Polygamy and public health
 
Deseret Morning News editorial
 
In Utah, there are "hot button" issues and "blazing button" issues. Polygamy, for years, has been a blazing button. The state's history, a conservative belief in free choice and an unwillingness to stir up a hornet's nest in the national media have likely all contributed to the kid-glove approach lawmakers and law-enforcement officers have taken when dealing with polygamous communities.

But now an issue has reared its head that may allow concerned civil servants to increase their monitoring and interaction with polygamous groups: birth defects.

According to the observations of a neurologist working among the children of polygamous relationships, inter-marriage in the Warren Jeffs polygamist community has given rise to an especially severe form of birth defect called fumarase deficiency, an ailment that can cause mental retardation, epileptic seizures and other cruel effects that leave children helpless. And when innocent lives are being so adversely affected, it means the state has a vested interest. It can — and should — intervene and feel justified in proceeding with boldness.

It is a scenario that has played out in other ways before. For years, smoking was viewed as a "freedom of choice" issue. But when studies showed that second-hand smoke has an effect on the well-being of innocent bystanders, it became a public health and safety issue. The same can be said for alcohol — especially drinking and driving — and even seat-belt use. Once a practice can be shown to generate ill effects in innocent people, especially infants, society is justified in cracking down and taking action.

For years concerns have swirled over polygamous communities. Were the children being forced to marry? Were school-age kids getting a proper education? Were women being forced to endure ugly marriages because they had no other recourse? Were polygamous leaders using coercion and economic blackmail to get their way?

With some notable exceptions, the Legislature and law enforcement have elected to dance a "soft shoe" around the problems, trying to work behind the scenes. A bill currently under consideration that would allow 16-year-old youths to petition for emancipation is a good example of an attempt to help a bad situation. But it deals with problems that exist, not with preventing problems from occurring.

But now, with medical science and new social concerns on their side, those charged with safeguarding Utah's citizens will perhaps be able to step in, step up intervention and get to the bottom of a regional phenomenon that has bedeviled laymen and lawmakers for generations. The cry "save the children" may not only give many on the inside of polygamy a way out but give concerned people on the outside a way in.
 
deseretnews.com
Originally published Saturday, February 11, 2006
 
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