Polygamy backer is wrong

I am writing regarding the article "Leader passes out a polygamy primer" (Jan. 9). While the coverage of Senator Ron Allen's distribution of the anti-polygamy book "God's Brothel" is informative, the most gripping parts of the article were the comments from Mary Batchelor, director of pro-polygamy Principle Voices of Harmony. Central to her opinion is the view that the book "is no different than collecting stories of abuse from monogamous marriages and claiming that they represent the entire institution."

Here I must strongly disagree with Ms. Batchelor. Unlike the general monogamous population, polygamists are part of a religious system that preaches subordination and dehumanization of women. A religious group with these kinds of extremely sexist teachings is bound to be abusive toward females, far more than the general population.

Kim Burgess

Salt Lake City