This is half of an episode of the Tyra Banks show. I found it while meandering through youtube. You should watch all four parts, seriously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq_YMzx3M10&feature=related Part One
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJZBviaMfE4&feature=relmfu Part Two
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6olZPwc68xU&feature=relmfu Part Three
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbDLoh7bEVM&feature=relmfu Part Four

         After I finished watching these all I could think was “holy shit.” There really was no eloquent way to put my shock. This girl was fifteen years old, she was engaged to an eighteen year old boy. By the way, that’s pedophilia, and he needs to be registered as a sex offender. Kaitlin/Katelyn/whatever’s mom was promoting that relationship. He was living under her mom’s roof with her, and they slept in the same bed! Which would inevitably lead to sex, which as said by Kaitlin/Katelyn/whatever they took part in twice a day everyday.

          

          This video made me think back to the interview with Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu we watched in class. He was talking about how wrong child marriage is, and how he was fighting to stop it in South Africa. And this little girl, Kaitlin/Katelyn/whatever, was so willing to throw that right to enjoy the innocence and freedom of her youth away for some equally as naive boy. She was even trying to get pregnant. Like having a kid would make everything better. The fertility drugs she was taking to try and make that baby happen probably destroyed her body so she won’t even be able to have a kid when she’s ready. Little girls all over the world are fighting for the rights of age restriction on marriage, and making their husbands wear condoms or using birth control. This girl was like “Nope, we’re going to get married and love each other forever and ever and EVER.” When she could barely use proper grammar. It was frustrating after watching all those people die for their daughter’s innocence, to see this girl throw away all of that. She didn’t even realize the privilege she had in choosing to get married. Because if she did, if she was half as mature as she was saying she was, she wouldn’t have accepted that proposal.
          In the end you find out she doesn’t have a Dad. Which is absolutely not a reason to consider getting married at fifteen. I don’t care if your entire family is dead and you’re being raised by a fox. Getting married at fifteen doesn’t happen. Some people don’t have a choice, that doesn’t mean you should take advantage of yours and do something stupid.

~Margaret