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Posted: 9:34 PM- ST. GEORGE - Polygamous groups, which usually shun media attention, stepped into the spotlight today to talk about their lives.
About 200 people attended the annual conference presented by the Utah-Arizona Safety Net Committee in St. George to hear from separate panels representing the polygamous community, news media, social service providers and law enforcement.
Anne Wilde with the polygamy advocate group, Principle Voices, said "fundamentalist Mormons" represent a wide diversity of beliefs, and should not be lumped together with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The FLDS have been generating headlines over the past year with the conviction of its leader Warren Jeffs on sex counts and raid of an FLDS ranch in Texas and the removal of more than 400 children from the ranch.
But that should not be the broad brush to paint all polygamists, Wilde said.
"We're not the same across the board," she said.
She said the FLDS, the Apostolic United Brethren, Davis County Co-Op, Centennial Park and independent groups account for about 35,000 polygamists in Utah that Wilde refers to as fundamentalist Mormons.
Members of the polygamous group panel talked about coming from loving families that frown on child abuse, arranged marriages and welfare fraud.
They said because plural marriage in Utah and Arizona is a felony, people in polygamous communities or households are shy about giving interviews, fearing they might end up in jail.
If an interview is granted, Wilde said reporters should not ask about the number of wives and children or inquire about details of intimacy among spouses.
Christine Brown, a member of the Apostolic United Brethren, said she decided to speak on the panel for the children of plural marriage.
"They deserve acceptance and understanding," she said "I want to open society's eyes."
She commented on the power of the press and how when interviewing those who practice plural marriage reporters should be fair in representing the people's beliefs and lives.
Reporter Ben Winslow, who covers polygamy for the Deseret Morning News and sat on the news media panel, said he strives for fairness, but is often frustrated in getting a balanced story by the reticence of most polygamists to speak.
"In my experience the biggest frustration is people not talking," said Winslow. "Its hard to demonize you if you're talking to us . . . No comment is a comment."
Mike Watkiss, a Phoenix television reporter who has aggressively been pursuing the polygamy story for more than a decade, described the residents of the twin towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., as decent people.
"Its a society trademark that they are peaceful," said Watkiss, adding he is not interested in grilling children or "good" people. He said he wants to go after the perpetrators of arranged marriages, sex abuse and welfare fraud.
"As long as those guys are around, I'm going to be in your face," he said.
Speakers from nonprofit social service groups said that many children they deal with have little or no education and suffer emotional problems.
Michelle Bernard, who started New Frontiers for Families two years ago to help young people from polygamous communities, said dealing with the news media was a two-edged sword.
While news stories can increase contributions, interviews with young people can cause them emotional distress.
"When you're in survival mode, telling your story is not the best thing to do, but these kids do."
She said many of the children she helps have been torn by watching images of the raid on the FLDS ranch in Texas. The raid has "broken many hearts, she said.
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