A couple of months ago my dh and I were watching America's Most Wanted and one of the segments on was about this freak. So glad they finally caught him.

I watched a show about some women in this position and to even get them to talk was amazing the reporter said, whomever it was doing the special. First of all like it has been said before they don't realize and if they do realize they said that there is no way they can leave without their children which we ALL understand that. Also the mom's all raise their children together and they would be tearing their families apart. Also almost all of the women don't know how to drive so it's not like they even think that they can throw the kids in the van and leave. It's a very dead end tragic situation. I am so saddened. They also have rescue cases where the wives have gone back because they just don't know any other life. It's VERY hard to get away in the first place and the wife left behind is scared of what will happen to her over the one leaving. They are totally controlled with fear and punishment. It's horrible and sick. My heart just broke when I watched the special. I wanted to rent a greyhound and save the whole town!

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~Home is where your heart is~

Don't all of these women get medicaid and food stamps? I swear I read that once, that most polygomist groups survive on federal funds, even though they are anti-government.

Why can't they pin them down when they come in for the aid? I worked for social services ( a million years ago...) and I think the recipients had to come in to the office at least twice a year - maybe more. Utah should drastically change their laws - if our tax dollars are supporting these people, it's even more sickening.

No Jeffs and his followers are FLDS. That is Fundamental Latter Day Saints. Some of the basic teachings are the same, except that they still practice polygamy. Polgamy was cut out from the LDS church a long time ago.

i read that the way they get around the law is that they're not married in the eyes of the law--it's "religious" only. so, legally, they're not really "wives" they're more like concubines. it would be bigamy if they had marriage certificates for them all filed down at the courthouse. the guy shacks up with a bunch of ladies and has children with them all--and they all qualify for assistance. the law might go after the guy for support, but he's comparable to any guy who has children with more than one woman.

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