A few years ago a friend spent a year working with the Utah state government. She told me a huge problem with the polygamists is actually in the realm of public assistance. Since only the first wife is recognized legally, all subsequent wives and their children are eligible for public assistance and the tax payers of Utah are financially supporting polygamy even though there are laws against it.
Granted the above story about the government is anecdotal, but let's pretend polygamy is legal for a moment. All of these women would be on government records somewhere, and perhaps there would be less marriages of teenage girls. If you grow up in that environment you may not realize there are options, and this may be one more way to prevent minors from being forced into a situation they don't want to really be in. The main reason polygamy was outlawed was for the state of Utah to be admitted to the Union, and it appears not everyone wanted it to go away or it wouldn't still exist in much of the inland West. It is illegal and that hasn't stopped it from happening, so why not make it legal and at least there could be some tracking and 14 year old Desert Zion won't be forced to be the eighth wife of the 67 year old Brigham Nephi.
I am still trying to find the comparison between marrying a non human animal and consenting adults entering into an agrred upon union. 33girl's dad can you explain it to me?
Oh and
here's an article on a polygamist judge. Even those who were chosen to uphold the law practice it.
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