Skeletons in the Closet

With HBO coming out next week with a new series entitled "Big Love" national media attention has focused once again on the subject of polygamy. When the word is brought up, almost everybody associates it to the practice of Mormons in the state of Utah.

The Mormon Church officially outlawed the practice in the 1890's (with the promise from the Federal Government that if they did, they would receive statehood). However, the practice of polygamy is still alive and well.

Being a resident of this state, I'm fairly sensitive to all the attention that is given to the issue. I'm aware of the snickers, the jokes, all of it. I recently started to question whether or not all of it was justified. My answer: Yes.

The Attorney General of the State of Utah is well aware that the problem exists, however, he is consistant in ignoring the problem. There are several small communities of polygamists throughout Salt Lake City, extending hundreds of miles north and south. Many of these people openly practice the illegal act, without fear of arrest. And why should they? Polygamists haven't been busted en masse in over 50 years.

State Officials are fully aware that the problem exists, but yet they fail to act. Because of this failure, thousands of women and children are stuck in a mysogynistic society, where they are abused by there male husbands, fathers and religious leaders. They have nowhere else to rely on except the state to provide them with welfare subsidies to support themselves and their children.

Why doesn't the Attorney General do anything? Obviously there are drug problems, gang problems, murders, and rapes and other serious crimes. These crimes are caused by criminals who take up most of Utah's resources and prison space. However, this is overlooking the fact that 20,000-30,000 felons are living in Utah without a care in the world.

So why do people in the other 49 states joke about Utahn's being polygamists? It's not because they're ignorant, it's because they understand that people still freely practice polygamy, and nobody is doing anything about it.