Most of the people visiting Tapestry of Monogamy fall into one of two groups.
There are the humorless, thin-skinned people who just don't get it. They probably can't get it. This is sad, made sadder by the fact that if you're in that group you're probably all worked up now for no good reason. Although it may be futile, I'll state what should be obvious: Tapestry of Monogamy is a parody. A parody. It's not a political or social advocacy site. It's a needle in a balloon.
Then there are normal folks. You make up the bulk of the people visiting this site, and of those commenting on it. I hear your belly laughs as you compliment Tapestry of Monogamy. Thank you! Keep humoring folks in the first group, and keep sending me those thumbs ups. I need them while I put up with a little storm kicked up by people that smarter people should have had the sense to ignore. Which brings me to the next point, which involves something a number of people have asked about.
A lot of people are wondering what's up with that Deseret News story (the dreadful one that spun Tapestry of Monogamy as being something an "official" of the government put up: http://web.archive.org/web/20031225164547/http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,275009958,00.html). Yes, the University of Utah did close my account there immediately after Tapestry of Polygamy / Tapestry Against Polygamy / whatever they're calling themselves now's webmaster complained. However, after having spoken with people at the U of U, I guarantee you that this shutdown had nothing to do with the content of the Tapestry of Monogamy site. It happened because when the systems people at the U looked at the site, they realized the account belonged to someone who had already left the University (me), and so should have lost access. Consequently, they closed the account. (But they loved the web site.)
Is Tapestry of Monogamy violating copyright law? Not even close. Tapestry of Monogamy is a parody. As such, it incorporates elements of its target. All parody does that, or it wouldn't be parody and wouldn't accomplish its purpose. This hogwash from Tapestry of Polygamy / Tapestry Against Polygamy / whatever they're calling themselves now's webmaster about parody sites needing to expressly identify themselves as parody and also link back to the original is ludicrous. Tapestry of Monogamy is obviously parody. That's clear to everyone except the few people who wouldn't get it even with a label stamped on top. I'm not going to insult your intelligence by including such a futile label for those few people. Anyone who wants to find Tapestry of Polygamy / Tapestry Against Polygamy / whatever they're calling themselves now's web site can do a Google search, include words like "overwrought" and "hate group," and it should come right up. If you want to see an archival version of the subject of this fine parody, it's at http://web.archive.org/web/20010517010950/http://www.polygamy.org/.
Does Tapestry of Monogamy in any way reflect or affect any official view of polygamy? Of course not.
Nothing in all of American politics and law is more important than the First Amendment. The ability to critique public officials, to freely challenge the powerful, to question those trying to change society is the bulwark of our liberty. With it, there can be informed, democratic participation. Without it, there cannot be. We are either a nation where the people discuss and decide, or a nation of sheep.
Of course, people don't like to be criticized. Public officials, interest groups, and others who have some weight to throw around will certainly use it to stifle social comment they don't like. Such actions must be resisted. Some of the wisest words ever spoken in America came several decades ago from Justice Brandeis: "Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding."
Tapestry of Monogamy isn't even political, social, or legal advocacy. It's just parody of some people who take themselves way too seriously. Still, some misguided souls are after Tapestry of Monogamy. After a day or two of hiding in a hole, I remembered Justice Brandeis' words and climbed back out. That's why Tapestry of Monogamy is back up. Out of deference to my employer I won't take affirmative efforts to publicize the site. However, Tapestry of Polygamy / Tapestry Against Polygamy / whatever they're calling themselves now wants blood, and Vicki and Ralph, I'm not into running or bleeding. Tapestry of Monogamy will stay up! And it'll stay up until it becomes boring.
Here's how you can contact me. The best way is to e-mail me at wake@xmission.com.
If you cannot use e-mail software from your location, use this form.
Uploaded from my PowerBook on June 9, 2001.
I'd meant to let this page go archival, but here's an addition that is just too entertaining to overlook:
On June 6, 2006, Director Vicki (is there really anyone else at Tapestry?) issued a press release announcing to the world that "TAPESTRY AGAINST POLYGAMY DENOUNCES SENATOR HATCH & LDS CHURCH TYING MARRIAGE AMENDMENT KNOT: UTAH MARRIAGE HYPOCRISY STRIKES OUT AGAIN." It didn't get much more coherent than that, but in a long diatribe against the LDS church, the scriptures, national political leaders, and just about everyone else she could think of, Vicki declared that "Utah LDS state leaders are in-the-closet polygamists." She also called LDS Apostle Russell Nelson a "serial polygamist" for marrying again after his first wife's death, even though she denied there is such a thing as eternal marriage (logic has never been Tapestry's strong suite). Bemoaning the nationwide "social epidemic" of polygamy, she accused Senator Orrin Hatch of being one of the "gravest enablers of polygamy." Who knew? What is really happening here is that state and national political leaders eventually heard enough from Vicki to determine both how rational she is, and how many people she represents, and ever since then they've been running the other way (and she can't bear the lack of attention).