Posted on 11/21/2006 1:36:33 PM PST by presidio9
In her battle to legalize polygamy, the only thing Valerie hasn't revealed is her last name. The mother of eight has been on national TV; her photo along with that of her two "sister-wives" has graced the front cover of a glossy magazine dedicated to "today's plural marriages."
She has been prodded about her sex life: "He rotates. It's easy -- just one, two, three." Quizzed about her decision to share a husband with two other women: "You really have a good frame of reference when you marry a man who already has two wives." Interrogated about what it's like to live in a house with 21 children: "Remodeling a kitchen, that's no small feat with three wives and a husband involved."
All the while, the petite brunette with a smile as bright as Utah's sky has insisted that she's just like you and me: "I'm a soccer mom. My kids are in music lessons. They go to public school. I'm not under anyone's control."
Valerie and others among the estimated 40,000 men, women and children in polygamous communities are part of a new movement to decriminalize bigamy. Consciously taking tactics from the gay-rights movement, polygamists have reframed their struggle, choosing in interviews to de-emphasize their religious beliefs and focus on their desire to live "in freedom," according to Anne Wilde, director of community relations for Principle Voices, a pro-polygamy group based in Salt Lake.
In recent months, polygamy activists have held rallies, appeared on nationally televised news shows and lobbied legislators. Before the Nov. 7 elections, one pro-polygamy group issued a six-page analysis of all Utah's state and local candidates and their views on polygamy. "We can make a difference," the
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Societies with large numbers of unattached males also tend toward higher amounts of violence and discord. Polygamy skews male choice toward younger and younger wives as the amount of women get scarce - witness Mohammed marrying that 9-year-old, for instance - and by definition, many men will be left unwed, childless, and without families. Go ahead and tell me that's a good thing for society. For women, the argument might be made that they can choose the most powerful and affluent men to bond with, but in reality, it appears that societies which allow polygamy have far fewer rights for women than monogamous societies; maybe it has something to do with getting snatched up by men at very young ages.
In any case, I already see how well things are among children in my classroom after society has been experimenting with family structure. Those with mother-father households tend to do well; those with some kind of mix tend to be a little messed up; those without a father at all are often basket cases. Not all, of course; there are exceptions.
I look at this article as just another slip down the slope of social decay. After polygamy, the next step will be allowing sex between teenagers and adults. The step after that is really too awful to contemplate.
Can anyone tell me the advantages of polygamy over: a) the "serial" polygamy of one spouse at a time, with no legal limit on the number one may marry in a lifetime; and b) non-marital domestic relationships of every sort?
As it is, people are "living together," and breaking up and rearranging with others, all the time. People are marrying and divorcing and remarrying. What exactly would attract anyone to concurrent marriages instead of the existing options?
While we're at it, let us contemplate what the legal relationship would be between/among multiple wives, and between/among multiple husbands. How would the law define the "other" pair/s in a union of three or more? What would be the rights and responsibilities they had with respect to each other?
Somehow I don't think the law would adjust to that very readily.
That's two masters. Don't say nuttin' 'bout two mistresses, though!
How is that different from inner-city thugs having multiple kids with multiple women that they're not married to? Who also constitute a growing population that hates middle-class America? It's already here
Seems like that is the main draw to having more than one wife. Unless anyone can give a better reason.
Most Arab men are monogamous, because marriage is expensive. It costs a lot of money to buy & keep one wife, let alone four.
Under Islamic law, a man has to provide equally for all his wives. This is nothing to an oil shiek, who obviously has the money, or a Bedouin, who simply would pitch another tent. But to a middle-class Arab, it is financial suicide.
In Saudi Arabia, as well as other Arab/Muslim countries, it is generally just the sheiks or the Bedouins with multiple wives. Unfortunately, this can create an equity problem, where some guys get all the girls, and the rest are frustrated.
Muslims women say the same thing, but then again, they're brainwashed, too.
Do you know anything about how welfare works?
I like that ! Very humorous!
There's stories of pain all over the web, but I guess if you weren't really in love with the guy who you were semi-forced to marry, it woudn't be nearly as painful as if you were deeply in love with him.
Gain a "sister" for sharing a husband? blech
well, that's not really what is going on in Utah, is it? Many of those children are on welfare.
Actually, some Muslim women do speak out about how painful it is to be a first wife.
This is a veiled hit piece on Mitt Romney. Mormonism in many people's minds is associated with polygamy, even though Mormons banned the practice many years ago.
Yes, polygamy has been the norm in many societies if only because extremely wealthy and powerful men make it so.
Obviously, you don't know how welfare works. IT IS A GIVEN. Google: Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Arizona. The shenanigans of these bozos are giving the state fits. You can take that to the bank.
Show me a married man who says he is master of his household and I'll show you a man who lies about other things too.
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