Stepping Up

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

And so it begins:

Kody Brown is a proud polygamist, and a relatively famous one. Now Mr. Brown, his four wives and 16 children and stepchildren are going to court to keep from being punished for it.

The family is the focus of a reality TV show, “Sister Wives,” that first appeared in 2010. Law enforcement officials in the Browns’ home state, Utah, announced soon after the show began that the family was under investigation for violating the state law prohibiting polygamy.

On Wednesday, the Browns are expected to file a lawsuit to challenge the polygamy law.

The lawsuit is not demanding that states recognize polygamous marriage. Instead, the lawsuit builds on a 2003 United States Supreme Court decision, Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down state sodomy laws as unconstitutional intrusions on the “intimate conduct” of consenting adults.

I'm in favor of gay marriage for the same reason I'm in favor of legal polygamy, legalized adult incest, and all the rest - the state really shouldn't be telling anyone else who they can and cannot be in a recognized relationship with, full stop. Unfortunately, I've found that many who agree with gay marriage do not feel the same way about these other types of adult relationships.

Why is it that "equal marriage" only exists for many when it deals with their idea of reality? Should hardcore advocates of gay marriage be lining up behind the Brown family in solidarity and support of their situation? If you believe the US Constitution allows for, if not outright mandates, gay marriage, do you feel the same way here?

Comments

[harry-beast.livejournal.com]

Imbalances in birth ratios have been noted in some countries, e.g. China, and some specific communities in other parts of the world, where gender selection has become an option. I think it's too early to predict the impact on the treatment of women.
Still, closer examination of the argument raises some interesting questions. For example, it seems that the government is attempting to balance out supply and demand for wives. This is flagrant interference in the free market. Plus, it's a bit weird. Also, the argument makes assumptions about how polygamy will affect the values that society will adopt in the future. Shouldn't the government respect the will of the people in this time frame? It's something to think about.

[majortom-thecat.livejournal.com]

Assuming that wives are a commodity on the "free market"...

[harry-beast.livejournal.com]

In some cultures, women may be pressured or forced into marriage. I can't really comment about that. In my own culture, women are not commodities; they are active participants in the process.
Women put themselves on the marriage market or decline to take part. They evaluate offers of marriage and accept the one that maximizes the net present value of the utility they expect to derive from the proposal. If market clearing conditions do not exist, they do not proceed.