Polygamist Men Defend Selves, Sect

Talk With Maggie Rodriguez About Abuse Allegations; Criticize Authorities, Media

(CBS)  Three men who are part of the polygamist sect in Eldorado, Texas stuck up for themselves and their group in an interview with Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez.

One pointed the finger, in part, at the media for what he portrayed as exploiting the situation, and at authorities for the way they've conducted themselves since their comp;ound was raided by state authorities early this month.

In the second of a two-part interview, which aired Tuesday, they addressed allegations that led to the removal of 416 children and teens from their compound -- accusations that include sexual abuse and the marriage of older men to adolescent girls.

They refused to talk about the number of wives they have, but one admitted that the recent events caused some members to re-think their views of older men marrying adolescent girls.

Asked about it being a crime to marry and have sex with someone younger than 18, one who identified himself as Rulon said, "Many of us perhaps were not even aware of such a law, but yes, we have been made very aware in the last two weeks and we do reconsider, yes."

Another, who gave his name as Edson, said he could "see that there needs to be lessons learned. If I understood right, and maybe I'm misinformed, but if I understood right, a few years back, the law in Texas allowed a girl to be married when she was 14."

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To see the interview, click on the arrow in the image below:

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Would it be abuse if an adolescent had sex with an older man?

Said Rulon, "The state of Texas has defined it as that. I would simply say, if you had a teenage girl that chose to go that way could you force her to do otherwise? No you could not."

But he added, "I believe nothing of the sort," when Rodriguez asked point-blank if it's acceptable for older men to marry and have sex with adolescent girls. Rulon continued, "I have taught my children to be morally clean. They have no contact, no sexual contact until they are of a mature age. And none of my children have been touched in that way. None of them have been abused in that way."

So, do older men marry adolescent girls in the compound?

"There may be some individual cases," Edson replied. "We may have some lessons to learn, but I think that, overall, they look at us as if we're immoral people and, in our own makeup, that is the very most important part of our religion, is to be morally clean. I have a hard time standing here being a criminal, when I had no idea that I'm a criminal. I've always strived to be an upright man and my children and my family everyone that I know love me and I love them."

What about the prospect -- even likelihood -- that the children will be placed in foster homes?

"It's something very new to me to consider such a thing," Edson responded. ... "If it's a lifelong struggle, I intend to get my children home."

A third member of the sect, who identified himself as Jake, said authorities have some answering of their own to do, and the media are overdoing it: "There's no drugs here, there's no neglect, there's no nothing. Look at the children, they're (authorities are) hiding the children (keeping them from public view) because of the fact they (the authorities) don't want the public to see the children. The children has to be seen. You judge the fruits, you judge people by their fruits, not just the media. The media seems to downplay us so much because of the fact that they got a good story -- they're here to make papers -- I mean, make money, so they sell stories to make money."

[hsaneiluj]

First off, these FLDS are not any part of the LDS Church. "Mormons" The real LDS Church follows the laws of the land and Polygamy is against the law. Yes in Texas a girl can Marry at 14 with parents permission. But.. not as a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, Wife. In the real LDS Church we frown on anyone drawing welfare, with in our Church we help our Members to obtain higher education and job skills, so they do not have to turn to the welfare system. Also we are taught common sense and common sense tells you if you cant afford to have numerous children then DON''T. I have never in my 32 years in the Mormon church and living in 7 different states knowing hundreds if not thousands of Members. Every known anyone in the Mormon (LDS) church to be married under 17. (I''m sure there could be, but I''ve never known anyone). These FLDS have broken the laws and should be accountable for their actions just as anyone living here in the USA. These people were not apart of society, the women have no education or work outside of their compound. I do not feel sorry for these Men and Women. Their Children Yes! they have been cheated out of a good innocent childhood and education. I hope justice is served.

[magnet06]

So far, the media has not revealed what happens to excess young men in FLDS communities. We can deduce that there is a distinct preponderance of females in these groups. Since female and male children are in roughly equal numbers in schools, but in adult groups the females outnumber the males, there is an excess of males that are somehow eliminated. How is this done?

[valentin73]

Are we done with all this Polygamy baloney, this is nothing different than all the marital corruption out there in the world. The only difference is that in the real world you have men having lots of wives , at different times, and lots of children from each of these wives........................

[luvwknd69]

Every adult man & woman on that compound should be tried and convicted of at least child abuse!!!!!!!!!!!
Of course they are going to defend themselves, they believe they are right and it is okay for them to marry & impregnate little girls - that simply shows how out of touch with reality these mentally ill people really are!

[rcasto-2009]

What is the Problem? I seen a report of a texas girl 13 years old arested as a prostitute and she was also pemping her 10 and 12 year old frinds. I also seen that a 14 year old girl had a baby or what was left on an airliner and another in her school bathroom. If we cant keep regular public children clean from the problem of *** I ask why do you think you should you can fix anyone elses kids from this problem? Clean your own house before Cleaning someone elses. This is a problem. But how do you think we can fix this problem? All that our kids have to watch on TV is *** related, I read an artical that 2 out of 10 girls 12 years old are carriers of diseases. Should these children from the sect be put through all they are going through for what I call the sins of there parents? These kids will be Questioned and torminted and will change them, some will never get over what they are going through. I think the kids know there Mothers. How many parent are teaching by actions, lieing, cheating, stealing, and by what kids see, hear, and watch now directs there lives. Let him without sin cast the first stone.

[magnet06]

Small closed societies run the risk of inbreeding. With time generation after generation, marrying close relatives, even first cousins, increases the risk of having children with birth defects. It has been noted in sociological studies of isolated rural communities, intermarriage between residents of closely associated villages often resulted in marriage of cousins and sometimes even of orphans with the same biological parents. Frequently this results in mental retardation, as has been noted with regard to polygamy in Wikipedia.

[luvwknd69]

valentin73

There is a lot of differences in reference to your analogy, it''s just that you aren''t intelligent enough to realize the differences!
Maritial corruption - AMOUNGST CONSENTING ADULTS - I might add!
Different kids with different wives all AMOUNGST CONSENTING ADULTS - You just don''t get it do you?
dummy!

[fabrat1]

rcasto are you without sin??? I bet not and here you are casting stones.

[mtdrmbland]

in Texas a girl can Marry at 14 with parents permission.
Posted by hsaneiluj

The LEGAL age in Texas with PARENTAL CONSENT is 16 years old for females and 17 years old for males...not 14

In TEXAS at age 14..a person CAN NOT CONSENT !!! PERIOD !!!!

[sincebyjake]

Posted by rcasto at 02:38 PM : Apr 22, 2008

I think you don''t know English very well. No one cares what you "seen". The point here is not whether or not these kids are any better or worse than kids growing up in the "real" world. The point is that these kids are being deprived of the liberties that everyone is entitled to. No one should be told who they are to marry or when they are to marry them. No one should be forced to have *** with some dirty old man because it is part of their "religion". Religion is nothing more than a combination of people''s fear of death and longing to be accepted (or, of course, an excuse to rape kids). Also, I''m tired of you morons saying bullsh*t about casting stones. You probably don''t even know the intent of the phrase, so you just throw it in at the end of the post in an attempt to sound clever. It''s a wonder you''ve made it this far in life without forgetting to breathe along the way.

[gr8ful4tx]

Why is no one discussing the disproportionate and highly improbable ratio of female to male children?
410 girls in custody to 27 boys is statistically nearly impossible, and should be a primary topic of our national dialogue. Where are the little boys?

[hbevis]

The little boys are more than likely dead...


Why is no one discussing the disproportionate and highly improbable ratio of female to male children?
410 girls in custody to 27 boys is statistically nearly impossible, and should be a primary topic of our national dialogue. Where are the little boys?

Posted by Gr8ful4Tx at 04:49 PM : Apr 23, 2008

[homespunlady]

NOTHING LIKE a GOOD WITCH-HUNT to get the SELF RIGHTEOUS to VOICE THEIR SECRET DESIRES and BLAME SOMEBODY ELSE!!!