Big Love Isn't Better: Polygamy and Same-Sex Marriage

Chuck Colson

In March, the popular HBO series “Big Love” ended its five-year run. The show about a polygamist household in Utah is as close as the vast majority of Americans will ever get to polygamy.


Or maybe not.


Shockingly, polygamy is on the rise in the West, especially in Muslim enclaves. And there are 30-50 thousand polygamists in the U.S., the vast majority living in Mormon splinter groups.


And despite the rosy picture of polygamy painted by “Big Love,” Rose McDermott, who teaches at Brown University, will tell you that in the real world, polygamy is abusive and exploitative: Women in polygamous communities suffer “higher rates of HIV infection,” increased incidences of domestic violence, and even a higher likelihood of dying in childbirth.

Infants and Indoor Air Pollution

For many new mothers, bringing a baby into the world can be an amazing, and yet terrifying, event. It can be scary due to the overwhelming amount of things that can threaten a child’s life in their first 6 months. The reason for this is that during this period of time a baby is growing and maturing very quickly. One of these parts of the body that is growing very rapidly at this time is the lungs. If you are living in a home with poor indoor air quality and have an infant, it can be very damaging to your child’s health. Records of infant mortality rates in the United States around 2005 indicate that respiratory distress in newborns is the 7th most common cause of death.

Poor indoor air quality as a result of Indoor Air Pollution has been rated one of the top five environmental dangers in regards to human health by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). This is especially the case for individuals with comprised immune systems like that of the elderly and, of course, small children. Poor Indoor Air Quality can be the result of several factors, often thanks to inadequate ventilation due to improper construction of buildings by making them air tight to achieve energy efficiency combined with chemical contaminants, also known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These can be emitted from several common household materials, such as paint or carpeting, resulting in poor IAQ . Some of the VOC’s include carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide and many others. With nitrogen dioxide for example, there have been studies conducted that have shown that exposure can cause bronchitis in asthmatic children. For developing lungs, the precursor to childhood asthma can be triggered by several factors, including poor indoor air quality. Finally, the biological contaminants that contribute to poor indoor air quality include: mold, bacteria, mildew, viruses and pollen. Moisture intrusion and stagnant water are the environments where these contaminants fester the easiest. All the above contaminants can cause poor IAQ, most of which cannot be detected by the naked eye.