Crackdown on Polygamy

If you have been following the story of Warren Jeffs and his polygamous organization/religion (a cult really) you will be pleased to hear that he has been convicted of child abuse and aggravated sexual abuse.  They are awaiting sentencing in Texas.

If you have not heard of him, he is a despicable human being who broke away from the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and started his own church when LDS banned the practice of polygamy.  Last report stated that he has 78 wives, 12 of whom were under age when he married them, the youngest being 12.

Here in Canada, in Bountiful, BC, we have our very own polygamous community that is connected to Mr. Jeffs' so-called church and it is run by Winston Blackmore.  At least five of the under aged brides of Mr. Jeffs' are from Bountiful.  Mr. Blackmore ripped these poor girls from their families and sent them down to Texas for Mr. Jeffs to marry or give to someone else to marry.  Mr. Jeffs would sometimes return the favour.  It sounds an awful lot like slavery to me.

Although I could never condone, of course, the actions of these two men, I can somewhat understand it because they are power hungry, nacissistic pedophiles.  What I don't understand, however, is the motives of all the people that are enlisted along the way (quite often family members of the girls) to ship them out like cattle to another country.  How do they justify it to themselves?

Texas is cracking down on this despicable practice.  Mr. Jeffs is the eighth person to be convicted so far since the 2008 raid on his compound.  It's time for British Columbia to get on board and start protecting the children from these monsters.