what exactly is illegal about polygamy?

[Anonymous]

I think many of the women defending polygamy here have visions of being the senior wife and basically having an unpaid nanny take care of the kids and handle the hubby when he gets annoying about sex.

Or, they truly think it's ok when white people are welfare queens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It would be interesting to see how the polygamist family structure in the U.S. contexts mentioned here compare to those of other cultures.

In West Africa, at least, I know that each woman has her own household---sometimes individual homes on a shared compound or separate homes spread across an urban environment. The husband must be able to provide certain basics before taking on a new wife, who is then pretty much on her own to start a small business to provide for all of the extras. But I don't know how any sort of bride pride or dowry factors into these situations or if there are other conditions that go along with additional marriages.

In Muslim traditions, I believe there's a limit on the number of wives a man may have (4) and there may be the requirement that he provide equivalent settings for each wife and similar opportunities for the children of each wife.

OK, agree it is not that strange a practice. Maybe we would feel better if we made sure that the girls are 18 and not 16. And just mind our own business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The polygamist compounds make it their goal to bilk the US government out of every cent they can. It's not out of need, it's out of sport and out of spite for making polygamy illegal. There's also all kinds of tax implications. Plus, once you have a compound (and I don't know what the deal is with that show, if they're part of a compound) you wind up with a lot of inbreeding. It just happens. And then you have a whole community with a host of special needs children, and now they require even more government assistance. Read Under the Banner of Heaven. It explains it all really well.

Way exaggerated.

Not at all actually.

[Anonymous]

With all the gay marriage thigns going on, I wonder if they will have gay polygamy someday, now that would make for a great reality show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think you just answered your own question. If people are arrested for welfare fraud, they are not arrested for polygamy.

There are multiple charges in each case.

[Anonymous]

I'm pretty sure you can only legally be married to one person at a time. Therefore the first wife and the husband are the only ones legally married. The other wives may be married in the eyes of the religion, but not the law. Since the religon often allows men to marry very young women, and those women are not legally their wife - they can be arrested for rape.

And - as others have explained - its not neccessarily the plural marriages that others find offensive, its the whole package that seems to go with it. Young boys being kicked out to live on their own to reduce competition. Females being raised with the belief that they are basically a servant and have no choice in a husband. Young girls being forced into marriage at a young age.

[Anonymous]

I think that outlawing polygamy actually conflicts with other principles of autonomy that we find in US law. IF people of legal age are competent and able to give consent (hence ruling out the problem of minors), I think that polygamy (and polygyny) actually should be allowed.

Laws are usually not sound when based upon potential consequences--e.g., we don't outlaw junk food even though there's a mountain of evidence that it leads to obesity and early death, because autonomy trumps the potential bad outcome. We don't even ban parents from buying junk food for their kids, despite the nation's inherent interest in keeping children healthy.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the posters defending polygamy have absolutely no clue what these societies are like at all and what the consequences are. There are books about it--read at least one and then come back and post. I grew up in Utah and know a bit about it. Because of the societal and religious underpinings in these groups, polygamy engenders a lot of sexual abuse, rape, incest, etc. That's for the women. Very few males can remain in the society and if they're not the chosen ones at an early age, they live a life of abuse until they're forced out as teens. It's a horror show for the most part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like the posters defending polygamy have absolutely no clue what these societies are like at all and what the consequences are. There are books about it--read at least one and then come back and post. I grew up in Utah and know a bit about it. Because of the societal and religious underpinings in these groups, polygamy engenders a lot of sexual abuse, rape, incest, etc. That's for the women. Very few males can remain in the society and if they're not the chosen ones at an early age, they live a life of abuse until they're forced out as teens. It's a horror show for the most part.

Add in mind control, and a total lack of even a primary school education. Women leaving polygamous compounds have said they are kept from knowing anything about current events, including who is president. They are informed that hoards of minorities (read: African Americans) are waiting outside of compounds to kill them if they leave. They are told that "gentiles" (non polygamists) are all going to hell (which is described in graphic and very frightening terms), and only they are saved. The only route to salvation is polygamy. This is total mind control.

[Anonymous]

You guys make it sound like polygamists only exist on compounds. I find that hard to believe.

[Anonymous]

I have friends who are polygamists. All were married as adults. They aren't mormons, and their husbands support them. There are polygamists even in VA. I know several poly families in PA. Not one of them are Mormons fyi.

[Anonymous]

Who cares what compound they are on? There are many CULTS in the US, we are not talking about cults (which are not illegal), we are talking about religious freedom, to which they are entitled. Even if we forget religion, these are consenting adults, JUST LIKE GAYS, who make a choice.
Is anyone against gays marrying at 16??? Or even monogamists marrying ta 16? Sixteen is young, but let's be fair, if it is too young to get into polygamy, then it is too young for monogamous marriage and gay marriage. Maybe no one should marry at 16.