

Polygamy Schmolygamy | 5:47 p.m. May 4, 2009

As long as child brides aren't involved, what goes on behind closed doors is nobody's business but their own. It doesn't matter if it's fundies living the celestial law as revealed by Joseph Smith and implemented by Brigham Young, or Hugh Hefner cohabiting with lovely blonds 1/3 his age. It doesn't matter whether or not you agree with it, we all have and deserve our rights. In north America we have free will and freedom of religion. Every one will be judged by God when they die. Until then, its nobody's business. In the US and Canada, the LDS does not get to dictate what other religions are allowed to believe just as other religions don't get to dictate what the LDS believes. Anti-polygamy laws were founded unconstitutionally to target the 19th century LDS church. You know it. I know it. The Governments knows it, and deep down, the LDS knows it. Let it go, and focus on your own salvation.

Anonymous | 6:15 p.m. May 4, 2009

Polygamist men are CON artists.

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