Let's start with the polygamy story in Texas. First of all, I don't want to criticize these people, because many of them don't know any different. I say "don't know different," not "don't know better," because this has been their lifestyle for generations. This is how they were brought up, how their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were brought up.
I just don't understand how girls that young have to be "baby factories." New developments in the case this week showed that out of 53 girls, between ages 14 and 17, 31 of them had been, or are currently pregnant.
GOOD LORD!!
When I was between 14 and 17, I was enjoying high school, playing basketball and softball at St. Joseph Academy in St. Augustine, Florida and starting my first job. That was at Golden Corral in Palatka (great job, by the way).
I didn't have my first child until I was 28, and if all goes well, I'll have my second child in a few weeks, at age 31. I chose to wait that long, because it's a choice. Had other things to do first, I guess... college, marriage, get my career going... I could have chosen to have children earlier, but this was how it worked out for me.
I just feel so bad this is how they are taught their lives have to be. This is their duty, to bear children, over and over, starting at such an early age. They don't know any different because that's how they've been brought up, and that's how their parents and grandparents were brought up, too.
Now, I am not one to criticize another person's religion. I am Catholic, and there are some misunderstandings about my religion, so I've had some people ask me why we pray to idols and worship saints, the Pope, etc... when we should be praying directly to God. (That's a topic for another post.)
What I'm saying is, there are questions about my religion. There are questions about other religions... I feel bad for Mormons who have people ask them all the time why their church allows this, when they split off from these fundamentalist sects several hundred years ago.
But polygamy -- why does this continue to exist?
The next story that has me saying "seriously???" The shark attack, off the California coast.
A great white killed a triathlete named David Martin. This is a very unfortunate story, and Martin no doubt suffered a great deal of pain in the attack.
