I read an article the other day saying now that gay mariages are being legalized, the next step will be people arguing for multiple marriages. Sure enough, our local online newspaper ran this Letter to the Editor yesterday:
Time to Legalize Bigamy
It’s time to let bigamy be legal in the United States. Who are we to judge if three people want to get married? Or four, or five?
It’s time for these bigamy bigots to get out of the way with their out-of-date moral standards, which are oppressing a free loving people who want the same rights as gay couples.
I imagine at least some Muslims and Mormons will agree with legalizing multiple spouses. What do you think? Do you care one way or another?
December 22, 2013
I care very deeply. My father committed bigamy and got himself alienated from me and my siblings and made my mother’s life a living hell till she could walk out of him after having carried out her maternal duties to the full. I would not like to see a woman go through what she underwent not what my father went through towards the end of his life when his alienated children bar me, would have nothing to do with him when his second wife died.
On the other hand, Muslims and Mormons brought up from childhood to accept this may well disagree and I am willing to accept their freedom of choice, though I do know Muslims with step mothers and siblings who resent the arrangements.
I knew all three people of a marriage where the husband “married” a second wife. The original wife committed suicide. I remember she was depressed & was told to keep busy. She said busy people aren’t happy people.
I like to imagine “the end of the story”. Just thought of this: The wife was clinically depressed. The husband took solace in another woman. To a man this means an affair. In kindness to his poor wife he didn’t divorce her, but included her in his new life. How that for a made-up ending?
Another ending: His wife was depressed because he chased women. He had his two-wife arrangement so he could get more–if you catch my drift. (End of stories. 🙂 )
It certainly doesn’t appeal to me!
In theory, of course, a woman could have more than one husband. A lot of women now are the primary breadwinner, so it might very well happen.
I’m not surprised. A similar thought occurred to me after seeing that much of Utah’s anti-polygamy law had been overturned last week.
A monogamous marriage has enough problems; I can only imagine the potential problems associated with multiple spouses.
I agree! And what a mess for companies giving benefits to spouses.
The same rights as gay couples? I had no idea gay polygamy had been approved. So when did that happen? 🙂
As you and BHB have said, polygamy may be attractive to over-sexed males, but may not be so attractive to the downgraded women who are expected to adapt to it.
It’s only now that gay couples are allowed to marry here. What about where you are?
Again, polygamy doesn’t necessarily mean polygyny, more than one wife. It can also be polyandry, more than one husband. Or maybe a group of men and women would all marry one another? That’s not so farfetched. The idea doesn’t bother me, but I don’t like crowds so wouldn’t be interested.
The number doesn’t matter to me. It’s how people are treated that matters.
I agree.
I’m with Evan, it really doesn’t matter at this point to me.
On the other hand, I wish folk would stop asking/expecting me to find another SO – I am basically happy being single.
Sometimes, when people get on their high-horses over the matter, I being to think that gov’t will legalise that is essential to be attached a SO within a certain time period of one relationship finishing!
Good for you! My best friend never married, and my uncle from time to time would say, “Mary never married, did she?” I finally told him she probably had more sense. He laughed and agreed.
Marriage has worked well for me, and hopefully Andy, but that doesn’t mean individuals can’t have great lives without it.
There was a community in Germany a few decades ago (called zeg) that had completely open relationships among all members of the community. Don’t know if it still exists and if the relationships have lasted.
Apparently we had a lot of hippie communes back in the 60’s, I think. I never knew of anyone who lived in one.