A West Texas polygamist sect member was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading no contest to sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl Friday.
Michael Emack, 59, of Eldorado, entered the plea in district court to sexual assault of a child, said court administrator Irene Devore. Under Texas law, someone younger than 17 cannot generally consent to sex with an adult.
Emack's plea marked the third sexual assault of a child conviction for a resident of the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Eldorado, said Jerry Strickland, a spokesman for the Texas attorney general's office. Nine other suspects, including sect leader Warren Jeffs, are awaiting trial on charges including sexual assault of a child and bigamy, Strickland said.
The last time we talked about these guys, after a number of other discussions, I decided I felt they were child molesters hiding behind religion. Marrying a 16-year-old is perhaps debatable, but the "prophet" himself, Warren Jeffs had taken a 12-year-old bride. That's what swayed me.
What's your opinion? If these sect members are nothing more than middle aged men who receive young girls as rewards, should the State of Texas put a stop to it? It's not like they're stealing their brides off the street or from the public park, the girls are members of the sect and usually going into these "marriages" with their parents' approval.
I noticed an interesting connection between the FLDS belief that polygamy brings glory in heaven and the proverbial suicide bomber's belief that what he does will increase his reward in the afterlife. Do you think that's a valid comparison?
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
My belief is that Polygamy is fine. More than two people are quite capable of having a loving relationship together. These people, IMO, are just delusional child molesters.
ReplyDeleteI was corresponding with a medical professional from that area who had non-medical interaction with the Jeffs cult, and cordially disagreed with me, thought they were being persecuted for being different.
ReplyDeleteA day or two later, I got a message "I'm not allowed to talk about it anymore, but you were right"
What goes on between adults is fine.
It's really quite impossible to look at this issue without taking a hard look at the Mormon church.
ReplyDeleteIt's too easy to blithely dismiss these folks as child molesters (they are) without recognizing the fact a major religion has an extensive history in promoting this behavior and even today creates a climate that fosters such behavior.
Jon Krakauer wrote a good book about the FLDS a number of years back.
BTW, there are marked similarities between the FLDS and gunloons.
--JadeGold
I'm curious, Jade, what similarities are there?
ReplyDeleteOk, a quick check of the interwebs brought up racism and the death penalty as possibilities. The problem is, those are hardly prerequisits for gun ownership.
ReplyDelete"I'm curious, Jade, what similarities are there?"
ReplyDeleteThere are a number of polygamist communities operating in the US; such places are not secret (Hildale, UT, Short Creek, AZ, Colorado City, AZ--to name a few). The Mormon Church is plainly embarrassed by this but they do little to discourage it and in some ways actively hinder efforts to put an end to them.
At various times, some UT Attorney Generals and Governors have cracked down on these communities--some with a good deal of success. Those that do, usually find themselves out of office, thanks to the Church.
It's quite similar to the NRA; they claim to abhor gun violence but those politicos who attempt something wind up targetted by the NRA.
--JadeGold
If a religious organization wants to "marry" multiple ADULT individuals, such as is also common with Muslims (as well as the young brides, unfortunately) ... while the state can choose whether or not it wants to legally condone the relationship with a marriage certificate, I don't see how they can keep adults from co-habitating in any group setup. Whatever the ratio of men to women.
ReplyDeleteBut there are laws, varying by state, on sex with children below a certain age, and if those laws are violated I think the state has every right and OBLIGATION to bring the full weight of the law down on them as child molesters.
These FLDS people kind of remind me of anti-gun loons. They cling to their belief's not matter how small of a minority they've become, no matter how offensive their unsupported beliefs are to the general populace, and they don't care in the least how much their belief system damages and goes against the history of the culture in which they reside.
Both groups are really quite despicable.
Stephen flamboyantly said, "These FLDS people kind of remind me of anti-gun loons. They cling to their belief's not matter how small of a minority they've become, no matter how offensive their unsupported beliefs are to the general populace, and they don't care in the least how much their belief system damages and goes against the history of the culture in which they reside.
ReplyDeleteBoth groups are really quite despicable."
On second read, this is beyond flamboyant and right into the realm of lunacy. This is up there with the most bizarre comparisons. Think about it, a small handful of misogynist religious fanatics are being compared to millions who favor gun control, assuming that's whom you refer to as "gun loons." Beliefs which you may find "offensive" and "unsupported" are neither of the two to many. And finally, to say that gun control folks "don't care in the least how much their belief system damages and goes against the history of the culture in which they reside," is a ridiculous feat of mind-reading and generalization.
MB:to say that gun control folks "don't care in the least how much their belief system damages and goes against the history of the culture in which they reside," is a ridiculous feat of mind-reading and generalization.
ReplyDelete"Hey Stephen (The Kettle), I'm MIkeB (the Pot) and you're black! (as in sooty and covered in carbon -- NOT a racial reference)"
My answer was a response to jadegold who made a ridiculous and totally unsubstantiated comment that the FLDS had marked similarities with gunloons.
You forgot to tell him/her that what s/he said was ridiculous, so I illustrated it.
Later on (not approved when I posted) she did say that it was because the NRA targets politicians who try to do something about gun violence, which is ridiculous. The NRA only targets politicians who CLAIM they're fighting violence but really only try to restrict gun ownership, which has been proven ineffectual in D.C., Chicago, California, the U.K., and Australia ... and any place it's been tried. Politicians who take action to punish criminals or even undertake social change are not targeted by the NRA (duh).
You're welcome. I honestly don't mind picking up the slack when you forget, as you have a very busy blog and lots to do.
Stephen's analogy simply doesn't pass the smell test.
ReplyDeleteFirst, most NRA holders support the very same policies as we "anti-gun loons." They support things like registration, banning assault weapons, etc. That makes Stephen and his kind a very, very small minority in this country.
By about a two to one margin, Americans favor tougher gun laws as opposed to loosening them.
Second, comparing us to the FLDS--let's look at that. I think we can all agree that the practice of marrying off girls who are children to adult men is harmful. Of course, if you're an FLDS adherent, you probably think its a great idea. Similarly, most rational humans can agree that having a significant gun violence problem in what is the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth is a tragedy. Except, if you're a gun loon.
--JadeGold
Stephen, Let me put it this way. You and JadeGold are both pretty flamboyant, to use your term. The difference is when he backs up his claims, I usually agree, when you do, I don't.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a question of pot and kettle, and it's not a question of your picking up the slack.
It's the old phenomenon of two people looking at the same thing and seeing something different.