I have been grappling for several days with how to succinctly capture the sentiments I have heard fom my friends in the FLDS community concerning the public dissemination of some of Warren Jeffs writings. The emotions are so big, and so deep, I have felt unqualified. I have felt as though I wouldn't be able to do justice to the depth of the feelings people are experiencing.
I don't want to comment on the legality of the search warrants, or how the papers were gotten. That is for the lawyers and courts. The reality is, no matter the decision of the courts, the papers are "out there", and no one can take them out of the minds and hearts of those who have read them. If nothing else, the jury pool has been forever tainted. They have read the private writings, out of context, of the leader of this group of people.
I've read some of the comments being made by the naysayers, trolls, and critics. They say the FLDS should read these papers. That it will show them a side of their prophet they do not know. They say the papers are "proof" of Warren Jeffs' bad character, etc. These are the same people who lapped up the contents of Merrianne's diary when her ad litem made them public. The private writings of a young lady in love. These are the people who thrive on the salacious, and can find it wherever they go.
Some of the open minded individuals involved in the dialogue say they welcome the comments and explanations about the writings, from the members of the FLDS community, from those persons who know Warren Jeffs and can put the statements and thoughts into context. Most of these people are well meaning, albeit naive about the character of the people in the community.
So....as I was struggling with how to approach this, Pliggy wrote a comment to another post. It comes as close as anyone has thus far, to capturing what was so ellusive for me.
"It is a matter of dignity. Those writing are personal and private, and the fact that they are public on any blog is deeply disturbing. Just imagine your good father writing everything he thought about your mother and siblings on a personal basis becoming public because the government raided his bedroom. Tell me you would dignify anyone who discussed it with your comments. I would never "listen to her reason it is newsworthy" I couldn't care less."
The reaction of the FLDS community has nothing, what so ever, to do with content. The content actually held no real surprises. Everyone was well aware of the almost compulsively organized aspect of Warren Jeffs personality. Everyone is aware of how detail oriented he is. This is a man who's life and habits have been very public within the community for as long as most can remember. The fact that the minutia of his daily life was chronicled is not shocking.
The fact that it has been made public, for all of the voyeurs of the salacious to pore over, is what is disturbing. That it feeds the trolls is disturbing. That it puts the day when peace and quiet can return that much further away is disturbing.
For so many reasons, the FLDS are a very private people. Even within their own community. People are quiet and private. They spend much of their time in "prayer through activity", and in reflection and giving glory to God, through work and family life. They do not spend time chit chatting with each other, about each other. There is a tremendous respect for one another's privacy. There is a true and much practiced belief that God is our judge, not each other. And a firm belief that we are all human and therefore all sinners and the old adage of "people who live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones" is exemplified in their daily lives of respect and non-intrusion. And none of this is to say they don't interact with one another. Or to say there aren't friendships and socializing. Because there is. On the other hand, they have worked hard, and continue to do so, at eliminating that 'nosy parker' aspect of life we humans are often so fond of.
It serves no purpose save to put people at odds with one another.
By prying into the private thinking, completely absent context, and with no opportunity for explanation, of Warren Jeffs, we show abject disrespect for his community, for his people, and for their right to privacy concerning their religious leader and his thoughts.
I don't know if I have even begun to give a working understanding of the intense emotions being felt. I hope I have. I hope others will expand this. I hope others will use this as a starting point for thinking about, and maybe discussing, how we as humans often cross lines we should not cross. How some things simply are none of our business. We each are entitled to privacy of thought.
9 years ago
