I see nobody can answer my question.
How can our society charge somebody with polygamy when we do not charge people with adultery? Polygamist’s do not go down to the county courthouse for 5 marriage certificates. These “marriages” are not legal in any state. Are they not just long lasting/committed adulterous relationships? Therefore, if we as society turn a blind eye to adultery (which I am sure is illegal in Texas) how can we not do the same for polygamy?
Also, how do you clarvoyant types out there seem to know that all of these women are brainwashed? Nobody accuses Elliot Spitzer’s wife of being brainwashed yet she was sharing her husband — worse yet, she was sharing him with a whore (more like a concubine prostitute since we know he liked to do repeats with the same 18/19 year old girl). I have know women who stayed married to nasty gentlemen for all sorts of reasons — however they were far from brainwashed.
How can our society charge somebody with polygamy when we do not charge people with adultery? Polygamist’s do not go down to the county courthouse for 5 marriage certificates.It's easy. I've seen an online copy of the search warrant in the Eldorado case. The warrant not only had a reference to a report of sexual abuse; but was secondarily predicated on a "criminal offense" (wording on warrant) of a violation of Texas code 25.01--bigamy.
With most cases of bigamy, deception with neither of the wives--or all (depending on how many there are)--being aware of the others.
In part, your question is not only geared specifically toward the Eldorado matter, but toward the question of why have laws against bigamy and polygamy? There are many reasons. One of them is that at least in regard to bigamy, deception is usually part of the offense. Bigamists leave real victims in their wake.
You're not advocating that the state endorses such cases of bigamy, are you? You're not claiming that bigamy and polygamy are "victimless" crimes, are you?
The heart of these matters is that a bigamist or a polygamist cannot fulfill the promises he is making. If he is already married to a first wife, and extends a marriage proposal to a second, the state will not recognize the marriage. Beyond the obvious problems for such a "second" wife, as far as the state's interest goes, the "add-on wife"--along with her children--is a potential financial loser re: inheritance (if he dies) or if she expects to legally recover her financial investment in a "marriage" that divorce would otherwise bring.
We see this even Biblically. Ishmael was born to a servant girl in Abram's household; he received gifts from his father, but was sent away to another country and had no inheritance rights.
These “marriages” are not legal in any state.
Exactly. So why lock out additional "wives" & their children out of inheritance rights? Why push these women into automatic welfare like the fLDS does?
Are they not just long lasting/committed adulterous relationships?
In the case of underaged girls, minors cannot give "consent." So in those cases, "committed" is not a reality.
Beyond that, you miss one of the most crucial erosions. If any family configuration is "OK" from the state's perspective, then what's wrong with a woman having 10 husbands? What's wrong with 5 men & 5 women engaged in a "group marriage?" What's wrong with such a "family" legally adopting children to come into that "mess."
No. Whenever societies have veered from the intentional efforts to provide a child with both a father & mother, the kids lose.
Therefore, if we as society turn a blind eye to adultery (which I am sure is illegal in Texas) how can we not do the same for polygamy?
Well, society doesn't turn a total blind eye, but I'm not sure if you asking a moral question here as to policy or a legal question. From a socio-political advocacy viewpoint...
1. As mentioned, kids are the losers (stat-wise), when they don't have one mom & one dad. In addition, they don't have a good relationship emulated for them, and so these problems extend generations down the line. We see that already in sub-cultures.
2. Women tend to be the loser of alternatives to monogamy. The biggest predictor of poverty for women, for example, is divorce.
3. Uncle Sam is the loser (shells out more $ welfare-wise for eventual broken families...for example those who live together first have a much higher divorce rate).
