Senate leader [Harry Reid] to push polygamy victims bill

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | July 22, 2008 | Thomas Burr

[Zakeet]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will introduce a measure Wednesday establishing a federal task force on polygamy and offering help to those trying to escape polygamous communities.

The bill, if passed, would set the stage for likely the largest orchestrated crackdown on polygamy in a century.

Ahead of the first congressional hearing focused on polygamy since the 1950s, Reid, a Mormon convert from Nevada, will introduce the Victims of Polygamy Assistance Act. It would set up a collaborative effort between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to combat "broad patterns" of polygamy-related crimes.

The bill also would create grants for police agencies to probe alleged crimes and provide assistance such as witness relocation, housing, job training and child care for those leaving plural marriages, according to Reid's office.

Polygamy has rocketed to the national consciousness after the April raid of a Texas compound of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Hundreds of children removed from the ranch have now been returned to their families but investigations continue.

Reid's office says he wants a more extensive effort to probe crimes in polygamous communities such as underage marriages, welfare fraud and spousal and child abuse.

[Zakeet]

I'm finally doing something helpful for a change!

Also in the article, pro-polygamy groups are upset because Reid will not allow them to testify as to their perceived positive benefits of polygamy. They are threatening to show up at the hearings to protest the bill.

Undoubtedly the other major religion espousing polygamy, Islam, will want to get in on the act.

This may get interesting before long.

[politicalwit]

Although I’m a one man, one wife, one vote kinda guy I think our nation has far more pressing problems the Senate should be addressing.

[BillyBoy]

Harry Reid is a polymophobe! How DARE he tell consenting adults who they are allowed to love! He’s trying to write discrimination into the law books! < /gay activist mindset>

[Soliton]

Finally, they are doing something about the price of oil?

[Leo Farnsworth]

Haw ‘bout a fund for victims of REID policies!

[Enosh]

“Undoubtedly the other major religion espousing polygamy, Islam, will want to get in on the act.”

Oops.

Fatwa! Jihad! Allah FUBAR!

[Linden1209]

lol. Exactly!

[greyfoxx39]

popcorn placemark

[Alia]

no kidding, lol!

Dems want "gay marriage" but, no polygamy. When they get to the "no adultery" and "no-bestiality" part of their show, I'll start paying attention. But by golly, the Lib-Dems in SF usually allow NAMBLA to march in the gaypride events. But no polygamy.

I feel like I'm watching the "anybody but the Irish!" part of Blazing Saddles

[Bommer]

Man, he won’t allow drilling to happen anywhere will he? (couldn’t resist)

[Libertarianize the GOP]

With the offer of Federal dollars pouring in, enterprising communities will simply invent a polygamous problem in order to get a share of the loot.

[elmer fudd]

I think the only real problem most people have with polygamy is the coercion and fraud that is frequently involved with it. If a handful of adults voluntarily choose to "marry" each other and don't ask the government to subsidize them, I think the vast majority of us are willing to live and let live. The problem lies in the underage girls forced into marriage, the boys cast out on the street, the welfare fraud and the authoritarian and abusive cultures that practice polygamy.

If they were just a bunch of free loving hippies, we might not approve of their lifestyle, but I doubt there'd be any serious movement to shut them down.

[hoosierham]

Well, let’s think about what major issue threatens the security of the nation ;is it polygamy?no,it is cheap energy! Cheap energy drives an expanding economy that improves everyone’s life. But Reid fights that and goes for an expansion of federal police powers and freepers cheer him !?

[hoosierham]

WElfare is in itself a fraud.

How many "unconventional" partnerings exist with the occupants of Section 8 housing?

[weegee]

See what happens when a Mormon is put in charge? The media should’ve look at his little special interest perks a long time ago.

[Tennessee Nana]

God Bless Senator Harry Reid and anyone else who helps these poor victims who escape this hellish practice called polygamy..

[GovernmentShrinker]

Agreed, but also keep in mind that “The problem lies in the underage girls forced into marriage, the boys cast out on the street, the welfare fraud and the authoritarian and abusive cultures”, describes problems that also appear in cultish groups that don’t practice polygamy (except the “boys cast out” phenomenon, which is clearly tied to polygamy). There are quite a lot of consenting-adult polygamists out there, some affiliated with other Mormon sects and probably even more who are just independently practicing it because their personal lives just happened to work out that way. It’s just that the crazies get all the headlines, causing a public perception that polygamists=crazies.

[metmom]

Positive benefits of polygamy?

Isn’t lying breaking one of the Ten Commandments?

[metmom]

I agree as well.

Polygamy is already illegal so it’s going to be hard to go after them because it doesn’t exist on paper and will be hard to prove; those involved will just deny it. So technically, it really isn’t polygamy in the legal sense, it’s just common, run of the mill adultery.

Well, maybe not so run of the mill. I don’t know too many women who would agree to the live in girlfriend under normal circumstances.

[Elsie]

Also in the article, pro-polygamy groups are upset because Reid will not allow them to testify as to their perceived positive benefits of polygamy. They are threatening to show up at the hearings to protest the bill.

Saundra will be there??