Polygamy’s Illegal… Right?

I’m confused. I’d heard several stories throughout the years concerning the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and their strange ways, some which appeared to be leaning strongly towards abusive. I pondered why they were allowed to continue polygamy when as far as I know, its’ illegal. Then came the Tom Green trial in Utah in 2001 which detailed a 13 year old being forced into marrying the 50 plus year old Mr. Green. This religious-based sanctioned pedophilia shocked many who followed the story. And I guess we drew the line there for some reason and prosecuted this guy. Polygamy = no prosecution. Polygamy with a 13 year old = prosecution. Still didn’t make a lot of sense to me though. This was an isolated incident however involving one man. Then three years ago, on national TV, Dr. Phil McGraw gave us peek further into the inner workings of a larger group of FLDS polygamists on the Utah Arizona border. He did a show on two young girls who had run away from the group. All America received a fairly good look inside this fundamentalist religion along with descriptions of abuse that made us cringe. Shortly thereafter Warren Jeff’s, the leader of this particular sect was indicted and eventually caught and incarcerated at the Utah State prison. In 2007 Carolyn Jessop, a FLDS wife of another of its top leaders, wrote a book about her Escape from the group with her children. She backed up and detailed abuses including incest, child abuse and a dehumanizing of women. Others who have left the group have done the same. But ironically, despite all the first hand reports, the sect was allowed to continue business as usual. That’s why I’m confused.

I will outline my puzzlement with a few questions:

1. If polygamy is illegal why were these groups not confronted years ago?
2. Why also were they not confronted immediately when child abuse was alleged?
3. Where are the men of the FLDS? You know, the ones who keep these woman subservient, have sex with 13 year olds, abuse the children from those unions and threaten the followers with going to hell for the most minor offenses such as listening to music, wearing red or going sleeveless?

An answer to these questions might help alleviate my confusion. I was under the impression that if something is illegal, it’s, well, illegal. It’s not I have problems with polygamy in and of itself. Adult “consent” and all. But if it’s the law we need to abide by it or get rid of it. I was also under the impression when you get even a hint that kids are being abused you do something. We’ve heard first hand accounts of babies being held under water to make them stop crying, kids being beaten, incest, 13 year olds being forced to marry 50 year olds. Was it really necessary to wait all these years for an anonymous phone call to step in and do something? And why is the focus not on the perpetrators of these acts, the authoritarian men? Then low and behold upon examining the children that were recently removed from the compound they find that the young boys have multiple bone fractures and breaks. What a shocker.

So again I ask why something, anything was not done before now? Is it the religious aspect? The FLDS are certainly voicing “religious freedom” as their mantra. If that is indeed the case please let me know. I plan on starting my own church for God told me in a vision that if people pay taxes they will go to hell.

This situation is yet again more proof that when you place any person in a position of ultimate authority over you and blindly follow them abuse will run rampant. Religious fanaticism has historically never proven to have positive results. The old adage “absolute power corrupts absolutely” could not be played out more clearly in the case of the FLDS. But even more disturbing is the lack of response on the part of society and law enforcement to not only upload current laws but stop obvious abuse. And as I watch this continue to play out in the news week by week and still see no accountability for the men I must end with what I began… I’m confused.

Blind Obedience

In 2001 it became public that the Catholic Church had been covering up years of child abuse by a large number of its leaders. A survey of church records compiled by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice found that between 1950 and 2002 there were more than 11,000 allegations of child rape or sexual abuse against approximately 4500 priests. Those are just the ones that came forward. The abuse was also found to be endemic, from the Atlantic to the pacific the same percentages of criminal sexual assault against minors occurred in all diocese. Location did not matter.

It was also discovered how the Vatican had dealt with these abuses. Those dealings being some of the most insidious and heinous ones imaginable. Upon abuse accusations the victim and family were pressured to drop charges and told to never mention the event to anyone. In many cases they were given money to keep silent. The child abuser was quietly moved to another area to preside over in their religious capacity. They reoffended over and over and were relocated again and again. The bottom line was not the safety of children, but the protection of the abuser and the avoidance of controversy.

This was backed up by a code issued forth from the Vatican: Crimen Sollicitationis (pdf of document), which entails absolute secrecy and control over all cases of sexual abuse by clergy. It is a policy many professionals argue is carefully crafted to cover up abuse and punish those who call attention to it.

In 2001 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, sent a letter to every bishop in the Catholic Church reminded them of the severe penalties facing any who revealed confidential details about allegations against priests accused of sexual abuse. It stated these crimes were to be handled through the jurisdiction of the church only. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is now the current Pope Benedict XVI.

The Pope is currently on his first visit since the scandal broke to the United States this month. His hope is to restore the faith of the few disillusioned Catholics here. A damage control mission to help the church’s tarnished image. He met with President Bush yesterday, both men smiling for cameras. The masses await him in anticipation.

This begs the question, what type of rationalization goes in the minds of hundreds of thousands of remaining “believers” who somehow find a way to justify such actions by their leaders who supposedly do the work of God? It speaks to not only the power of religious authority to easily control the masses, but also the people’s willingness to give up any sense of rational thought. It is not about attacking any one religion or even about religion in general. It’s about manipulation, lies, deceit and a outrageious abuse of power. It matters not who is doing it. Whether it is a fundamentalist religious compound in Texas or a world wide religion, it is the same.

When mindless submission is required and mindless submission is offered up, the window for exploitation is wide open. American’s willingly give up their power to authority figures even in the face of obvious ongoing abuse. They give it to the doctors; despite the fact doctors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. They give it to politicians despite the proof of ongoing lies and deceits to further their own personal agendas. And they give it up to religious leaders despite the proof of betrayal. When any organization or person tells you that by questioning their authority you are either siding with the terrorists or Satan, it is they who are waving the red flag of tyranny and it should be cause for alarm.

Totalitarianism is an oppressive, horrible thing. But even more disturbing in nature is blind obedience that is offered up willingly by the people themselves. The result: Hundreds of thousands are kept ill and dying for profit. An estimated 1 million are dead from a senseless war. U.S. citizens are raped of their civil liberties, their money and security. And thousands of children are allowed to be abused over decades because no one dared breech the veil of secrecy imposed by a religion. When adults pay a price for their own ignorance you can call it karma. But when children pay a horrific price for adult ignorance, that’s unconscionable.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY VIDEO

CAUTION: Strong Language

Note: Bill Maher uses humor to give a truthful perspective. Despite the razor truth of the observations, one cannot miss the audience response when the Pope it mentioned. Even in this supposedly liberal, open-minded audience, the powerful arm of religion is felt.

Quote: The Script

"Our elections are dominated by the same tired personality script, trotted out over and over and over. Democrats and liberals -- no matter how poor their upbringing, no matter how self-made they are, no matter how egalitarian their policies -- are the freakish, out-of-touch elitists who despise the values of the Regular Americans. Right-wing leaders -- no matter how extravagantly rich they are by virtue of other people's money, no matter how insulated their lives are, no matter how indifferent their policies are to the vast rich/poor gap -- are the normal, salt-of-the-earth Regular Folk. These petty, cliched storylines drown out every meaningful consideration and dictate our election outcomes, and they are deployed automatically. "
Glenn Greenwald

Current News: Quid Pro Quo (Spitzer/Paterson)

Quid Pro Quo: (Latin for "something for something") indicates a more-or-less equal exchange or substitution of goods or services.

Welcoming New York's Coke Sniffin’, Wife Cheatin’ Governor!

Now that sounds worse than it is… at least taking into account public/news reaction to David Paterson’s announcements soon after being sworn into office. Announcement #1 Announcement #2 Why was it again that we had to replace the old governor? Oh yeah… he cheated on his wife. (I know… and he paid for it.) This however brings us to the next question… why does Eliot Spitzer’s “indiscretion” reap him being crucified for days by the news media, the still shot of his mug shown over and over and over until many of us believe that man has some sort of facial deformity. The pitiful clip of his media confession endlessly looped on TV. Yet Paterson’s announcement of past drug use and various infidelities receives merely passing remarks.

Americans, at least the web surfers, have voiced their opinion also. A few quick searches on www.keyworddiscovery.com, which compiles keyword search statistics, show us that Eliot Spitzer has garnered 1301 web searches while David Paterson a mere 83. And when we pull out the big guns of American choice over at www.youtube.com the following was calculated on March 26, 2008:

Top 6 Search Videos Combined Views for Each Name

Eliot Spitzer: 963,435
David Paterson: 46,931

And while we're at it...
Ashley Alexandra: (The prostitute) 938,537

Are we accepting of Paterson because he was upfront with us and honest and because we value that quality in a leader even if they make errors in judgment? Based on what we have accepted from our current government leaders, honesty doesn't seem to be on our priority list. Do Americans simply jump on the attack bandwagon because the media exploits the situation, or does the media exploit the situation because they know that's what Americans want? RBB thinks there are elements of both.

It would be nice to believe that if it’s necessary to publicly destroy lives (not only Spitzer’s but that of his wife and children) that it’s done for a good reason. It would be nice to believe Spitzer was taken down because he broke the law. However when you look at the frenzy that transpired, there is undeniably much more at work than just bringing a man to justice. David Paterson said "I do not feel I have broken my commitment to the citizens of New York state." And the media and then American’s obviously agreed with him if attention given is any indicator. Did Spitzer break his commitment to New York by activities engaged in, in his personal life? (Deja vu Bill Clinton.) Who decides which person will be held accountable and for what?

There are three important aspects of this situation.

1. American’s get off on the pain and suffering of others.
2. We also have an unscrupulous media, all factions of which have an agenda they are pushing.
3. American’s believe what they are told. They do not look for nor demand truth from the media.

When you look at our country's recent past, Spitzer was just the flavor of the day. Soon another unsuspecting person will come along and be sacrificed at the alter of Americans willingness to play into the hands of the rich and powerful, their need be entertained by the misery of others. All without an ounce of critical thinking.

Here is how the situation case might look through rational eyes: It is uncovered that Eliot Spitzer payed for prostitutes. As prostitution is illegal, that is the only issue that is addressed. As far as removing him from office, it is determined if he in any way broke his "commitment" to his job by paying for consensual sex. (Breaking the law is certainly cause for reflection on that.) The apparent facts are shown in the news. The story is not beat to death nor are there days upon days of wasted air space spent in conjecture as to "why" he did what he did. We need to quit living in people's heads. And finally there is empathy for this man's family, his wife and children, who will have their lives forever altered by a media that picks at the wounded no matter what the cost to the innocents involved. There... was that so difficult? But its not about difficulty. It's about money and ignorance.

Shame on the news media for not acting with an ounce of integrity. Shame on Americans for not critically thinking or even caring. And shame on both for propagating pain and suffering for money, and a need to be entertained rather than truthfully informed.

Current News: Obama's Racism Speech

“Incredibly eloquent, impressive and what "felt" very honest handling of Reverend Wright's remarks. What stood out to the RBB was the fact that there was no hint of pandering in this speech. Very refreshing and unexpected. He also made some great points about realizing that just because a person says something offensive, does not mean everything that person ever did or will ever do is therefore offensive. That is the narrow minded thinking that has created much of the situation we find ourselves in in America right now. (Click Here) Fox news and many of it's cronies have picked it apart in the most ridiculous of ways, even making up content to then criticize. Unfortunately that's what Fox is known for... pushing a right wing agenda with no ounce of balance or concern for truth in reporting.

We are reminded of the following quote by a former President who did a great deal of his own damage to America, yet made a truthful statement as follows:

"If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read "President Can't Swim". ~Lyndon B. Johnson

NOTE: RBB Does not support Obama or any candidate. We just call it like we see it. He could very well say something we disagree with tomorrow... and you'll hear about that too.

Land of Confusion

"Oh, superman, where are you now? When everything's gone wrong somehow?” ~Genesis

“What the hell is going on?” This is a phrase I find myself asking on a daily basis as I look out on this society we have created. And I do mean “we”… every one of us. We create it by our actions and we create it by our inactions. (Inaction being the popular choice.) The message is clear: Incredible apathy of U.S. citizens combined with massive and widespread corruption of those in power.

A few key points worth mentioning (for those not paying attention):

• Despite concrete evidence of continual corruption coupled with the circumvention of our U.S. Constitution the status quo marches on. Lies about the war, illegal wiretapping, government sanctioned torture, unbridled executive orders and a constant stream of propaganda feeding us lie upon lie to give the appearance that our best interest is what matters, despite glaring evidence to the contrary.

• The organizations in place to protect us are governed by the organizations we need protected from. Clarification: corporations are running the country. (Also known as fascism.)

• Everything always comes down to money. Our Government, the FDA, American Medical Association, News, and Big Religion, under the guise of democracy, our safety, our health, our awareness and our salvation, are only about (in respective order) money, money, money, money and money. Fear and propaganda are the tools used by said entities to keep us coming back for more.

• News is a vested interest. Anyone who believes they can get a clear picture of what’s really happening in our society by watching the standard news stations or reading local newspapers is as naïve as they are uninformed.

If corruption and deceit are so obvious, why is nothing done to correct the situation? Why is Bush still in office? Why are government agencies allowed to continue to mislead and lie to us? Why, why, why? The answer is simple. Because we let them. Those in charge of this democracy, the people, have voiced their opinion on the issues at hand loud and clear and they have done so by not voicing their opinions loud and clear.

For whatever reasons, American’s just don’t give a damn. At least not about anything that matters. Which in turn gives the appearance that American’s as a whole just aren’t too bright. Dangle a shiny object in front of them, words and metaphors like “fight against terrorism”, “Patriot Act”, “Axis of Evil”, "One Nation Under God", etc. and they’ll let you do whatever you want without question. Authority figures can do all the thinking. That frees up time to sit on edge of our seats wondering what body part Brittany Spears might reveal next or who’s paying for sex, or who’s going to be booted off of American Idol. There’s just no time to worry about petty issues such as government corruption and exploitation.

Family Guy - Clever Metaphors (c)2008 Fox Network

Americans have an indifferent, distorted, lemming mentality, only seeing what they want to see and not even remotely interested in truth and justice. And the rich and powerful have seized the moment and ran with it. When all is said and done the Machiavellian tactics used by our current President feel worse in many ways than the other governmental leaders that at least admit their tyranny. In Iraq, speak against the government, get executed. As a woman in Afghanistan, talk to a guy not your husband, get stoned. Start an online blog in Saudi Arabia, go to prison. As oppressive as these things are seen here in the USA, the intentions of these other governments are out there for all to see and like it or not the citizens know where they stand. At least it’s honest.

Though a great deal of damage has been done and many destructive things set into motion, we might still have a shot at changing this dark and narrowing path we are traversing. All it takes is for American's to wake up and realize what is going on and do something about it. This of course would necessitate a desire to know the real truth, whatever it may be, and to step away from our conditioning. It would require people to not blindly accept what they are told by others because they have a degree or certain status. It calls for researching in a variety of locations besides the standard informational sources. It means listening to the voice of reason, even if that voice is a minority, for just because a lot of people agree on something doesn’t make it correct.

And lastly it requires American's to exercise the rights and responsibilities given to us as citizens in a democracy, by voicing our dissent strongly and unceasingly until we are heard. Because at this point in time, the only chance for us, our kids, our country and our future is to wake up to the realization that the primary source of terrorism we need to worry about is not the kind that comes from without, but the kind from within, meted upon us by our own government.

RBB