The other day while watching Oprah I was shocked at what I learned watching the episode on the polygamist community. There are several communities around the U.S. and they came to be discovered from a phone call of a 16 year old girl claiming her 50 year old husband was abusing her. Right away officals went to the scene and discovered an entire community of marriages like this. Girls as young as 14 were married and pregnant. On Oprah's show there was a guest by the name os Elissa that explained she use to be part of the community when she was young. By the age of 14 the community made her marry her first cousin, Allen, whom was 19. Elissa explained that she knew nothing about sex or the anatomy of the human body, so she was extremely uncomfortable with sex. Speaking about sex outside of the marriage was forbidden, so she wasn't able to talk to anyone about her concerns with marrying someone so close in blood. But Elissa says there is no concern about close marriages producing children with birth defects because the marriages are considered arranged by the prophet and God's will. "They look at it as a child who was so special he had to come to earth," Elissa says. I found all of this to be appauling. Eventually Elissa escaped the community, but there are many others who aren't as brave. I just don't understand how people actually buy into all of that. They just must of been brainwashed completely. Why would anyone want to live in a community where they don't even get a legitmate education, are intermarrying and no longer welcome if they cut their hair? People are just getting crazier and crazier.
To view more about this episode go to:
http://www2.oprah.com/tows/slide/200805/20080514/slide_20080514_284_101.jhtml
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