I am curious, does the state governments and US government know or care about these things? link Doc: Birth Defects Up in Polygamous Area Thu Feb 9, 7:38 PM ET SALT LAKE CITY - A rare, severe birth defect is on the rise in an inbred polygamous community on the Utah-Arizona border, according to a doctor who has treated many of the children. ADVERTISEMENT Intermarriage among close relatives is producing children who have two copies of a recessive gene for a debilitating condition called fumarase deficiency. The enzyme irregularity causes severe mental r****dation, epileptic seizures and other effects that often leaves children unable to take care of themselves. Dr. Theodore Tarby has treated many of the children at clinics in Arizona under contracts with the state. All are r****ded, the neurologist told Salt Lake City television station KSL-TV. The children live in the twin polygamist communities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz. Tarby believes the recessive gene was introduced by one of the community's polygamist founders. Community historian Ben Bistline said most of the community's 8,000 residents are in two major families descended from a handful of founders who settled there in the 1930s. "Ninety percent of the community is related to one side or the other," said Bistline, a former member of the sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. "They claim to be the chosen people, the chosen few," Bistline said. "And their claim is they marry closely to preserve the royal bloodline, so to speak." Isaac Wyler, also a former follower of the church led by fugitive Warren Jeffs, told KSL that he was related by marriage to some of the victims. "I've seen some children that can talk and communicate a little," Wyler said. "And I've seen others that are totally laid out. They have no movement. They can't do anything by themselves. Literally, if they're 8 years old, it's like taking care of a baby." Tarby saw the first child with the deficiency in the community 15 years ago. He said the oldest victim is now about 20. In March 2000, Tarby co-authored an article in the medical journal "Annals of Neurology" describing eight cases of fumarase deficiency. It has now grown to 20 known cases in the community. Tarby said the victims require and receive constant care from parents and close relatives. "They would just assume they've been given a test and they need to pass this test," Wyler said. "And it's their lot in life to take care of a child like this. And they'll give it everything they've got. And they'll do a good job." In the FLDS community, marriages with cousins and other relatives are common, Bistline said. It's believed that more than half the residents carry the recessive gene. That means the number of cases likely will grow. Tarby said there could be hundreds of victims in coming generations. Tarby said he urges residents to undergo genetic screening before marriage, but is largely ignored. He said medical care for the children is frequently borne by taxpayers.
Well, no surprise there. Maybe I read this in the book mateo mentioned, but it's been happening. Some of these little sects are so isolated and secretive that people have been marrying their cousins and uncles for years. You can guess what happens. Sometimes it takes a woman several tries to actually give birth to a healthy and viable infant. Often the miscarriages and birth defects are blamed on the woman and taken as a sign that she must be doing something wrong or sinful. (well, nothing other than what happens when you dip into a shallow gene pool.)
This is a big... DUH! What the hell did these people think would happen? An 8,000 person community from basically 2 families? Remind me to stay far far away from that area.
I actually live in Utah. A lot of those polygamous compounds are kind of... how do you say... militant? However, at the same time, they're very isolationist. I think for the most part the government lumps these groups into the same kind of category as most of the floundering Indian Reservations in America. That is to say... they're kind of a problem, but the people really want to be left alone anyway, so they just ignore them for the most part. Hope I didn't just get this moved to the D&D.
Misleading article title. It's the in-breed that leads to higher frequency of genetic defects in the new borns. Polygamy has nothing to do with it. The reporter has an agenda.
Also understand that these people are a vast minority, and largely clustered in remote areas of southern Utah and northern Arizona. Most everyone in Utah thinks they're wackos, too. It's kind of like accusing everyone in Waco of supporting the Branch Davidians.
Sadly, they believe in "Bleeding The Beast" which in essence is tax evasion sanctioned by their sect/church/cult. So we are paying them welfare, giving them medical assistance, covering their electric bills, etc. but in the cases where they could pay any taxes, they don't. We also ignore the fact that 14 year old girls are basically being handed off to 70 year old church leaders. We turn a blind eye. In my book, that's child abuse.
1. Reporters don't write headlines, editors do 2. Please show a single instance of bias or favoratism in the article, or a single sentence that attempts to push an "agenda" (what agenda, btw?) Methinks you're tilting at windmills again. And I'll reiterate, alls yalls should read Krakauer's book. Hell, read all of his books.
OK, reporters don't write headlines, editors do. Thanks for the heads up! Nevertheless, IMO it's shoddy journalism one way or another. Inbreeding is the direct cause of elevated birth defects, polygamy or not. If the reporter/editor/whoever has a problem with polygamy, then write and publish some other article about it, instead of associating it with something unrelated (from scientific point of view) -- the headline surely suggested the connection. What's Krakauer's first name, btw?
Naturally, it's the inbreeding & not the polygamy that causes the birth defects. But this group is pretty much known & identified as "Polygamists", and I'm assuming that's why the headline read that way. Lots of headlines & lead-ins are written poorly, and try to convey a message that's usually not found anywhere in the actual article. But that's neither here nor there. Jon Krakauer - wrote "Into Thin Air" (Everest climbing tragedy) & "Into the Wild" (about a nutty kid who goes to Alaska to live off the land & starves to death). Also wrote a few good stories for "Outside" magazine, might be able to find some online.
