Hugh: "No one was looking? Are you kidding?"
Not necessarily even then. I think that someone under the age of consent can still legally marry with parental approval in some, if not most, states.
To make matters even more complicated, from what I can gather, the FLDS men and women do not even cohabitate. From what I saw on TV, for the most part the women live with the children kind of like in dorms. Some of the individual families, I believe, lived in separate homes. So if the State of Texas thinks it is going to prosecute for polygamy, I think they are going to have one heck of a hard time.
I think the judge, CPS, law enforcement THOUGHT they were going to look like heroes barging in there with guns and a great show of force because most people were going to shout, “Hallelujah, now those dang religious perverts are going to get what’s comin’ to ‘em - yahoo baby!”
Too bad the anti FLDS zealots forgot to study and Constitution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN_QG1UqHLs
No, its not enforceable. The “underage” thing is (parental consent applies to a marriage, and these aren’t legal marriages). Thats about it. And thats about as far as the public ought to have any interest, that and the issue of force, where force is an element in maintaining control.
Texas over-reached. But where they can prove under-aged relationships, they may still have a case. And thats the only area where there is a public safety issue.
Hugh: "No one was looking? Are you kidding?"
Who woulda thought:
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Supreme Court strikes down Texas sodomy law
Are Current Laws Against Polygamy Enforceable?
Probably not for long.
I cant fathom having more than one wife.
I got more than I can handle with one.
These geeks are...
FYI see Reynolds vs. US
We need to encourage long-term monogamous relationships between men and women, especially to have children, because that will strengthen our society.
Still, it’s interesting that you put yourself at greater risk for prosecution for polygamy the more you take care of the children of women you sleep with. If you just have one-night stands and move on, no problem. If you have two long-term relationships at the same time, but keep one secret and encourage abortions (the mistress), again, no problem unless your wife finds out and divorces you.
But if you have an open long-term relationship with two women, and encourage both to have children, then you are in trouble.
The vast majority of polygamous marriages involve one man and multiple wives (AKA polygyny) — polyandry is much less common. Obviously, if a lot of men have multiple wives; there will be many others who have none. (Assuming a rough balance between the sexes.)
Before the welfare state, men were expected to support all of their wives. Today, a lot of polygynous “families” seem to be entirely supported by welfare. That means most men are not only being deprived of a chance of having a wife — but, they also have to pay to support the families of men who have several wives. A double-whammy.
One only has to look at the nearest ghetto to see how destabilizing a large number of single, young men can be to a society. Marriage tends to civilize men. The outlook is not good.