The Jeffs Arrest Is and Should Be Big News

[oberliner]

It's a little disconcerting to read some of the dismissive comments regarding the arrest of Warren Jeffs.

The fact that he and the other leaders of the so-called Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints have been able to engage in regular acts of child abuse on such a massive scale is disgraceful.

Violence and sexual abuse against children is an epidemic in the country, the extent to which most Americans seem other oblvious to or willfully ignorant of.

That Warren Jeffs was able to set up a community where young girls were forced into sexual relationships with adult males under the guise of religious freedom with the law enforcement community essentially looking the other way is absolutely sickening.

Not only should his arrest be front page news, but Americans should, in my opinion, be forced to understand the totality of the abuse which he helped to organize on a fairly large scale.

His trial will hopefully serve as a wake-up call to those who choose not to address these sorts of abuses which, tragically, are more common than many people realize.

[kentuck]

1. Big news for how long?

1 week? 2 weeks? 3 weeks? How many hours per day?

[Cerridwen]

22. Please see my post #19.

This is a wide ranging issue.

How long do you think we should hear about 10,000 or so people, the overwhelming majority of whom are women and children, are serving/programmed into slavery?

[bryant69]

2. That's a good point

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[LynneSin]

3. I agree 110%

This man was a sick fuck who has ruined the lives of hundreds of girls. And he was notorious for ex-communicating the boys on a whim leaving them without family, without income, without a home and little education

[NaturalHigh]

4. Agreed.

I hope Jeffs spends the rest of his life in prison. He's no better than a child pornographer. In fact, he's worse because he tries to justify his (and his followers') urges by claiming that he is some sort of prophet and that his actions are somehow sanctified. I have no sympathy for this POS, and I'm glad he's behind bars.

[Strelnikov_]

5. Agree.

Alby needs to do some hard time.

[MADem]

7. Ain't that the truth!!

I'm surprised no one gave him some sweet tea antifreeze before now....!!!

[bowens43]

6. Sexual abuse of children is illegal and should be.

Polygamy however, shound not be illegal.

[Finder]

14. Agree. n/t

[Nabia2004]

28. Agreed, a woman should have as many husbands as she likes - nt

[LisaM]

8. He's not alone. There are more like him

and that whole town, Colorado City, should be investigated.

[NashVegas]

15. I Saw a Blip On ABC News Last Night

They had video of some of the townspeople - women - who were screaming with distorted faces (think of the Rachel Cory pictures that were published) that their beliefs were their own business. Which is true. It's their actions - forcing teen girls into marriage and sending young boys into exile - that are our business.

[Opusnone]

18. Investigator's can't do much in a nation within a nation

The sheriff, police department, local business owners, politicians, all belong to the group.
It is similar to a sovereign Indian nation, only non sanctioned.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

9. I don't think people understand the extent of this.

When I first heard the news, I said, "This guy is on the Top 10 Most Wanted List?!" But then I learned more. This is, quite frankly, a very dangerous and destructive cult that he's created. Just calling him a sexual abuser is belittling what this monster really is.

[warrens]

27. There are a lot of missing people who stood up to him

Happy he's behind bars, and yes, this IS a major story, if only because it proves that no matter how "holy" you are, religion does not trump law.

[RB TexLa]

10. I actually think it should be a local story, as should have been the

Ramsey thing and the one in Aruba.

[Cerridwen]

23. Please see post #19

This goes a bit beyond the bounds of "local."

[lies and propaganda]

31. he went from AZ, UT, TX and Canada raping girls

but lets be smug and lump taht as some drunk girl missing in Aruba.

[quiet.american]

11. I agree he's absolute filth, and his arrest should be news. BUT --

-- not a 24/7, 365-day national media circus that serves as an excuse to sideline the continued breaking of the law and subverting of the Constitution by the Bush administration and Republican congress.

[XOKCowboy]

12. Under The Banner Of Heaven by Jon Krakauer - Read It!

I can't stress enough how powerful this book is. I was amazed, shocked and sickened reading it. It' all about the FLDS sect and fundamentalist Mormons in general. It's a great source of information on this very shadowy cult.

[elocs]

13. I agree with your post,

but virtually every fundamentalist evangelical church considers the Latter Day Saints or the Mormons to be a cult, or at least not to be a true Christian church at all because they added the Book of Mormon to the Bible and to fundamentalists that is a big, big no-no. In day to day America, children have much more to fear from their own parents and family than from any stranger and we rarely hear anything about it. There was the story last night on ABC about the Amish girl who was repeatedly raped over the years by her brothers and this was a local story for me. Abuse is often about power and control and who has more power and control over children than their parents, family members, or trusted religious leaders. What is truly evil is when parents, family members or others know about the abuse and choose to do nothing.

[sandnsea]

16. Well actually

They consider it to be a cult because Joseph Smith said he found tablets in a field in Pennsylvania that were taken up into heaven and that Jesus appeared to the native peoples of North America and Pacific islands, as a white man I would add. Adding a book to the Bible is a big no-no to most Christians, but the objection to Mormonism goes beyond that.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LisaM]

24. Actually, it was in New York, not PA. n/t

[sandnsea]

30. Yes that's right

Translated in PA, my mistake. :)

[elocs]

38. The point is that fundamentalist, evangelical Christian America

does not consider the Latter Day Saints or the Mormons to be a fundamentalist Christian church and consider it to be a cult just like the Jehovah's Witnesses. It is easy for those not familiar with fundamentalist Christianity to make the distinction because on the surface they may seem alike, but their doctrines place them in entirely different camps.

[Cerridwen]

19. I think the dismissive comments are coming from people who

do not know the magnitude of what's going on with the FLDS.

It is not limited to a "small" community that is on the AZ/UT border.

Jeffs is the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, headquartered in the twin communities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz.

There are also compounds in southwest Texas,

The church members began arriving at a former exotic game ranch just northeast of Eldorado and about 40 miles south of San Angelo about 2 1/2 years ago and starting building their fortress-like YFZ Ranch, short for Yearning For Zion. An 80-foot tall gleaming white temple dominates the property where Doran said about 70 people live

South Dakota

People linked to Jeffs have living quarters in a secretive compound near Pringle (South Dakota).

Canada

The sect, a group of self-described "fundamentalist Mormons," includes the 1,000-member community of Bountiful near Creston, B.C. That community was headed by its former bishop, Winston Blackmore, who has more than 20 wives and at least 103 children.

He was excommunicated by Jeffs several years ago, leaving the community split.

And perhaps even a "safe house" in Nevada

Most of the church's members live in Hildale, Utah, and adjoining Colorado City, Ariz., but authorities have said they believe Jeffs had "safe houses" in four other states _ including Nevada _ and Canada.

Where he also has businesses which may fund his "church."

"Jacob Jessop is one of Warren Jeffs loyalists, and one of his money men, if you will," Flora Jessop said.

Law enforcement authorities believe that funds from polygamist business enterprises have been used to support Warren Jeffs and to help him remain a fugitive.

In recent years, several polygamist outposts have popped up in Southern Nevada, drawn by explosive growth. Records show Jacob Jessop's construction firm, JNJ, is licensed in Nevada but based in Colorado City.

Since 2004, it has earned more than $7 million on nine projects commissioned by the Las Vegas Valley Water District, including ongoing work at the massive Springs Preserve operation. JNJ has also won contracts with the city of Las Vegas and Clark County.

A Utah machine shop that authorities say has ties to one of the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted fugitives is changing its name and moving to Las Vegas.

Western Precision Inc. is among the biggest employers of the polygamist Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz. The border towns are home to 5,000-8,000 followers of fugitive church prophet Warren Jeffs, who was placed on the FBI's Top Ten list in May on charges of sexual misconduct with a minor and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Attorneys for Western Precision filed court documents in early June stating that the company would move to Las Vegas by August. Days after the filing, Western Precision changed its name to Newera Manufacturing Inc., according to the Utah Division of Corporations. On July 3, Newera Manufacturing was registered in Nevada as a foreign corporation, according to the secretary of state's office. link

In addition to polygyny, Jeffs has also been responsible for "arranging marriages" for 13 year old girls, and "casting out" those men who would "compete" for brides or who were "disobedient".

During his four-year rule, the number of underage marriages — some involving girls as young as 13 — escalated into the hundreds, church dissidents said. They said that although the sect has long practiced the custom of arranged marriages, young girls were rarely married off until Warren Jeffs came to power.

People expelled from the community said young men were sent away to avoid competition for brides. Older men were cast out for alleged disobedience, and their wives and children were reassigned by Jeffs to new husbands and fathers, the former members said. link

It is also alleged that Jeffs' "communities" and businesses are engaging in welfare fraud, tax dodging, domestic violence and child abuse.

The activities in the community have often appeared out of reach of law enforcement. Members of plural families have in the past come to the attention of state and local officials through occasional allegations of welfare fraud, tax dodging, domestic violence and child abuse.

But officials have said that cases were difficult to build, with trouble finding witnesses to testify.

In Hildale earlier this year, thousands of polygamists were engaged in a standoff over overdue property taxes of about $1.3 million for hundreds of houses.

And just in case that isn't enough to make this more than a "local" issue, perhaps you'd like to hear that the local and, in some cases, state "authorities" in the areas in which some of these compounds are located may perhaps be aiding and abetting Jeffs and his followers.

The state of Arizona is contributing to the secrecy. The state Department of Health Services and the Department of Economic Security have been quietly providing services to assist the children and families of fumarase victims for more than 15 years.

And may be hiding an the occurrence of a genetic disease known as fumarase deficiency.

Tarby and a team of doctors from Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix and the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson began researching the disease and soon discovered that fumarase deficiency was occurring in at least two other families living in the same isolated community that practiced an unusual custom.

Hmm, looks a bit more involved than "local" news to me.

P.S.

po·lyg·a·my n.

1. The condition or practice of having more than one spouse at one time. Also called plural marriage.

po‧lyg‧y‧ny  –noun
1. the practice or condition of having more than one wife at one time.


These people are practicing polygyny not as the media keeps saying, polygamy. The women are NOT allowed multiple husbands.

[Lisa]

33. and even if the women were allowed multiple "husbands" ...

... it might end up being a situation where a woman was manipulated or even forced into accommodating several male partners. Quite a different thing from where she would have free choice and could say no. Or a matriarchal society practicing polyandry (multiple husbands but not multiple wives).

[Cerridwen]

36. Good point. The power imbalance will work against these

girls and women regardless of how it is "framed".

Sad, sad situation.

[NNN0LHI]

20. If the young girls were Iraqis the media would call them women n/t

[Cerridwen]

21. K & R

People need to see the extent of this.

[oberliner]

25. Thanks for your additional info on this group

There were a series of articles about them in the LA Times not too long ago. It is hard to fathom that this sort of thing has been allowed to go on in the United States for as long as it has without any real legal consequences, until now.

Hopefully the rest of this group can be brought to justice, and others like them as well.

[Cerridwen]

26. I think the thing that bugs me most,

is the FBI wasn't too concerned until people started reporting the welfare fraud and tax evasion.

Apparently a few thousand women and children participating in something that smacks of slavery isn't enough to make the "Top Ten Wanted List."

*sigh*

edit to add: geesh, where are my manners. You're welcome for the additional info. This truly needs to be addressed and known.

[Dulcinea]

37. Well, that's how the feds finally nailed Al Capone.

Tax evasion, not mob-related crimes. Gotta take it where they can get it, I guess. :crazy:

[Greyhound]

29. K & R

[lies and propaganda]

32. Living in Arizona, Im with you on this

besides all the sick shit we know they've been doin, they also pay no taxes, bilk the guv'ment and have mini arsenals.
And all we had was a fucking YMCA for the girls to escape to, if they werent too brainwashed.

people who are being smug about this, imagine your daughter being forced to live down the street from you, getting fucked by a 45 year old who has three other under 20 wives. Sickening.

[malaise]

34. It is a serious story

but it will be dealt with on MSM as a nine day gossip wonder and I've had enough of their approach.

[annabanana]

35. I fear that coverage might be limited by the necessary use

of the word "Fundamentalist"...

I don't think some of the powers that be want their pet word to get too associated with this sick f*ck.

[Hidden Stillness]

39. They Never Even Tell the Story Correctly; Not "Important"

There is very often a trivializing or dismissive attitude when the topic of crime or discrimination involves women. There is a great deal of contempt and bigotry against women and girls that is not being admitted to, but which comes out clearly all the same. On this Jeffs case, for example, the male media is pretending that Jeffs was arrested for being a polygamist, "silly and fun," when it was for the abuse of the children held at this cult compound against their will, for numerous money/fraud violations, many domestic violence complaints, forced arranged marriages, etc., etc. It is a violent, coercive cult. Any cult that is cut off from the surrounding society by a leader who takes all their possessions away from the members, orders their lives under severe threat if they disobey, and will not allow visitors or inspectors ever, is clearly a threat, and a possible time-bomb.

This dismissive attitude that will not take a crime against a woman seriously, or even care, is not new or special here. Recently there was yet another male whining that people were paying attention to dead, murdered white women and girls, who ended a very pretentious "call to arms" against the media's behavior during this John Mark Karr non-arrest, with the phrase "until the next blonde chick goes missing in the Caribbean." First of all, she did not "go missing," as if "the slut" ran off--she was raped, probably gang-raped, then murdered. Fuck you too, prick. The combination of hatred and dismissive attitude mirrors the male media's own combination attitude toward women, and crimes of abuse against women, that of smutty exploitation mixed with "trivia."

Sometimes the hatred of women masks as something else, such as when they want to get a rapist off scot-free, yet claim that the rape victim is "vindictive," "prison doesn't solve anything," "they need help, not prison," etc., so superior, yet this "kindness" never extends to their attitude toward woman, as it does to rapists. Rather than investigate the male media that exploits, like pornography, the rape-murders of young white women, this type attacks the women themselves, as if the selfish "bitches" masterminded their own torture-murders just so they could take up the male's time on TV! They claim male violence against us, and the refusal of male police and judges to help, is a "non-story," yet never explain why. Sometimes, pretentiously and so phony, they put a mask of "the dead victim is the oppressor" on it, and attack her that way. "Really," secretly--they are fighting the noble battle against racism, and the dead, raped white woman, dont'cha know, is really the black race's oppressor. What an ugly game. Sometimes, they fight on behalf of the anti-Iraq-war cause: "But people are dying there..." Women beaten to death here, remains trivial.

I think a lot of people have to start facing their real attitudes toward women generally, toward white women specifically, toward black women specifically, Asian women, etc., etc., and stop pretending that only males suffer, or are important. "Local," my ass--why wasn't the Gulf Coast hurricanes of last year a "local" story? When a thing is almost our universal experience, then it is not "local."

[WinkyDink]

40. Not to mention the literal dumping onto the streets of teen boys.

He is a vile, vile man.

And I think his entire system of communities is nothing more, nothing less, than a pedophile network.