Positive PR spin on Polygamy?

I have to say, I am fascinated with this recent news story about the 400+ children in Texas removed from the "Yearning for Zion" ranch amid allegations of child abuse-namely, underage girls married off as young as 13 to old men to start having babies. Initially, I thought, wow, its about time that someone stepped in and tried to save these girls, to man up and not be scared of the "freedom of religion" that has allowed these groups to commit crimes in the name of a higher power for too long.

Now I am fascinated by the "PR" blitz that the FLDS church has gone on-to try and improve their public image. Seriously? What kind of good are we supposed to find in a religion that allegedly physically and sexually abuses its children, and where a man's worthiness is determined by the number of wives he owns (I mean, has). Is is possible to spin this in a better light? I hope they are hiring professionals. They say they are misunderstood-I think we all understand just fine, thank you! Church members-men and women-have been all over the news saying they just want to be left alone (I bet you do) and that there is no abuse, that the enemies of the outside world have fabricated this evidence (so....that call from the 16 year old girl was fake?), and that they are free to come and go, no one is being held against their will at the ranch, we just don't understand their simple way of life....blah blah. Well.....then why are they also admitting that most of these children have never been outside the gates of the ranch? Sounds an awful lot like imprisonment to me. And seriously-I am sure the women ARE free to go-but they are also conditioned to believe that leaving the religion is condemning themselves to eternal damnation. And where exactly would they go? They have no experience in the "outside world" and most of them have so many kids its impossible that they could leave and support that many children with no education or work experience to speak of. Unless someone on "the outside" is ready to help them, they are stuck.

I am sure that for the mothers who have been separated from their children, it is heartbreaking. I am sure that their children is what keeps them going, and to be on the ranch with those men alone is not a picnic right now. But, they are also accomplices to the abuse, allowing the men to have complete control, watching and witnessing the innocence being stripped from these little girls as they are married to men two and three times their ages. I did find it bizarre that the mothers were allowed to go with their children when they were removed from the ranch-um, DCS here in Nashville does not go to remove a child and tell the parents, oh, you can come too! I don't understand that. But now that they are all separated (well, unless your mother is under 18, in which case the whole happy family is still together) the mothers are crying-abuse! exposure to drugs! Unfair! Why were all removed over allegations of one? Well, because that is the law-in a home where a child reports abuse, the state may remove all children-in this case, over 400 of them-in order to investigate each child's welfare.

I hope that this all gets sorted out quickly-and I hope that the community will come together and prepare services to aid these families should any of them decide to leave the FLDS church and start over. Because they will need HUGE amounts of help. Starting over is difficult even when you have great support-these women and children have all the disadvantage in the world. Kudos to the 16 year old girl that made the call that started it all-that kind of strength and courage is what these families will have to find in order to escape. I don't know how it will all end up...but I do know that I will keep following the story and hoping for some kind of happier ending.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24234987/ Polygamist sect unleashes PR campaign

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24237472/ Sect Members: We just want to be left alone

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24155914/ Sect members deny teens forced to marry