The New York Times reported (registration required for back issues) their investigation that reveled that West African immigrants, most of them here illegally, are also importing polygamy. Not only do the men bring their multiple wives, but while here in the U.S. import and marry more wives, themselves also here illegally. It's not as though this is happening under the radar because social-service workers are quite aware of it working with families that apply for welfare and other government benefits. So not only are government employees turning a blind eye, the taxpayers are supporting polygamous families.
As the story makes clear, the women in these polygamous marriage rarely join them voluntarily and their circumstances are virtually on par with slavery. They serve their husband's wishes. If they work outside the home, their wages are turned over to the husband on whom they are completely dependent. They are threatened by their husbands with deportation if they complain. Domestic violence is not uncommon.
Apparently since social workers help these families apply for welfare benefits, we have de facto by the permission of bureaucrats accept polygamy in the U.S. At the same time, we are allowing women to be treated as the property of their husbands, slaves, with no rights or freedoms other than what their husbands wish to grant them.
If we have a commitment to human rights in our country, which I believe we do, we cannot sacrifice that principle for what seems to me multiculturalism run amok by accepting other cultural practices of marriage among immigrants. Perhaps the social workers think they are helping these women by getting them welfare, solving one of their problems. But that only serves to ignore and permit the injustice these women are living in. Imagine what they think of our commitment to their rights when they know that government employees see and permit their circumstances. If a welfare worker stumbled across a slave being kept, would they think they'd done enough by getting him welfare? They shouldn't.
Polygamy cannot be tolerated in a democracy commitment to human rights anymore than slavery is. It took our country way too long to live up to our principle and outlaw slavery. We shouldn't make the same mistake when polygamy results in the same loss of rights.
