Polygamous Persecution is "Right" Thinking

Earlier this week two men from a Church of Christ polygamist sect in Southern British Columbia, Bountiful, were arrested on charges of Polygamy. This group has been the subject of numerous investigations in past, including accusations of child abuse. None of those investigations has ever produced a conviction partly, authorities claim, because of a lack of witnesses willing to speak.
Let me be clear, if there is child abuse going on in Bountiful, the perpetrators of it should be prosecuted. However, for the BC government to go after people in the community for polygamy, because they failed to successfully prosecute child abuse allegations, smacks of deliberate persecution.
Every day in Canada courts subject parents to court ordered polygamy. How many folks do you know who are supporting more than one family? I know of several men and women, right here in the small town where I live, who are supporting more than one family, often families they themselves are virtually estranged from. It seems, our courts are willing to allow people to finance more than one wife, husband and family, but our justice department has an issue with a man being married to more than one woman! It seems a might hypocritical.
I also know of several unmarried people, who have multiple partners, support more than one family, and contribute to more than one household. And I can't count the number of people I know personally who are engaged in more than one "love" relationship. Yet I know of no instance where any justice official is prosecuting these people for being involved in more than one relationship.
So why are we going after the folks in Bountiful?
Our top provincial solicitor, Wally Oppal, says it is because "right thinking" British Columbians are against polygamy! This raises several questions. First and foremost is, who gave Wally Oppal the right to decide for other people what is "right thinking?" And who says these right thinkers are right?
From polls I've seen, most people don't care if the folks in Bountiful are participating in polygamy, although they do have grave concerns about allegations of child abuse, and want the government to focus on that issue.
Wally Oppal also states he wants a ruling from the court as to whether the BC law against polygamy is constitutional. Meanwhile, most constitutional experts, including two who have previously advised the government, say the law is not constitutional. But that's apparently not good enough for Mr. Oppal! Why?
Why is the BC government spending taxpayer money pursuing a court ruling on an issue most agree is unconstitutional? Why is the BC government focussing on the issue of polygamy, when allegations of child abuse are not being pursued?
Is this an example of "right thinking"?
Perhaps what Mr. Oppal means by "right thinking" is "right" politically. Perhaps what he really means is "right wing" thinking, which persecutes anyone, or any activity, the political right finds strange or foreign or different!
Unless someone currently living in a polygamous relationship in Bountiful comes forward, with a complaint they are involved in a polygamous relationship against their will, then the government has no business taking this issue on, period!
If however, Mr. Oppal's intent, is to prosecute polygamy as a means of getting information on allegations of child or spousal abuse, then he is off base. Basically, if this is his intent, then he is engaging in deliberate persecution. If the issue is abuse, then that is what he should be prosecuting, not polygamy.
Mr. Oppal's other argument, that he is pursuing these charges, to prevent abuse of children and women, is also hypocritical. He represents a government that has cut services to women and families in need, has cut welfare for single mothers and low income families, has done nothing to create housing for the poor, and has failed miserably at decreasing the incidence of child poverty in this province. If Mr. Oppal's intent is to help abused women and children, then why isn't he lobbying his party to do something about these issues in the greater population?
The issue of polygamy predates modern marriage by many centuries. Even our most ardent Christians must acknowledge that a majority of their biblical heroes were engaged in polygamous relationships. And besides, even if marriage is between "one man and one woman", as the right so often contends, what business is it of the government to get involved? The marriages in Bountiful are between the men and women involved, and as far as I've heard, none of the women involved are coming forward saying they want out, and when they have, they have left!
Meanwhile, there's the whole issue of religious freedom. Who is to say the government has any right at all to involve itself in the tenants of any religion? No one! In fact, our charter of rights and freedoms prohibits it!
Personally, I'm appalled by this government's "right thinking" and think it may be time for the voters to elect a few "clear" thinkers to replace them.

New Sign On BC's Political Road

I know one fellow who is probably not sleeping so good these days. He works in Victoria and lives in Point Grey.
All across the province this past Saturday, voters, though their numbers were small, came out against the status quo, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the election, almost by landslide, of left leaning councils in the province’s two major cities.
On top of that, in most jurisdictions across the province, voters have chosen to toss out their incumbent mayors and councils. While some moved right, most went left.
It may be that we here in BC have finally caught the “change” wave coming out of America. Or it could simply be that, historically, here in BC, we have a penchant for changing lanes every eight years or so, but the sign for the provincial government is clear.
“Dead End.”
For eight years the Socred-Come-Not-Quite-Liberal-Liberals, under the direction of the drunk driving Premier Gordon Campbell, have coasted to victory with their mantra of develop, develop, develop. Only when it has suited their electoral favour have they shown any sign of willingness to consider social and environmental issues. In the process, they’ve clearly become the government of the well healed.
Trouble is, all of a sudden, thanks in part to the global financial crisis brought on by link minded leaders in the USA, the well healed are becoming the minority. No longer is it just the poor and homeless who are against the trickle down theories of the provincial government, but they have now been joined by the “soon-could-become-poor-and-homeless” majority.
For years now the well healed in this province have been shielded from the struggle so many of the less well healed have been facing. In the course of time the provincial government has been able to take a “do-as-little-as-possible” approach to the concerns of the province’s struggling. They have been able to do little things, like give disabled people a $50 a month raise in benefits, and make themselves appear civic minded, or institute a carbon tax, that really only works in the cities, and make themselves appear environmentally consicious. When push has come to shove, they’ve been able to appear concerned about economics by issuing rebate cheques, or issuing minor tax cuts to the middle class.
But all of a sudden, there’s that sign again: Dead End.
For many of us, those with decent forsight, the sign has been visible for some time. It was there from the moment these guys came to office. The good news for us, and not so good news for the current government, is that they are finally seeing the sign. That’s what happens when you’re busy playing with your toys while driving. You miss the important road signs, until you’re either on top of them or whizzing by at too fast a speed.
If Gordon Campbell and his crew are going to keep driving, they are going to have to do a U-Turn on some pretty major issues, or they are going to find themselves over the same cliff they drove off way back at the end of the Vander Zalm era.
Not only are they going to have to do a U-Turn, but they are going to need to put the brakes on, do some serious shifting, and give the toss to some of those folks who’ve been riding for free, before they can successfully turn this car around.
Trouble is, it seems, we have an insomoniac drunk driver at the wheel, and those folks getting the free ride are some of his best friends. They are, afterall, the ones who gave him the car and its keys. They aren’t going to take kindly to him pulling over, dumping them, then heading back to town to pick up those of us he’s left behind. Worse even, not many of us are going to be willing to hop in with him. So, if he’s not really careful, he’s going to find himself all alone driving off a cliff, and everyone is going to be glad to see him go!
All metaphor aside, Gordon Campbell and the Liberal Party of BC, need to wake up, apply the brakes, stop a moment to get their bearings, then turn this car around. They are going to need to do something very real and tangible about healthcare, homelessness, the environment, poverty and a whole range of issues they’ve been ignoring while on their eight year joy ride.
And lets not forget, four years ago more than 50 percent of this province’s voters made it clear they wanted electoral reform, and favoured proportional representation. In other words, while they were willing to give the premier the keys, they wanted him to take a different road all together. He hasn’t, and its led him to where he is today, facing down that new sign.
“Dead End.”
If I were him, I don’t think I’d be getting much sleep either. I only hope in his insomnia, he isn’t too drunk to read.
Then again, I’d just as soon watch him go over the cliff! Afterall, he’s never offered me a ride.