The Mormon Gulag

[_Yoda]

certainly hope that Eric can get enough ammunition together to get this place closed down. It sounds like a horrible abomination.

Thanks liz, I agree. I am asking him tough questions I think but he probably needs to be prepared because others will be thinking the same as me, and will wonder before believing everything he says.

Oh, definitely. As Moms, this is one topic we can wholeheartedly agree upon. ;)

Eric does need to have his "ducks in a row". It was nice walking through some things with him last night. I think that's why he posted his thread here..to get some more perspective and ideas.

He has a lot of answers to the tough questions in the first draft of his book as well. No doubt, he'll field a few more in his film, too.

[_Jersey Girl]

What events preceeded that action on the part of adults?

It depends. Sometimes nothing. Most kids start out that way. If they think you are going to run away, or you try and "manipulate" your parents, welcome to a blanket.

Welcome to a blanket and what?

[_Yoda]

Welcome to a blanket and what?

According to Eric, some of these kids, including Eric, would spend weeks at a time wearing nothing but a blanket and tattered underwear.

[_Jersey Girl]

Blue Shirt:
How much time in a day is spent on forced labor? Is the labor mainly in the compound?

Sometimes 12 hours a day. Right now, in preparation for the Scarecrow Festival, there is no school and boys are working 12 hour days setting up. The labor that green shirts and work crew do is always on campus,

What kind of labor do the green shirts perform?

the labor that blue shirts do is sometimes off campus. Only blue shirts are allowed off campus for work projects.

Blue shirts are allowed off campus to do what? What kinds of work projects?

[_Jersey Girl]

Welcome to a blanket and what?

According to Eric, some of these kids, including Eric, would spend weeks at a time wearing nothing but a blanket and tattered underwear.

That counts for clothing, I'm afraid.

[_Jersey Girl]

I think in any case where sexual and physical abuse are present, there is the whole issue of being afraid of being believed. Adults go through this. For a child, it must have been even worse.

I'd like to see him address this further for at the root of sexual and physical abuse lies the issues of supervision. One one hand, I'm hearing that youth were closely supervised and monitored.

Where's the opportunity?

[_Jersey Girl]

From Eric's website regarding "Program". If it's not okay for me to copy/paste this without the link, just tell me and I'll insert it later.

Boys on work crew wear a green shirt and either camouflage pants - if they are young and not much of a threat - or the "blanket." It's horrible. A wool blanket - like the one you would find at an army surplus store - is wrapped around the waste like a towel. It is then secured with a rope, held by the Mormon running the work crew.

The above is no help. That the wool blanket might be scratchy or what have you, doesn't negate it's use. It still constitutes "clothing".

See this?

if they are young and not much of a threat - or the "blanket." It's horrible. A wool blanket - like the one you would find at an army surplus store - is wrapped around the waste like a towel. It is then secured with a rope, held by the Mormon running the work crew.

While most might see the above as degrading or dehumanizing, it can be interpreted as tethering a child in order to ensure their supervision.

Editing: I hope folks realize I'm playing devil's advocate here. With regards to tethering, it's much the same as applying a "basket hold". Used appropriately/misused.

[_Jersey Girl]

Start here: http://www.hs.utah.gov/

If it exists, they can point you to state statutes regarding the supervision of children by tethering. Is this allowable?

My guess is that's fully allowable. There are devices marketed for the purpose of tethering individual and groups of children.

[_GoodK]

I don't have much time at the moment, but I'll be back.

The legality of what the Mormon Gulag does is not of the upmost importance to my mission. While it might be legal to make a kid wear a wool blanket and leash - I don't know - I don't think many parents would appreciate their kids being treated that way, no matter how bad they are. And curiously, they leave that sort of stuff off of the website and pamphlets.

The most important thing I can do to shut down the Mormon Gulag is make the public aware of what really happens there.

[_GoodK]

Welcome to a blanket and what?

And a leash. And usually a haircut.