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Subject:
Speech for Religious Freedom and Tolerance Rally at Federal Building My parents were terrified and desperate to know what to do to hold our family together. They woke us in the middle of the night and smuggled us into the car, to hide us somewhere in the canyons. I was told by my sister as she dressed me that I must not make a noise and wake the neighbors. They would surely call the police, Dad would go to jail, and we might be taken away. As a four year old, I felt the fear in the grown ups, and have been terrified to speak out ever since. Later, my father was arrested, and after many appeals to higher courts, was sent to the state penitentiary. He was told he could believe his religion, as long as he didn’t actually practice it. If he would just call his wives mistresses, and his children bastards, the way other men did, he wouldn’t be in trouble. As a child, I had nightmares of policemen or firemen hunting down my little sister and I who were hiding in a culvert under the street. As an adult, I had nightmares of policemen coming to my door to take away my children. The same characteristic propaganda that was used through the media on the Mormon pioneers by the United States in the nineteenth century, which forced a prohibition against polygamy before congress would accept Utah into statehood; and again on the Jews of Nazi Germany in the 20th century, which ended in a holocaust, was used in the 40's & 50's here in Utah, on a culture that was a little different than the mainstream. Propaganda designed to stir up the public so that the powers-that-be could do their dirty deeds just for the sake of their political agendas, with the support of the general populace, and with little or no understanding of the magnitude of human suffering as the result. In a recent news report, David Leavitt is quoted saying the Green wives are “victims of polygamy” indicating they don’t know any better. In my experience as a child of plural marriage and attending public school, I saw what was outside of my family and my culture. As a grown woman , I see far more women and children in polygyny who are victims of the effects of unjust laws than there ever were of domestic abuse or so called “forced marriages”. Because of the threat to her family, or the possible attack on her religion, the laws against plural marriage, in fact, tend to keep women silent, who might otherwise report domestic abuse or ask for badly needed aid for her children. No longer can issues regarding human rights in America be hidden from view or ignored. The opportunity has come for each of us to take responsibility for our own beliefs and choices, and respect one another’s differences. It seems that the issues surrounding polygyny have surfaced again after 50 years at a time when society seems to be much more tolerant of diverse lifestyles, more sensitive to human relationships, and more conscious of human needs, outside of their own limited experience, community, or religious belief. Now that the issues are being examined openly, my hope is that an objective examination will continue on all levels; namely, an honest examination by those inside the culture to see what isn’t working, as well as those outside the culture to see what is working. An objective look at the truth behind all unjust laws which have been forced upon consenting adults to satisfy political agendas. The polygynous culture as a whole feels the need to protect their beliefs through silence, and in fact has been threatened through the media with prosecution if they dare participate in free speech. My hope, as an advocate for women and children of the polygynous culture, is that the necessity and value of decriminalizing all laws pertaining to plural marriage will be recognized and acted upon by the legislature. The necessity being the need to create enough safety for women and children to get the assistance and protection they need, without their beliefs being disrespected or attacked. My hope is that education of the public concerning this lifestyle will continue with an open dialogue of understanding, and not only tolerance, but respect for choices made by consenting adults where there is no victim. The value being an alternative choice available for women who might otherwise be forced into a lifestyle that doesn’t serve their needs as a woman. Plural marriage has been a precious gift to me as a child and as a woman.
I believe that in order for
all of us to enjoy the freedoms America truly stands for, we must all stand
together unitedly regardless of the differences in our culture, beliefs, or
practices. Unless those practices produce victims, every individual should
have the right to practice their religious beliefs and pursue happiness in a
way he or she chooses without intervention by unjust and confining laws. |
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