Purity Balls. File under "ridiculous" and "hypocrisy". Oh, and "creepy".

Can you believe these fake debutante-esque "balls" where children as young as 4 are promised to their fathers to be pure and given flowers and jewelry? I want to know if they have to inform said fathers when they do want to take the plunge and have a physical relationship. I have so much to say about it, but it should be rather obvious. Maybe those of us who live on the coasts live in a different world? I'd hate to be accused of elitism, but seriously, this shit doesn't go down here.

This is one of the most unintentionally hilarious and most utterly disturbing pieces I have read. The more Puritanical we become as a society, the more issues we do have with rape, sexually transmitted diseases, teenaged pregnancy (hello, Gloucester?)and all of that. I especially enjoy that there is federal funding for abstinence programs and the story of David Diefenderfer, who has 9 children by 7 women, has Stage 4 cancer and decided to take his youngest to the purity ball. Rather like a prisoner claiming to have "found Jesus" in order to get parole. Just beyond.

Read and laugh. If you don't, you'll shiver.