Political activism 101
A group of senior students from a ''Mass Media and Society'' class at Colorado City Academy handed out pamphlets as the audience streamed into the Dixie Center for the fourth Town Hall Meeting on polygamy last night.
The private school is located in the fundamentalist Mormon community of Centennial Park, just south of the Utah/Arizona border.
William, 18, told me this was the class' last activity. Today the students graduate from high school.
Congrats!
The pamphlet was titled ''Speak Out: Every Voice Matters.'' William said the class focused on political issues, political campaigns and advertising.
It was about ''How you get your voice heard in the world,'' said Robert, 18.
Inside the four-page handout was this statement:
''We hoped silence would save us. But we learned that invisible people can expect invisible rights. We are one of many cultures in one America.''
More than any other group, the Centennial Park community has been most vocal in defending their religious beliefs and calling for decriminalization of polygamy. Events in Texas drew these students into the fray.
One section of the pamphlet was titled ''How do we achieve social progress: Civil disobedience'' and listed Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks as examples of people who’ve defended civil liberties.
Another section quoted Susan B. Anthony and addressed women’s rights, specifically when it comes to ''the right to make their own choice and build relationships of their preference. Oppression of women includes an idea that government can dictate their partners regardless of the woman’s choice.''
The last section, titled ''Do Words Matter?'' compared some media hysteria about polygamy to the McCarthy era, when rumors of communistic affiliations were used to destroy lives and reputations.
''It is reckless for public figures to call for action against lifestyles and cultures based on their belief system,'' the pamphlet said.
Over the past four years, large numbers of teenagers from Utah's fundamentalist Mormon communities -- the Davis County Cooperative Society, independents, Centennial Park and, to a lesser extent, Apostolic United Brethren -- have attended court hearings, public rallies and events like last night’s Town Hall Meeting.
Teens who have come out of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also have participated in public forums, though their motive has been to advocate for a different kind of social change.
Either way, these young people are getting the best kind of education by participating in what Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard last night termed a ''movement.''
But it is a movement still in its nascent stage, which was illustrated by this: Neither young man I spoke with as a I entered the auditorium last night would give his last name.
The private school is located in the fundamentalist Mormon community of Centennial Park, just south of the Utah/Arizona border.
William, 18, told me this was the class' last activity. Today the students graduate from high school.
Congrats!
The pamphlet was titled ''Speak Out: Every Voice Matters.'' William said the class focused on political issues, political campaigns and advertising.
It was about ''How you get your voice heard in the world,'' said Robert, 18.
Inside the four-page handout was this statement:
''We hoped silence would save us. But we learned that invisible people can expect invisible rights. We are one of many cultures in one America.''
More than any other group, the Centennial Park community has been most vocal in defending their religious beliefs and calling for decriminalization of polygamy. Events in Texas drew these students into the fray.
One section of the pamphlet was titled ''How do we achieve social progress: Civil disobedience'' and listed Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks as examples of people who’ve defended civil liberties.
Another section quoted Susan B. Anthony and addressed women’s rights, specifically when it comes to ''the right to make their own choice and build relationships of their preference. Oppression of women includes an idea that government can dictate their partners regardless of the woman’s choice.''
The last section, titled ''Do Words Matter?'' compared some media hysteria about polygamy to the McCarthy era, when rumors of communistic affiliations were used to destroy lives and reputations.
''It is reckless for public figures to call for action against lifestyles and cultures based on their belief system,'' the pamphlet said.
Over the past four years, large numbers of teenagers from Utah's fundamentalist Mormon communities -- the Davis County Cooperative Society, independents, Centennial Park and, to a lesser extent, Apostolic United Brethren -- have attended court hearings, public rallies and events like last night’s Town Hall Meeting.
Teens who have come out of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also have participated in public forums, though their motive has been to advocate for a different kind of social change.
Either way, these young people are getting the best kind of education by participating in what Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard last night termed a ''movement.''
But it is a movement still in its nascent stage, which was illustrated by this: Neither young man I spoke with as a I entered the auditorium last night would give his last name.
15 Comments:
Thanks Brooke
These responsive young teens seem to fall outside of the group of teens identified by "[s]peakers from nonprofit social service groups", which they say includes many that "have little or no education and suffer emotional problems."
More conflicting claims or does the Colorado City Academy have an upper hand on education?
I think it's great when young people get politically involved. Thinking about human rights in the community-at-large will, hopefully, also help them examine their rights within their religious community.
In 2005, the AZ governor took the control of Colorado City schools away from the FLDS, because of abuses to the system and sub-standard education of the students. I wouldn't so quickly assume that the social service groups are wrong.
From the Phoenix New Times:
http://www.rickross.com/reference/
polygamy/polygamy347.html
Uh, Womancow?
It didn't get much attention but the trib published a blurb about that receivership not very long ago, and it stated that no wrong had been done by the CC School district.
So, go dig up something else now hon.
As a point of clarification, Colorado City Academy is a private school run by the Centennial Park group. They also run a state-chartered public elementary/middle school, which is entirely separate from the CCUSD (the district that was put into receivership, but which has since been exonerated of wrong doing).
I will personally attest that the women and children of Centennial Park are among the best educated you will meet anywhere in this country. Bar none.
womancow moos: "thinking about human rights in the community-at-large will, hopefully, also help them examine their rights within their religious community."
My dear bovine, you have no clue about this, do you? What religious community are you speaking of? What religious community do these sharp young people belong to? Do you know the difference between one religious community and the other?
I'd say your comment, like most of yours, is udder-ly nonsensical and shows us all how you know nothing at all about these issues on which you claim to be an expert.
My question was more joke than one seeking an answer.
Colorado City Academy clearly has some great students that were active recently, and...
Most all social service workers are quick to point out the victims in the world they help to save, it's just that most do not realize they are victims until trained properly!
I must admit I should not paint all with the same broad stroke, but..!
Although the students are to be lauded for getting out and involved, I'm not sure how anybody assumes that makes them "great students". They may be well educated or simply well-indoctrinated by having been raised in polygamy.
Entering this blog certainly makes one understand the lack of respect for women demonstrated by people aligned with polygamy.
Although the investigation of corruption ended, as of Mar 30, Colorado City schools were placed in receivership. No one was "exonerated", there simply were no criminal charges filed in the bankrupting of the school system.
"The result of the investigation that was initiated a couple of years ago is that a receivership was put in place to deal with issues of mismanagement with the Colorado City school district," said attorney general's spokeswoman Andrea Esquer.
"Unleash The Power Of Learning..."
This theme is central to the purpose of the Masada Charter Schoo--established in Centennial Park in an effort to improve educational choices to that area.
In a recent audit, Masada was rated by the state as "Excelling" in both curriculum and performance.
Working in tandem with the Academy and its Advanced Placement Program, student achievment has prospered. Academy graduates have long been accepted in state universities and have been valadictorians and honor recipients.
It comes as no surprise to us of the surrounding communities to see these educated young activists advocating their ideology of free choice.
In fact, it's on par with other young people leading the cheer for their young candidate of "choice" for President, Barak Obama--a son of polygamy himself...
My understanding is that there are clear and radical differences between the FLDS and Centennial Park polygamists and that Warren Jeffs has condemned the latter, who are normally portrayed as being more modern and better educated. Masada K-9 is theirs and the high schoolers in the blog piece are also from that community.
Let me make it clear that most thinking people will recognize that there is a broad range of practices in the polygamy community.
I don't know about anybody else, but my concerns center around the abuses and isolation that can make those abuses difficult to address. I have no problem with a woman, who is educated enough and old enough to know what various choices exist, to choose polygamy. I simply have a problem with it being called a choice, when a woman is denied access to other ideas and then impressed into marriage, uneducated and young. I don't there's any choice involved in the latter situation.
Womankine,
Since you have a problem with young women being denied information about the various life choices they can make, I assume you will be petitioning your local school board for an inclusion of polygamy into their curriculum, much like homosexuality has been introduced in recent years as a valid life choice that high schoolers may consider.
After all, most students are completely brainwashed to believe that monogamy is the only lifestyle they can "choose". The vast majority of Americans are denied access to other ideas and then impressed into monogamy, completely unaware of other options. So the fact that 99.9% of them "choose" monogamy is really no proof at all of any choice involved in the latter situation.
My kids who have had family and sex education classes actually had polygamy covered. They also covered the issue in social studies in relation to Muslims and LDS.
If I lived in an area where there were polygamous families, I would work to see to it that school children from those families would not undergo the kind of teasing and meanness that some have described enduring. That is the whole point of including descriptions of homosexual and polygamist families in school. So that their children will be treated decently and with respect as schoolmates and members of the community.
Ben,
There actually are many public schools that discuss a wide range of life choices, including polygamy.....I'm guessing these schools are not located in 'the bible belt'...but I could be wrong....
And many, many homes discuss wide ranges of life choices that are open to their children...
Well, I don't know about 'many'...I know our home has always had all sorts of discussions and opinions floating...as have the homes of my friends....
The entire world is not as bigoted and biased as a noisy few....
.
.
Ben
They already study Polygamy in Science - Especially how incest in the FLDS groups have created the largest out break of fumarase deficiency in the world..
Which condems the afflicted to a vegetable state..
And what has happened to all these children born after the year 2000.
Hmmmm Yeah, THEY DO need to learn about that..
EVERYBODY DOES..
,
,
My kids are too young to study about polygamy but it will be fine when they do. The main thing is that our schools shouldn't be pushing any lifestyle/marriage choices until students are old enough and mature enough, which means after college or in the 20s.
It's not a matter of schools brainwashing kids into thinking monogamy is all they can "choose", Ben. It the fact that monogamy is the only LEGAL option. Because they marry later, kids are often out from under our parental influence by age 18 and either working or in college. That also often takes them out of their church communities.
When I was in college I knew a couple of people who became Muslim, although their Christian parents weren't happy. One who became a Jew and her parents flipped out. Still more who lived together unmarried although their parents forbade it. If polygamy was attractive to the population-at-large, I believe you would see young people moving that direction.
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