It is odd that this story should hit the news within a week of my return from my first trip to Utah where polygamy is outlawed but still remembered as a part of the early days of the Mormon religion and sometimes joked about. This image is of a beer that I saw at a liquor store. The beer, Polygamy Porter, has the tagline “why have just one?” and features an image of a naked man and woman holding each other surrounded by other women. This, honestly, was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the news.
On March31, 2008, authorities in Eldorado, Tex., received a phone call from an underage woman claiming that physical abuse was taking place at the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Yearning for Zion,” or YFZ, isolated ranch in west Texas.
On the evening of April 3, 2008, state authorities began raiding the YFZ ranch looking for the minor who had called authorities earlier and supposedly at age 16, has an eight month old baby. Although the woman has not yet been found, law enforcement escorted just over 400 minors off of the compound where they believed that underage marriages were taking place with nearly all of the women.
Now the mothers who are separated from their children are attempting to gain sympathy and donations from America via the newly published “
CaptiveFLDSChildren.org.” The website, created by members of the compound, contains links to donate to a fund that will help return the children to their parents, pictures of the raid, and videos of the children that were taken away that are meant to strike a note with the human heart by the slow emotional scrolling of the children before the raids accompanied by spiritual piano music. Also included are links to discover more about the church and what it truly stands for.
I believe that the publishing of this website is somewhat an attempted to reconnect the families, but also further testament to the level of brainwashing the people have been subjected to. From a public relations standpoint, it is a predictable move from the church. Although I don’t believe that they will gain too much support, this is the best way to do it
On Thursday, April 24, 2008 100 polygamist supporters gathered outside the Utah Jazz versus Houston Rockets NBA playoff game in protest and for returning the children to the ranch. It is obvious, then, that they are receiving some support.
Although it is unknown how much money the website has raised, it remains unclear as to whether or not the children will be returned. The church is using the website to not only inform the nation of their side of the situation and to collect donations, but they are also looking for representation I court. The website attempts to play off of emotions to gain favor and sympathy. These children cannot and will not be returned to the ranch where it is believed that both physical and sexual abuse of minors is taking place.
If the children aren’t returned to the secluded compound, they will continue to be broken up into foster homes. Although foster homes don’t have the best reputation it is the only alternative to the life they had at the ranch.
