wine and crazy thoughts I probably shouldn't be blogging about

This post...I'm not really sure where I'm going with it. But it's something that might be a little interesting, so here we go.

Sister Wives. You're probably already laughing. I LOVE the show, and have absolutely no idea why. I guess I've always found people interesting. Who they associate with, why they behave the way they do, different cultures, etc. My minor in college was Sociology, and I would've majored in it if my advisor hadn't told me it was a waste of time. That's another story.

One of the first places that forced me to semi-seriously contemplate the subject of polygamy was in class for a Human Rights course I took at App. I think what we discussed could be summed up with this: is it wrong for us to pull people out of their norms, because their "norm" isn't the same as ours? And who defines norms? Something to that extent. It's been four+ years, so that's a sloppy recollection. It really does ring true, though. I do want to make it clear that I draw a line somewhere - this is all in regards to consenting adults. In no way, shape or form do I think forced marriage, sex, etc involving minors is acceptable. That's my personal conviction anyway.

My conclusion here is that I have no problem with polygamists. And I've gotten some shocked looks from people when it comes up (I know you're probably wondering how often does that randomly come up in conversation?). I originally thought that Kody (the husband on Sister Wives) was a self-centered jerk who manipulated four women into worshipping him, but I've changed my tone after watching multiple episodes. I'm going to take it a step beyond that. I can see a few pros to their situation. They have a major support system, and God knows it isn't easy being a wife and mom these days (I speak from experience only regarding the former half of that statement). I'm not going to sign up for the show anytime soon (hah!), but In simple terms, they aren't hurting me or affecting how I live my life. And I'm gonna be honest, I think they value family and marriage way more than a lot of monogamous families do. I do laugh when the jealousy issues arise on Sister Wives because...um, when you're married to someone who you know is sleeping on a regular basis with three other women, that MIGHT be an issue. But also, I'm not here to tell people what they can and cannot do, right? This spills over into a lot of issues. Gay marriage, even. Maybe it boils down to my take on government, and that they should in no way, shape or form be dictating who an adult can or can't "marry." Who defines marriage, anyway? I think marriage is VERY important. But at the same time, a piece of paper defines your lifetime commitment to another person?

And this is what happens when I drink half a bottle of wine and watch Sister Wives on a Sunday night. I welcome your thoughts!