CourtTV News
November 13, 2007
CourtTV News
On November 13, 2007, Mark Henkel, the Founder of the TruthBearer.org organization, again appeared as an on-air guest on the pay network CourtTV's satellite radio news talk show, Court TV Morning with Vinnie Politan. Filling in for the host was MIchel bryant, Court TV's trial correspondent. Mr. Henkel had peviously been on this show when Mr. Bryant had been filling in for Mr. Politan before, as well.
Mr. Henkel was there to provide a national perspective in the then-current trial of Warren Jeffs, whose sentencing for his conviction in Utah was scheduled for the following week.
The discussion was excellent and went very well. Mr. Bryant made it very clear that Mr. Henkel, the TruthBearer.org organization, and the national movement was not in any way connected to, or in support of, Warren Jeffs. Michel Bryant stated, "I just want to make sure we aren't connecting you to Warren Jeffs." To that, Mark Henkel replied, "Absolutely. We're talking about consenting-adults. We're a national movement, long before the Tom Green and Warren Jeffs came on the scene and started dominating [news]. And the media tries to manufacture news that suggests all polygamy is defined by them, and they're just local Mormon Polygamy sects out in their little area, but they do not represent the national movement of consenting-adults around the country."
Later, Mr. Bryant, asked, "Let me ask you, Mark. Do you think you're getting some slop-over bad press because polygamy is an aspect of the FLDS?" Mr. Henkel responded, Yes, we do believe that the manufactured news outlets that aren't really - they're not really reporting the news but are actually manufacturing the news, because every time you hear Warren Jeffs referred to as 'polygamist leader' - especially in this particular trial, polygamy wasn't even involved. It was incest, underaged, and arranged marriage. But he wasn't called an 'incest leader.' He wasn't called an 'arranged marriage leader.' He wasn't called an 'underaged marriage leader.' He was called a 'polygamist leader.' And the fact is, he's just a local little guy down in Utah. He has more in common with Mormons, and the LDS leaders, even Mitt Romney, anybody who believes in Mormonism, he has more in common with them than normal pro-polygamists around the country. And yet the media did not establish that we - or report that as often as they should have - we issued a national press releases, that the national polygamy rights movement for consenting-adults has always opposed that little guy, in that little tiny area of Utah, and he does not represent the larger world."
After Mr. Bryant acknowledged how even Court TV had called Warren Jeffs a "polygamist leader," Mr. Henkel positively communicated his understanding and then further explained how using that "description" would be acceptable if made with an appropriate caveat. "Just like if you had some little sect you called Jonestown and you called Jim Jones a 'Christian leader' - though he really wasn't, he was one tiny little sect - the same thing with Warren Jeffs. Frequently, you hear the caveat about how the mainstream LDS has rejected polygamy and all that business. You'll hear that like it's a warning - like on tobacco on cigarrettes, or something. You know, the Mormon Warning: 'Mormons do not believe in polygamy' - over and over and over. That same type of caveat should have been established every single time Warren Jeffs was called that [i.e., 'polygamist leader'] , it should have also said that 'the National Polygamy Movement has always opposed Warren Jeffs.' That sentence should have been said every single time he was was called that, and then it would have been fine."
Near the end, after a caller raised a question about polygamy and communes, Mr. Henkel offered the following response: "Polygamy is not about communes. In fact, actually, we're most conservative, we're actually anti-communist. The idea of polygamy being represented by compounds and communes is another media-manufactured job. There may be some little group like the FLDS or others that turn themselves into a commune or a group, that's one example. But you wouldn't define and say all Christianity is a commune because of say, Jim Jones in Guyana and all that suicide cult. The bottom line is that individuals across the country are living in the cities and suburbs as polygamous families and have nothing to do with communes or any of the other manufactured concepts from the media."
Undoubtedly, the interview went very well indeed. These above quotes are just a few quick samples of the appearance.
So that polygamy rights supporters may hear this entire interview with all its quotes, an audio-recording of this interview is freely available in the TruthBearer.org Members Area. (For anyone who is not yet a member, simply JOIN TODAY!, and then you may hear it right after you log in!)
Both Mr. Henkel and the entire TruthBearer.org organization are grateful to both "CourtTV Morning with Vinnie Politan" and Michel Bryant for providing the opportunity to let the real issues about polygamy to be presented.
The entire TruthBearer.org organization is grateful indeed.
Also See:
TruthBearer.org
Media [Directory]
Court TV
February 14, 2007 - Bloom & Politan: OPEN COURT [Entire Transcript]
September 20, 2007 - Bloom & Politan: OPEN COURT [Members, Hear it online]
September 20, 2007 - Jami Floyd: BEST DEFENSE [Members, Hear it online]
September 21, 2007 - Jami Floyd: BEST DEFENSE [Members, Hear it online]
September 24, 2007 - CourtTV.com Online Chat Guest
September 26, 2007 - Jami Floyd: BEST DEFENSE [Members, Hear it online]
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