Various Mormon splinter groups practice polygyny and the results don't look pretty. Generally, the high-status, older men are the ones with multiple wives. They get their pick of the community's women. Because the sex balance in their age cohort is close to 50-50, they marry women who are younger than themselves -- down to girls in their teens.

Girls in these communities are raised to be the chattel of older men. They are sometimes coerced into marriages that they do not want. The other ones who get the shaft are boys and young men. Because the older men have dipped into the pool of marriageable young women, there simply aren't enough to to around. These poor guys are viewed as surplus. A good many of them are kicked out of their communities as teenagers to fend for themselves. On top of the trauma of being rejected by their families, they've been raised in isolation with the mind-f*ck that they need to have multiple wives to get into heaven. They are literally lost boys.

And how do these men support massive families with non-working wives? Welfare.

It will soon fade away and everyone will move on to the next big thing.

Today in South Dakota, tomorrow in the rest of the United States.

That the bill doesn't include any exceptions for rape, incest, or maternal health shows that its real motive is control of women.

I'm not surprised that the relatively unknown Arakawa won the gold medal in women's figure skating. She wasn't under nearly as much pressure as Slutskaya, Cohen, or the other high profile competitors. Great Things were expected of these anointed ones, and these expectations were further inflated by the overblown media coverage. Cameras and reporters followed them everywhere but the ladies room. No wonder they got rattled when it counted. If they'd been given some breathing space, I think they'd have competed better.

Yes, the media blitz is an expected part of competing at this elite level and it's something that top athletes just have to learn to deal with. But enough is enough. It has reached the point where it's interfering with athletic performances and it's time to back off.

I'd far rather watch coverage of actual competitions (this is why we have the Olympics in the first place!) than the lame interviews, the endless stalking of athletes in locker rooms, and the close-ups of groin injuries which pass for covering the Olympics these days. Bring back the sports!

It would also have been nice if NBC had showed athletes from countries other than the United States, but I guess that's too much to ask for.

I wouldn't give up on your boyfriend and his family yet. Just because his family is bigoted doesn't mean that he is; many people consciously reject that part of their upbringing. And prejudiced people can change their views; I've seen it among my own relatives. Perhaps they need a little dose of reality. For instance, the 16-year old who made the nasty comment about rape victims is probably parroting what he heard someone else say and may not have thought much about the issue. He is speaking out of ignorance and immaturity. Talking to him privately and explaining the situation would help to enlighten him.

As for the relatives who make racist and homophobic remarks, take them on the side and calmly but firmly let them know that you find their remarks offensive and ask them to restrain themselves around you. Both you and your boyfriend need to do this consistently. He needs to back you up because they will do things for him as a family member that they wouldn't do for you. Establish your boundaries now and remind them gently if they continue to say nasty things around you. Don't pick fights with them, but don't let yourself be pushed around, either. It may take a while, but they can be trained to at least not spout off around you.

However, I would not rush into marrying this guy, either. Wait to see if your combined approach to his relatives bears fruit and if his family is basically decent apart from their prejudices. The family comes along for the ride when you marry someone. Even if you live far away and have limited contact, you will still have to deal with them on some level. If you really can't stand his family and they don't respect you or your point of view, you will need to think seriously about whether the marriage is worth it. And if he is not willing to support you, I wouldn't marry him.

You're thinking of domestic turkeys. Wild turkeys can fly and they're tough and fairly smart. I've heard that they are pretty challenging to hunt.

I'm not wild about the anti-abortion movement, but they have a right to free speech and assembly. (Yes, even if they say things that Broadsheet editors don't like.) I've long thought it was dubious to single them out under the RICO laws. This decision prevents these laws from being used against any group, which is why it was supported by organized labor and various liberal organizations.

Protesters with fetus posters aren't the really dangerous ones -- it's the anti-abortion terrorists who kill doctors and bomb Planned Parenthood clinics. The Justice Department should be doing much more to crack down on the violent fringe of the anti-abortion movement and the Patriot Act gives them the tools to do it. But given the current administration's pandering to the wing nuts and its utter indifference to women's health and rights, I'm not holding my breath.