Sister Wives...

My attempts to find some motivation today have been thwarted by the TLC series "Sister Wives."


Have you guys seen this? It's one of those train wreck kind of shows, where you can't turn away. Except it's not a train wreck, it's pretty good.


The story is about Kody Brown and his three wives along with their thirteen children. In the show he's courting a fourth wife who has three kids. They're already married in real life but the wedding will be the season finale for the show. 


Since the show has aired a criminal investigation has opened in Utah against the family. If charges are filed they could face five years in prison and $50,000 in fines. 


I don't have a problem with the family. At all. I was raised in the Morman church and my family goes way back on the registries, back before the church outlawed polygamy. In fact there's a picture at my mom's of a long ago relative of mine and his multiple wives. 

My problem is with the state. Utah has one of the highest welfare rates in the country, most of that is due to the mass amount of polygamists in the state. Since the marriages between the sister wives are only spiritual and not legal they are able to apply for welfare saying that they are single mothers. That is wrong. 


The Brown family doesn't seem to be one of those families. Kody works as an advertising exec,two of the wives work, it seems like one stays home and this forth one was looking for a job before she moved in with the family. They aren't living off the state, they're minding their own business, and they're practicing a part of their religion. It's not for everyone, but neither is wearing a birka or eating fish on Friday.

State of Utah, leave them alone. 

Go after the polygamists that are marrying 14 year old girls and defrauding the state.


Besides, if you take these people to prison their children will become wards of the state. That's 15 children that are well taken care of that will be thrown into the foster care system. Will that cost more than the fines you will levy against the family?