I appreciate that you are debating this issue here today. We are here in Orderville (United Order) where a lot of the southern Utah polygamy got started. The strange thing is that many of the folks here are sympathetic to this culture in that it existed here long after 1890. In fact I know of three families that are practicing here now. Don’t know if they attend the local LDS services or if they go up in the church because I am personally a dreaded apostate and do not attend.
We have been here for 12 years now and are just now able to discuss a few things with folks in this “closed” community. Last summer I had a discussion with one of the ladies from the “Relief Society”. She informed me that about 50% of her relatives live in Colorado City.
It is a strange mentality here.
I can sympathize with you.
There’s people here on FR that think that one just rolls into the local police department and make a polygamy/child abuse report that the police just hop on it. They don’t realize that:
1. the cop might be living the life
2. the prosecutor might be living the life
3. the judge could be living the life
and
4. while the jury may or may not be, they “know people” who are and are sympathetic.
It was a struggle just to get Jeff’s prosecuted, and lo’ & behold, his conviction was overturned. How convenient.