**NOTE: From now on, when we have two posts similiar, I may move a post up to be near the other - for convenience in finding. Thanks!
Tucked away in the shadow of fortress-like mountains of southeast British Columbia, the town of Bountiful has managed to somehow avoid the wrath of Canadian law for over 50 years despite openly practicing polygamy. Despite Canadian laws against the practice of plural marriage existing since 1890, Bountiful has managed to thrive, almost doubling its population to over 1,000 in the past decade. All are believed to be descendants of six men.
Tucked away in the shadow of fortress-like mountains of southeast British Columbia, the town of Bountiful has managed to somehow avoid the wrath of Canadian law for over 50 years despite openly practicing polygamy. Despite Canadian laws against the practice of plural marriage existing since 1890, Bountiful has managed to thrive, almost doubling its population to over 1,000 in the past decade. All are believed to be descendants of six men.
Winston Blackmore is the defacto religious leader of the town, despite being excommunicated from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) in 2002 following a power struggle with the sect's prophet Warren Jeffs. Jeffs has since been jailed in Utah for being an accomplice to rape for forcing a 14-year-old girl to marry a 19-year-old. Blackmore has rather openly defied Canadian laws, marrying over 25 women according to his first wife and arranging dozens of polygamous marriages in the town. While Blackmore hasn't revealed the exact number of wives he has, he has openly admitted to having more than one wife.
But while Canadians see American authorities cracking down on the polygamous sect, such as the recent raid on Eldorado, Texas where over 400 children, including at least one Canadian, were taken into custody -- there has not been similar action here.
That inaction lies at the heart of Vancouver Sun columnist Daphne Bramham's thoroughly researched book, "The Secret Lives of Saints: The Child Brides and Lost Boys in Canada's Polygamous Mormon Sect." She describes a world that seems impossible to comprehend existing in Canada: a government-funded school whose main mission is to "teach the supremacy of plural marriage and prepare students for marriage"; teenage boys allegedly used as cheap labor for Blackmore's multi-million dollar companies; and of course, teenage girls being married off to much-older men.
Bramham has been one of the foremost critics of the B.C. and federal government's policies ever since she received an angry email in April 2004, asking her why she was writing about the trafficking of Asian women but not the injustice against polygamist women in Canada.
In an interview with CTV.ca, Bramham puts the blame, among other things, on an over-emphasis on accepting all cultural practices under the guise of Canadian multiculturalism and a lack of political will.
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New here, learning an astounding amount of religion. I didn't know, thought it was a simple little show - not a cult.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what is going through his head right now. Canada has been far too lenient. With the Mounties coming to investigate, maybe Canada will wise up. I don't see how they can dodge international trafficking laws...but I am sure some good wife or lower echelon flunky will take the fall so the big guy doesn't have to. There is no way he can say the twelve girls shipped down Jeffs way were an accident.
ReplyDeleteThere is one point of interest here that I would like to mention. When the authorities went in Eldorado, Texas and took all those children I have to agree with the Mormon adults they did not want their family split apart. I mean remember the little boy who was suppose to have gone up in a "spaceship?" One news report stated the authorities said the mom had the solution to leave her husband and take the kids away from this crazy dad. There they were asking the people to split the family. Be what it was splitting a child from his father is not the answer. And it may very well be the same for these children who have several mommies. What is done is done. Splitting them can never be the answer.
ReplyDeleteHowever, except for those people whose want to take little girls, many of them and marry them to older men. These men need to be committed and kept away from society completely.
Just look at the Brown family sister wives. It would be harmful to these children to split this family apart from the dad.
And this country does not have a law if a man has a girl friend on the side so long as he does not get caught. What a country to then take the children of what has already happened.
The only problem I see with it all is those who take little girls who have not reached maturity to make up their own minds. Or are not allowed to have a say in who they marry.
And I do see a problem with so many wives it is almost insane.
One can be assured if you have so many wives that you have to get welfare or you have to have the wives work then you are marrying for sex if you are the man and that can I am sure be proven without doubt.
One man who is not quite wealthy with many wives and hundreds of children is purely lustful and there is nothing else to that.
Again, I am not an expert. Just going with my most humble opinion.
I like your opinion and I can see a good part of it.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how much time these children even get from their father's now with so many wives and kids to keep care for. Then the pictures of Jeffs with Naomi (sp?) , in street clothes, posing for tourist pics, riding motorcycles - he was not there for his children and wives then he was not living his religion then?
I think , if and when removed, the mothers (unless proven abusive) should get to be with the kids.
Then here comes Jeffs trial that just brought so much to light with women all wives and/or mothers yet there they were holding girls down for rape, women giving their girls over to be raped. Its hard to see what is right sometimes when freedom of religion is being used as a ruse for sex trafficking and abuse. These women chose what they felt was religiously right over what was right for their children.
I know some states do have adultery laws on the books. I remember cases where wives sued mistresses. Up as far as 2010 state laws against adultery were still there matter of fact, I think it was Turley in 2010 speaking up against these adultery laws as being puritanical.
How many states and if the laws are still in place, I do not know - but possibly enough to fight the agenda talking point we hear the Brown;s and their children say about men having affairs and not being thought of as wrong. Also, Kody has far less wives and his time and dedication seems much more manageable. Yet he himself seemed to overlook a suicidal child for the sake of doing what he and Robyn wanted. So maybe we were not shown something or?
We don't want police states , government in our homes and in our beds but on the other hand there are people, groups , entities that will always take advantage either way so it sometimes feel so moot to keep the laws.
You are spot on with purely lustful acts, welfare, men marrying for sex, too many wives etc.
Dossiers are going out on more FLDS members. Jeffs might just be the start.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700233581/Washington-County-sends-dossiers-of-select-FLDS-members-to-Texas-officials.html
Warren Jeffs Canadian Connection - Kids being sent to marry Jeffs straight from Bountiful. So looks like Blackmore is just another fibber in the game.
ReplyDeletehttp://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/08/11/national-post-editorial-board-warren-jeffs-canadian-connection/
"...B.C. child-welfare officials were told by their American counterparts as long ago as 2008 that child brides from Bountiful were being force-married to Jeffs, but have done nothing to step in and shelter the children in the community. Nor has any action been taken to investigate claims made during the ongoing litigation surrounding Bountiful that physical and psychological abuse is used to keep wives fearful of leaving or of standing up for their children, that water torture is used against babies and toddlers to make them respectful of authority figures (namely community leaders) or that leaders use substandard education and sequestration from the outside world to keep community members dependent on their leadership and willing to obey their orders...."
hrm i dont think blackmore split far from FLDS warren like he says
ReplyDeleteThere is another important question the government avoids answering: the two schools at Bountiful receive millions of taxpayers' hard-earned dollars to help them teach their noxious philosophy. One of those schools, Bountiful Elementary-secondary school (BESS), still has convicted pedophile Warren Jeffs as their spiritual head.
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/must+Bountiful+funds+that+support+school/5239617/story.html#ixzz1UmHveIMT
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-warren-jeffs-tapes-released-20110811,0,7270032.story
ReplyDeleteTAPES RELEASED
includes video and new footage of beds etc. uggh what a creep with that more than one women with me at a time for comfort blech
2. B.C. attorney helped crack Warren Jeffs polygamy case
ReplyDeleteExposed child-bride exchange between Bountiful B.C. and commune in Texas
B.C. courts have been hardpressed in their attempt to win polygamy convictions in the Mormon commune of Bountiful, but one of the province’s Attorney Generals, Barry Penner, has taken credit in the prosecution of America’s foremost polygamist leader, Warren Jeffs. Penner says his office relayed information to American prosecutors prior to Jeffs’ life prison sentence—imposed on him by a Texas court on Tuesday after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting two teenage girls. Penner did not give details about the information he provided to the U.S. prosecutors, but in the wake of Jeffs’ conviction, the RCMP has launched a new investigation into Bountiful B.C. and Jeffs’ former commune in Texas. Authorities believe the two communities engaged in a cross-border child bride exchange.
Source: CBS
RCMP 1 Polygamy & Childbrides Reported in Canada 9-2000
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4JpGiOUqyk
audio dialog
Next 10 Minute audio with Jay Beswick & RCMP in Canada September of 2000
ReplyDeleteRCMP #2 Canada Police Polygamy Issues Reported 9/2000
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1UDlxOnufg
RCMP 3 Canada Police Reporting Child Abuse & Childbrides!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLUkqEbuMks
RCMP Canada Knew about the Warren Jeffs Sex Slaves in the year 2000!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltm_hq-AsKw
RCMP #5 Reporting Child Abuse polygamy to Canada Government
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2Rf_d7oFaQ
Warren Jeffs, Winston Blackmore, Creston Canada & Polygamy Rose from Canada NEWSPAPER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN-yeg9tdHU
RCMP FLDS Polygamous Coverup, Like Eldorado Texas (Warren's Voice, Photo's of Canada Investigation in the 1980s)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD5I8nN80Yo
Warren Jeffs Transporting Girls to Canada / Canada INS 1
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_DlDojGCi0
Canada INS 2 Reporting polygamy & Teen Brides to INS & FBI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzQBHb248WA
Interview With Canada's INS #3 over Warren Jeffs & Polygamy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6Z3FMJxrSY
INS #4 Canada Imigration on Warren Jeffs & Polygamy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ95YXggUPs
WOW! That's a lot! Will look over!
ReplyDelete