Anyone heard of Suffrage?

Once apon a time I wrote about actual issues that meant something to me on here. Yeah I know I said I was done. Sue me, whatever.

Today while driving to school I was listening to NPR (If you don't know what that is, then shame on you) and they were talking about a trial that is taking place in Utah between a polygamist and one of his wives. He raped the girl when she was 14 and then forced her to marry him, the prosecuting attorney is now bringing out photos of her honeymoon in which she is smiling as evidence that she was happy in the marriage. Sound fishy to anyone else?

First of all, polygamy is a little strange in itself. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a person to judge anyone on their beliefs. It is not my job to tell anyone they're wrong. Personally I'd be bored to tears if we all believed the same damn thing, so I'm glad that there's some crazy ass people out there. But the fact that there are people out there that think its perfectly fine to have 7 or 8 spouses is just a little odd you know? I mean its hard enough to have a normal relationship with one person let alone 5 other people.

I digress.

The prosecuting attorney is forcing this poor girl to re-live the experience of being raped by her second cousin, not to mention a man twice her age. And then they make her sister get on the stand and testify to the fact that she herself was almost forced to marry a man that was 85 years old. These are people that honestly think that women have no right to say no to men. Excuse me if I'm correct, but it is 2007 and not 1777 right? I know I'm repeating myself when I say this, but our ancestors did not work as hard as they did (Margaret Sanger, Elizabeth Stanton) so that we could still live in the dark ages. And then for an issue like this to basically go unnoticed. Its ridiculous people. We need to stop focusing on issues like what Britney Spears is doing to her hair and start focusing on issues like what people are doing to their children and how women are being treated in todays society.

We've come a long way, it is true. But we still have one hell of a fight ahead of us.

Megan