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<DIV><FONT size=4><STRONG>V 2020ers, State Legislators, et
al,</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>The article below from the <EM>LMT</EM> of yesterday discusses
a serious sexual abuse/slavery problem that I have unsuccessfully tried to help
find a solution to since the early 1980's when I moved back to Boundary
County.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>For many, many years Boundary County law enforcement did
nothing to stop this trafficking even though the enablers of/participants
in this trafficking, part of the Blackmore family living in Boundary
County, and their mechanisms were well known to law enforcement and social
welfare agencies. Even active prodding by one set of very concerned county
commissioners failed to persuade those agencies responsible to take any
action. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>All, and I mean <STRONG><FONT color=#ff0000
size=5>ALL</FONT></STRONG> of the so-called Christian churches in the area
continually found excuses not to get involved, although women as young as 13
years old were moved through to and through Boundary County and forced to become
the "celestial brides" -- sexual concubines, baby factories, and household
slaves -- of men in their 50s and 60s. Various kinds of incestuous
relationships were/are also part of this practice.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Although child sexual abuse/slavery is the principal issue
here, Sheriff Sprungl also points out an issue probably more important to many
conservatives: the use of these groups of an increasing amount of
state/federal welfare money to support, enrich, and to perpetuate
these child sexual/slavery practices. Many of these so-called
families (read: sheiks and their entirely dependent harems) receive this
assistance from both US and Canadian sources at the same time, mainly by lying
and the inept investigation by welfare agencies on both sides of the
border.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>The issue here is not the practice or morality of polygamy,
but the conscription of minor children to become sexual and household
slaves.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>For those interested in a well-researched, well-written
overview of this problem, the book mentioned below is a penetrating exploration
of this and related issues: <FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=5><EM>Under the
Banner of Heaven</EM>, Jon Krakauer</FONT></FONT> (available at Book
People).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I especially urge our state legislators to do all they can to
stop this human trafficking especially in minor children for sexual and slavery
purposes.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=4>
<DIV><BR>Wayne A. Fox<BR>1009 Karen Lane<BR>PO Box 9421<BR>Moscow, ID
83843</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>(208) 882-7975<BR><A
href="mailto:waf@moscow.com">waf@moscow.com</A><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5><STRONG>_________________________</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=5><STRONG>Idaho Legislature: Polygamists are
coming; Wives are coming into state from Canada and applying for public
assistance</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=5><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </DIV><FONT
size=4>
<DIV><BR>By DEAN A. FERGUSON<BR>of the Tribune</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>BOISE -- The wives of polygamists are spilling out of Canada and into Idaho
to apply for public assistance, according to the Idaho Legislature. Senate and
House leadership decided to study that problem Wednesday along with several
other issues when the Legislature adjourns. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"I didn't think this was a problem in the state of Idaho until we went to
Bonners Ferry," Speaker of the House Bruce Newcomb, R-Burley, told a meeting of
House and Senate leadership. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Newcomb and other representatives visited Boundary County leaders who are
worried about the polygamy problem, which may involve members of a religious
group in Bountiful, B.C., near Creston, B.C., Canada, that is aligned with a
similar group in Hildale, Utah, on the Arizona border. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The Legislature is concerned child brides are traded between the two
communities and isolated from the outside world. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In his book, <FONT color=#0000ff size=5>"Under the Banner of Heaven," Jon
Krakauer</FONT> highlights these two groups as Mormon fundamentalists who
practice polygamy and sometimes take wives who are in their early teens. The
groups do not belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but
share common roots. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Officials worry about the strain on public welfare programs as well as the
possibility of child sexual abuse. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"I welcome that (study)," said Boundary County Sheriff Greg Sprungl. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The topic is a hot issue in his community, said Sprungl. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"There is a long-standing polygamist group in Creston, B.C., up above us
here across the border," said Sprungl. "There are people from that Blackmore
group (by Creston) that live in the area." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The Blackmore group was started by a polygamist named Winston Blackmore as
an offshoot of the Utah group, according to Krakauer's book. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Our interest is not in the church that the polygamists are involved in,"
said Sprungl. "If there is any sexual abuse to minors, that's our only interest
there." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Federal, state, county and city law enforcement have met to discuss the
problem, said Sprungl. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"There are no active cases of sex abuse of minors that are wedded at an
early age." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Idaho Department of Health and Welfare investigators have not sought help
from the sheriff's office to investigate possible welfare fraud cases either,
said Sprungl. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The northern Idaho polygamists are only part of the interim committee's
focus on human trafficking. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Southern Idaho lawmakers are concerned about reports in the Nampa area of
men bringing home wives from other countries and then exploiting them for
prostitution or slave labor. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It's human trafficking if people are "forced to remain but brought under
false circumstances," said Rep. Donna Boe, D-Pocatello, who cosponsored the
study proposal. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Boe said federal laws have taken on the human trafficking problem. However,
victims of human trafficking, who may not know English, do not know how to get
help. The human trafficking committee will consider the extent of the problem in
Idaho and how to make state laws to back up the federal laws. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>------ </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ferguson may be contacted at <A
href="mailto:dferguson@lmtribune.com">dferguson@lmtribune.com</A>. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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