McCain presidential campaign staffer Chad Workman's comments comparing Mormon treatment of women as being similar to the radical Taliban is so backwards and bigoted it is hard to fashion a response. Senator McCain was not only correct in apologizing for Mr. Workman's comments, but it is hard to imagine that McCain could even conjure up such an image given his own personal experience with a large Mormon constituency. Perhaps Workman should ask Mormon "women" like prominent conservative Bay Buchanan how she feels before putting another five toes in his mouth. But Bay Buchanan is not the only Mormon woman who should take offense at such remarks. Most of the world has little knowledge of the history of the Mormon faith and women, but a little history lesson is certainly needed in this bigoted and uninformed world.

To begin, the basis of most of the bigoted "insight" about Mormon women comes from the long-ago abandoned practice of polygamy by early Mormon pioneers. What is left out of most commentaries is that the practice was one of faith and obedience by both men and women. It takes a lot of work to make a polygamous marriage work - from both sides. Take a quick look at HBO's Big Love and you will get only a fractional sample of how difficult it is on both sexes.

Contrary to popular bigoted belief, Mormon women were not enslaved and forced against their wills to come thousands of miles across America to settle in the western desert. When they arrived, they were not escaping in droves to find refuge in the arms of the Federalist government's Troops that had been dispatched by the President of the United States to rescue them. In fact, the opposite was true. They believed in the religious principle and participated in peace. The Troops learned that fact once they arrived in Salt Lake City and were resisted just as strongly by the women as the men.

Perhaps to those not of the Mormon faith, such a belief and practice seems unusual, but it is a fact of history. Some may deduce that they were brainwashed, but ask any of Brigham Young's thirty plus wives how much control he had over his wives and you would soon realize that Brigham Young was working overtime just to keep the peace between them all. With the exception of one wife who left of her own free will, the others stayed by his side until the end. Maybe they were crazy in love or maybe they just believed that was what God wanted them to do, but to say that Brigham Young treated them like the Taliban treated women in Afghanistan is an outrageous misrepresentation of fact.

Indeed, in 1870 when "enlightened" women in the east were begging for a chance to vote and own property, more than 17,000 Mormon women in the west were given full rights of citizenship, including the right to own property. (Note: in 1888 the U.S. Congress removed these rights as it was inconsistent with the rest of the United States. The rights were restored in 1891 by a vote of Mormon males.) Perhaps Mr. Workman should read fewer comic books and more history.

In the mid-1800's, Joseph Smith organized one of the world's largest, and now one of the oldest, exclusively women organizations called the Relief Society that still functions today. It is run by a woman president who has her own counselors and a membership of millions of women -- and not one man. It has its own budget and funds and provides essential charitable assistance to men and women throughout the world regardless of religion and political persuasion. Not one of these women leaders needs to ask permission to go out of their houses without a veil or fears being whipped or killed for revealing a naked ankle.

Of course, over the years, Mormon women have worked up and down the latter of industry, politics, business, law and finance. Perhaps Mr. Workman should simply count the number of Mormon women lawyers and CPAs before he opens his circa 1840 mouth. (I will place a disclaimer here, because I am married to a Mormon woman -- Attorney who is a partner with me in a law firm and has also done a fabulous job of raising my three (3) children. If Mr. Workman would like to investigate how suppressed she is, he is welcome to make an appointment with her secretary).

Mormon women are no different than most other Christian women in America. Some Christian women may object to that characterization because of differing beliefs, but certainly not as to their similar lifestyle and freedoms. Mormon women are on the whole more conservative, some even radically so, but they also swing to the left -- just ask Senator Harry Reid's wife who is a true Democrat.

Lastly, we won't place the blame of this remark at the feet of Senator McCain because he has many Mormon women who -- at least up to this point -- have helped him get elected and re-elected. I am sure he has already personally apologized to them. In Arizona, Mormons were the original pioneers and the Mormon Battalion of the United States Army sealed off the boarder of Arizona and California to form our current border with Mexico. Mormons run thicker than thorns in Arizona and Senator McCain needs every one he can capture in his bid for the presidency -- especially if Mitt Romney ever bugs out.

In short, this regressive and incredibly stupid remark falls on Mr. Workman himself. It shows the level of his own bigotry and lack of intelligence. So to you Mr. Workman, an apology should be forthcoming. However, given the fact that you were foolish enough to say such things, we won't be holding our breath in anticipation.

P.S. Notes:  Some famous (and not really Taliban-like) Mormon Women:

Paula Hawkins - Senator of Florida (circa 1982)
Ivy Baker Priest -- U.S. Treasurer under President Eisenhower (daughter was "Marilyn" in the TV Comedy the "Munsters.")
Gladys Knight -- a fairly well-known singer (maybe you have heard of her?)
Marie Osmond -- I know you know that I know that she is, but still
She Daisy -- Everyone in the group. Yep, this is prime example of how terrible Mormons treat their woman-folk.
Shauna Rohbock -- Silver Medlist 2002 Olympics - Bobsled
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich - Pulitzer Prize winning historian
In Media: too many famous news anchors to mention. Most famous is Goodmorning America Anchor (past) Jane Clayson who resigned her position to raise her children.