Originally Posted by purplemem
Will I open a can of worms if I ask what right does the government have to say that polygamy is wrong?
I live in Arizona where polygamy has been a huge problem in certain areas. Most of the boys are pushed out of their communities when they become adults since the older men don't want any competition for the women. This has been a major issue since these poor boys have no idea how to function in the "real" world, and no support system. The girls are often married off at a very young age to much older men and have no say in the matter.
There is often benefits fraud, and I believe this family is being investigated though it is not clear that there is any wrong doing from that point of view in this particular case.
The family in Sister Wives actually seems comparatively normal. They live in a typical urban area, have regular jobs, and appear to have chosen their lifestyle voluntarily.
The known polygamist communities in Arizona, on the other hand, tend to keep very much to themselves. One major problem used to be that the law enforcement officers were also polygamists so many abuses went unpunished. I'm not sure how much, if at all, that has changed in recent years.