Today I presented my theory about polygamy, as a cause of human rights violations. I think it was very well recieved. My arguments were airtight and they sparked a very spirited debate. I was able to identify certain sticking points in my theory and figure out a better way to keep things in order. My lecture was very lively and the audience was completely engaged. I encountered the usual snags with the ubiquitous libertarians, but those folks couldn't shake my argument. Some didn't believe certain points, but my points are painstakingly and logically coherent and the libertarian who was determined to hold out against me ended up actively struggling to dream up an example of polygamy that would not endanger anyone's human rights, but I shut down every attempt he made until he just kept repeating himself. He'd brought a pea shooter to a shotgun fight.

There was a poli-sci senior there who was pretty sharp. He challenged me quite a bit, but it was exactly how a good debate plays out among pros. By challenging me, he was able to draw out all of my best arguments and in the end, we only disagreed because he was coming from a slightly different frame of reference, theoretically. To him, getting these ideas past the general public is a major concern, but for me, I'm going for the academic audience. I have to worry about convincing people with large amounts of academic experience. It's almost impossible to please both crowds. But I think I have the academic end sewed up elegantly.

I just have to work on a few rough edges. I've been turning this over in my mind for decades and writing arguments over and over and over again. Delivering it as a lecture was a bit awkward until I got warmed up, and then I was on fire. I'll be giving a lot more of these lectures and I've got students dying to get in on it. What I have is completely new to this community. I'm the only person in the world who is doing this kind of work.

I got my free pizza dinner and tons of discussion afterward. That's my compensation. I can't wait until the next lecture.

I'd like to do this for the Utah exmo community as soon as we can schedule it. The more people who hear about this, the better. For people who oppose polygamy for its abuses, I've got lots of beautiful conceptual tools. It's time for a nice exmo think-in! I'd also like to expand beyond SLC if I can get people to help me get around since I don't have a car these days.

May other opportunities to share your well-researched talk soon follow!

I'm glad it went so well.

May I recommend that you contact Daphne Bramham of the Vancouver Sun, who has written extensively about the Canadian polygamy community in Bountiful, BC, from where brides are exchanged with those from Hilldale and Colorado City. Here is a link where she presents the findings of noted Canadian scholar Joseph Henrich, filed in B.C. Supreme Court on July 10, 2010, who finds polygamy to be harmful:

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Polygamy+harmful+society+scholar+finds/3290757/story.html

She wrote the book "The Secret Lives of Saints: The Child Brides and Lost Boys in Canada's Polygamous Mormon Sect."

it sounds like you did a great job. I'd love to hear or see some of what you did.