Brigham Young University is operated by the Church of Latter Day Saints, or commonly known as Mormons. If you are a woman, you might consider choosing another college. Several young women have reported instances of sexual assault. Instead of receiving support from the institution, they have been chastised by university authorities.

Take the case of “Brooke.” She told the university that she had been raped after taking a hallucinogenic drug. She has subsequently been expelled and the young men involved have not received any form of punishment.

“He started, like, touching me and stuff, so I tried to get up and leave. And then, right when I was leaving, two other guys came in and grabbed me and were like, ‘You can’t leave.’ And then they shut the door and locked it,” Brooke said.

BYU stands by its policy of prohibiting the use of drugs or alcohol, and forbidding premarital sex.

Brooke, who does not want her last name made public, alleges that all three men “did stuff” to her. “Then the other two left, and it was just the main guy, and basically over the course of the next 45 minutes, in different ways, he raped me,” she said.

Brooke’s case is only one of many, and it is not uncommon throughout our nation’s universities. Fearing repercussions, young women across the nation often make the decision not to report instances of sexual assault.

Women have been treated as second-class citizens for generations. Men are treated differently than women in the workplace, at universities, and in the military.

Earlier this week Nevada observed “Denim Day.” Everyone was encouraged to wear jeans and other clothing made from denim. The day was the idea of Governor Brian Sandoval’s wife, Kathleen, who sought a way for Nevadans to be more aware of sexual assault against women. The incident which sparked her proposal was a case in Italy. A young woman was raped. During the trial, the judge dismissed the case. He decreed that the attack was the fault of the woman; she had been wearing jeans which were “too tight.”

In our male dominated society, this is an attitude embraced by far too many. Women continue to be “sex objects” in the 21^st century.

As a man who has supported women’s rights for all of his nearly 70 years, I am appalled that attitudes have not dramatically changed during my lifetime.

Whether or not you support Hillary Clinton in 2016, the truth is that our country will benefit from having a woman as our president, this year or in the near future. For 240 years most of our presidents have failed to create a nation where equality exists for all of our nation’s people. Women continue to be disrespected in our society. Our Congress refuses to pass legislation which would force the business world to pay women an equal wage comparable to their male counterparts. On the reverse side the right wing seeks control over a woman’s decision regarding her own body. They use religion as their foundation, although our founding father’s intention was obviously to separate church and state; simply read the first amendment.

BYU is an example of what is wrong with religion, and why clear thinking men and women are refusing to be associated with these cults.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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Photo Courtesy of Victor Björkund

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