Polygamists Issue Voters Guide

This past spring the harsh spotlight of the media was shown on a polygamist sect in Eldorado, Texas, which resulted in more than 400 children being taken into state custody. Such raids on polygamist sects aren't new; about 37,000 polygamists and their children live in Utah, which has a population of about 2.7 million, and many people believe the practice should be more stringently legislated by state agencies. But polygamy is a legacy unique to Utah and it isn't going away anytime soon, and now a polygamist group is placing a renewed focus on participating in the political process.

Communities in Harmony is a consortium consisting of representatives from various Utah polygamist groups. The group has issued a voter's guide to help the state's polygamists make decisions about whom to vote for in local, state, and federal elections. "We need the candidates to know that they are just as accountable to us as they are to other constituents," said Carlene Cannon, the group's spokeswoman. According to Cannon, who is a member of the Davis County Cooperative Society, which practices polygamy, "The voter project grew out of advocacy work begun about six years ago by polygamous women who sought to forge a better relationship with state officials and agencies."

Polygamy was brought to Utah in the 1840s by the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When Utah became a state in 1890, the practice was abandoned as a condition of statehood. But many fundamentalist Mormons continue to believe that polygamy brings glorification in heaven, and some of them still practice it in secret.

The voter's guide on the group's website at (www.communitiesinharmony.net) shows the results of questions that candidates were asked on numerous issues. Political candidates at all levels of state and federal government were asked questions about civil rights and political ethics. Cannon says the recent raid had many fundamentalists and polygamists wanting to become more involved in the political process.

One section of the voter's guide talks about the raid and the feelings it evoked in the polygamy community. "If you are a polygamist in Utah, you have either been in a raid, had parents or grandparents in a raid, or helped someone try and piece back together his or her life after a raid. (During the raid in April) thousands of lives were shattered that day. As the nightmare of this raid unfolded, hundreds of children were torn from their parents. Those of us watching at home in disbelief tried to comprehend that here in America; the land of the free, our own people were treated as if they were cattle and hauled off by military force - a picture of hate for a people misunderstood. The iron fist the state of Texas extended was not an accident. Our own public officials bragged about the assistance they gave to Texas officials."

More than 150 candidates were polled. Candidates were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 on ethics and civil rights, with 10 considered a perfect score. The deadline for candidates to return their completed questionnaires was October 18. More than 90 candidates for state offices did not respond by the deadline. "Obviously, this is a highly contentious issue and with the exception of a very few office, it's not something most elected officials or those running for office see as a crucial part of what they're doing," said Matthew Burbank, a political scientist at the University of Utah.

The candidates were questions about whether consenting adults in polygamous families should be considered criminals, and whether the government should be allowed to spend public safety funds disproportionately to target one specific group of people. Cannon said the results of the survey were widely anticipated and used by the polygamy community. "I think it has helped us help them realize who we are and what we contribute," she said.

The group's website sums up their mission to defend their way of life by making an impact on the political process: "The Texas FLDS raid has forever changed the way the world looks upon us. The lives of these children and parents will be forever scarred. We must never allow this to happen again. This is our time. This is our voice. Lady Liberty stands with freedom's torch on the edge of this great nation. What was the intent of the founding fathers who wrote the Bill Of Rights? Freedom. Freedom was intended for everyone... even you .... a polygamist!"