Big Love

Question...I am not into the whole more than one wife thing...but what makes this wrong? If a man has an affair and has another family he won't be arrested. Is it the fact that he accepts all the women as wives that makes this wrong in the eyes of the law?

Apparently polygamy laws started in the United States as anti-mormon laws and they've just stuck.

Question...I am not into the whole more than one wife thing...but what makes this wrong? If a man has an affair and has another family he won't be arrested. Is it the fact that he accepts all the women as wives that makes this wrong in the eyes of the law?

Wikipedia has quite a good entry about polygamy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy#Legal_situation

What I hate about shows like this is that people assume that the characters are Mormons.  Even when the show points out that they are not, people hear what they want to hear.  I grew up in Utah and I am a Mormon so I guess I'm overly sensitive about this point.  As for the show, I'm curious to how they depict the polygamists.  They really kept to themselves in Salt Lake City where I grew up.

What I hate about shows like this is that people assume that the characters are Mormons.  Even when the show points out that they are not, people hear what they want to hear.  I grew up in Utah and I am a Mormon so I guess I'm overly sensitive about this point.

I know what you mean....I'm Italian and live in Northern NJ, close to NYC, and my family has owned a restaurant for 60 years...guess what everyone thinks?  YUP - thanks Sopranos!

As for the show, I'm curious to how they depict the polygamists. They really kept to themselves in Salt Lake City where I grew up.

They actually do keep to themselves...It's interesting to see how their lives start to bleed into the community and what steps they need to take to keep their secret.  As I said before, all is not explained at first, the laws, the secrecy, how the family came to be, it develops over the season.  I think aside from the pologamy, they are living the Mormon Principal and it's interesting to see how some of the characters have this struggle with their beliefs and the society they live in.  I'm looking forward to next season.

Question...I am not into the whole more than one wife thing...but what makes this wrong? If a man has an affair and has another family he won't be arrested. Is it the fact that he accepts all the women as wives that makes this wrong in the eyes of the law?

Argh!  I've typed a response to this 4 times and my computer keeps hiccoughing!    (So now you get the condensed version!)

Anyway, while I think that views on the morality of the situation may vary, it's pretty clear cut as far as the legality goes.  I know there are additional 'pockets' of polygamy in Utah and throughout the states, but I don't know much about them so I'll stick to comments on the UT/AZ border community.

First off, I think polygamy was quite heavily prosectuted in this community back in the 50's(?), but it has been pretty much ignored by law enforcement since then.  The way they seem to get around the legality of the plural marriage is that the husband only legally marries the first wife.  Any subsequent wives are married in religious ceremonies only w/no legal standing.  The increased interest by law enforcement seems to be on two main issues.  One is welfare fraud.  The state (whether UT or AZ) typically pays a great deal of support to the 'single mothers' and 'fatherless children' in the community.  The second is statutory rape.  There seem to be a large number of teenage girls forced into 'marriages' with much older men.  Difficult to prosecute, though, until someone breaks away from the community and is willing to give evidence in court.

Whew!  Hitting the post button now...hope this shows up!

Just got done watching the first 3 episodes that hubs downloaded.  Will continue to watch, I do enjoy the dynamic between the 3 wives.  Can you imagine having 3 wives, or as hubs just pointed out....being 1 of 3 wives!  HA!

It's so full of hot air.  I mean, look at those houses!  Yeah, he can really afford all that when he never seems to be at work.

And all that Viagra.

 

There is a case going on right now in British Columbia where an American polygamist and his upteen wives have been living in seclusion for years, raising their families (most of the kids were born in Canada) but now immigration has stepped in and are deporting a few of the wives because they have no legal standing in Canada.  The women are American but are not legally married to their husband (who has legal standing in Canada), do not work and therefore, immigration says GET OUT!  They are now appealing on humanitarian grounds.  It should be interesting to see how it turns out. 

There is a case going on right now in British Columbia where an American polygamist and his upteen wives have been living in seclusion for years, raising their families (most of the kids were born in Canada) but now immigration has stepped in and are deporting a few of the wives because they have no legal standing in Canada. The women are American but are not legally married to their husband (who has legal standing in Canada), do not work and therefore, immigration says GET OUT! They are now appealing on humanitarian grounds. It should be interesting to see how it turns out.

Makes sense to me...

Here's the link to a more detailed article about that case

http://www.rickross.com/reference/polygamy/polygamy399.html

After watching tonights episode, I can see that it's all starting to piece together.  Good thing because it is a bit confusing.  So much back story they need to work in, but I'm liking the show!

just curious.. does he have to keep  looking for new wives?  or is there an acceptable  limit?

As the other wives take a vote on who is admitted it is more of a whole family decision. He may fall for someone but if the wives do not like her or find her acceptable it doesn't happen per a later episode.

Re-watching the episodes with df, I think they try to confuse you a little bit in these early episodes.   They explain one part, while confusing you a little more.   It's their grab to keep you watching.  Df will turn to me and ask a question, which I refuse to answer because I know he'll like it as it unfolds.  I do like re-watching them, because I see even more the second time through. 

That little boy Wayne was adorable.. The way he called his mom mother and wanted children at his party.  LOL  reminds me of Birthday parties on soap operas.. how no little children  are there if it's  a  kid's party.