I've been fascinated to read about the polygamist sect out in Texas -- the awareness of law enforcement but the long wait to do anything about it; the allegedly alleged call to police complaining of abuse; the pictures of the women; the stories about the children. In doing some surfing, I stumbled on a video of Carolyn Jessop speaking about her harrowing escape from the sect and felt like I got a lot more perspective on the situation. (Apologies, but there was no obvious embed tool -- the video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJAvqc5u9KM.)
More recently, we've raised a collective yawn at reports about young girls in the sect being forced into marriage and young sex. Oh well, that's just the way that religion operates, not a problem. And then a few days ago, gasp, we started hearing that young boys were also (allegedly) "abused". Now wait right a minute, I can hear us say collectively. It's not *really* abusive to make mid-to-late teenage girls marry or bear children. But boys? Heavens, no! How shocking!
I look forward to getting a clearer take on the whole story by reading more first-hand accounts as they become available. I'm just ever so slightly tired of the media's hay-making of things that aren't news and ignoring things that are.
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Interesting - my experience and interaction with people in general has been kind of the opposite. Horrified beyond words at the reports of the young girls being forced into these relationships, and kind of "yeah, we expected that given everything" when the reports of abuse of the boys came out.
AZ officials have had a hard time acting, I think, because of the bad fallout from the Short Creek Raid. Because of that - and because so many mainstream Mormons live in AZ and regardless of public statements, they do have some affinity for the fundamentalists since they come from the same foundation - officials let the pendulum swing too far in the other direction and didn't do enough about this situation soon enough. AZ officials have been trying to act in the last few years, but it came too late.
It is all so disturbing and engrossing.
I'm actually a little relieved to hear your report, J, especially after what I've been seeing in the media (and my comments were really about the media since, at the time of writing, I hadn't talked to anyone about the situation). I mentioned my frustration at dance camp and got a few gasps and knowing looks. Sometimes I think we're all so shocked that it takes a special something to really wake us up. I guess I'm glad that there is outrage out there. It means someone's paying attention. It is all very disturbing.
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