Questions about Colorado City (how much, school, live in)

[paysonite]

Rick Lee: I agree with you 100%! I could not have said it better. And they DO hide behind their religion!

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by CometVoyager

Molesting and raping children or raping adults is a crime but you are assuming that everyone who practices this religion is a Molester or Rapist! I do not assume that and will not be part of a Old English Witch Hunt whereas when you label a group of people that way just because you do not agree with their life style you are no better than a KKK Clansman! It appears you assume every person in that town is a pervert and child abuser. I just do not buy that and by the way the age of consent in some states is even as young as 14.

I never said that and I don't believe it. However, such criminal behavior is rampant in the FLDS compounds and you know it. We've all seen the "reformed" folks who escaped tell their stories on tv and they're all the same. You know Warren and Uncle Rulon Jeffs are/were arch criminals. I never suggested arresting every person in the town. But I'd start with warrants for everyone who receives welfare. Hell, they shouldn't even need a warrant to look into someone receiving state funds. What that search turned up - lack of birth certifictates, falsified names, marriage records and then the inevitable stories of abuse and rape should be enough to knock down the house of cards. Last I checked, polygamy is a federal crime. In fact, there was even a question about it on one of the forms I had to fill out for my wife's immigration stuff. Enforcing existing laws would go a long way toward cleaning up all the residual problems.

[LucasMetaphor]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I never said that and I don't believe it. However, such criminal behavior is rampant in the FLDS compounds and you know it. We've all seen the "reformed" folks who escaped tell their stories on tv and they're all the same. You know Warren and Uncle Rulon Jeffs are/were arch criminals. I never suggested arresting every person in the town. But I'd start with warrants for everyone who receives welfare. Hell, they shouldn't even need a warrant to look into someone receiving state funds. What that search turned up - lack of birth certifictates, falsified names, marriage records and then the inevitable stories of abuse and rape should be enough to knock down the house of cards. Last I checked, polygamy is a federal crime. In fact, there was even a question about it on one of the forms I had to fill out for my wife's immigration stuff. Enforcing existing laws would go a long way toward cleaning up all the residual problems.

How can you believe what you hear on the radio or TV. These guys just want to give you a buzz to get more advertising revenue! I did a google on contractors and other construction trades in Colorado City and they do advertise and want outside business. So should I believe what I read and all this hearsay or should I drive up from Tucson and see for myself? I agree with the comet man, because there is so much trash talk today and now we see these kids being taken from their mom? That is not right!

[Rick Lee]

Ok, then go read Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven". It came out long before anyone outside the FLDS had heard of Warren Jeffs and I read it long before any of this was in the news. I've also been to Colorado City. If the fact that media outlets make money on ad revenue means you really can't believe anything, then what do you believe and why? I happen to work for a news agency and just like to read a lot in general.

[esselcue]

I worked with news agencies for the past five years in my job and I can guarantee you that they are not making up buzz-news for ad revenues. While some of the yellow sheet papers, etc are out for guts & glory, most reporters and agencies do their best to report the truth. Just because you have heard that news agencies are not to be trusted does not make it so. Where did you hear that, anyway? I know it's what a lot of people believe, but in truth most of what the media portrays is true

[BryanK]

Originally Posted by LucasMetaphor

So should I believe what I read and all this hearsay or should I drive up from Tucson and see for myself? I agree with the comet man, because there is so much trash talk today and now we see these kids being taken from their mom? That is not right!

I think you SHOULD drive up from Tuscon, to Colorado City. I'd like to hear about what kind of welcome you got!

[LucasMetaphor]

Originally Posted by BryanK

I think you SHOULD drive up from Tuscon, to Colorado City. I'd like to hear about what kind of welcome you got!

There are bad apples in every bunch, saying that I do not like condemning a whole city. The state of Arizona, as it was explained to me by my next door neighbor who is a Highway patrolman for AZ, can and has total jurisdiction to monitor and inspect and investigate a broad spectrum of crimes against children and serve warrants anywhere in Colorado City. Of course there must be bad apples but does Colorado City have more sex crimes than any other city that size? According to Citydata.com it has had no rapes and murders in a long while! So what am I to think? The press loves dirt like this! Why do you think the press follows air heads like Brittany Spears? Why is that news worthy when it is just smut?

[CometVoyager]

Originally Posted by LucasMetaphor

There are bad apples in every bunch, saying that I do not like condemning a whole city. The state of Arizona, as it was explained to me by my next door neighbor who is a Highway patrolman for AZ, can and has total jurisdiction to monitor and inspect and investigate a broad spectrum of crimes against children and serve warrants anywhere in Colorado City. Of course there must be bad apples but does Colorado City have more sex crimes than any other city that size? According to Citydata.com it has had no rapes and murders in a long while! So what am I to think? The press loves dirt like this! Why do you think the press follows air heads like Brittany Spears? Why is that news worthy when it is just smut?

Although, Colorado City does have a Clandestine reputation regarding its non transparency with regards to those who live there, just up the road is a quite open polygamous community called Centennial Park. This community appears very in tune with the needs of its residents and the community is very transparent as well. Check out this web site;

azcentral.com | Phoenix Arizona News - Arizona Local News (broken link)

[Ranwho]

I really think both sides are missing the real issue here. It's not the Polygamous life style that should be in question. IF both (or 6 parties) are of LEGAL AGE AND CONSENTING ADULTS then who cares isomeone marries more then one? If someone wants to marry a dozen people who cares! Even if you do care it's not anyones place to say it's right or wrong. This is AMERICA and we have freedom. Freedom for ALL whether one agrees with the life style or not. Polygamous, Gay, Straight, it does not matter...

What does matter is the CONSENTING ADULTS ISSUE. I know there are a handful of states that still have old laws on the books about legal age being 14 or 16.. These are old laws and were put there when the average age for life was 50. These are obsolete and we all know it. The legal age for marriage is 18. NO YOUNGER! To argue that it's younger is silly and holds no value to the arguement. Legal age in the USA is 18....

I came to Colorado City to see for myself. There are truths to both sides ... I was watched but yet I was treated politely by the locals. When I went into the grocery store no one spoke to me unless I spoke to them and it was clear they were very suspicious of me. I understand this because of all the press and the way they have been treated by the outside world.

I really believe if the Polygamous lifestyle was legal then many of the "sins" that go with it being illegal would go away.

[frogandtoad]

At a bare minimum if they're marrying off a 15 year old girl, she should be married off to someone 15 or 16--not 60!