I have no words. JK, I have plenty.

A disturbingly large number of people from my high school are now either pregnant, married, or raising a child. My mind-numbing disgust at this state of affairs aside, what I've noticed is that the married ones have all taken their husbands' last names.

Now, of course, these women are not very bright, I know from personal experience with them. Dumb as dirt, as they say. So I'm not entirely surprised that they would subscribe to an archaic practice like that.

What DOES surprise me though, is the fact that nearly everyone I've ever known, whether smart or dumb, backward or progressive, young or old, has succumbed to this norm. I do not understand why otherwise smart women would do such a thing. It's thought a 'modern' thing to do if a woman takes her husband's name, but hyphenated with her own. Why do it at all, though?!

The common retort to my aggrieved protestations is, "It's just tradition, let people do what they want".
a) I am letting them do what they want. I'm not seeking to legislate, I'm not holding a gun to their heads. Telling them they're stupid is not the same thing as stopping them from doing what they want.

b) I fucking KNOW it's tradition. Bullfighting is tradition, it's still a violation of animal rights. Slave-keeping is tradition, it's still a violation of human rights. The caste system is tradition, that doesn't make it any less idiotic.

So now you can see how "tradition" is not a valid defence for anything. In fact, if something is 'traditional', there's a good chance it's immoral, or based in stupidity.

Keeping up with tradition is only ever a good thing if the tradition in question has something of value to offer. What does this particular one have to offer? Symbolic ownership of the woman by the man? Symbolic severance of the woman's identity, and the taking on of her husband's? What part of any of that is desirable for a woman in the 21st century?

Another thing I've heard is that it's a symbol of love by the husband, to give his name to his wife. Well, great. Why doesn't it go both ways? Why can't you show your love for each other (because apparently a lifelong commitment is just not enough love) by swapping last names?

But wait, I've saved the best for last.

Women go through 9 months of a destructive appetite, wanting to eat everything in sight, they go through back pain, swollen extremities, pain of all descriptions, flatulence (which is, arguably, worse for those around her than for the woman herself), a measure of incontinence, swollen, tender breasts, an unattractive body yet a higher sex drive, mood swings, etc. I could go on for at least a page. And at the end of this excruciating at worst, uncomfortable at best, 9 months, they have hours of labour to look forward to. In many cases, up to 48 hours of it. That means agonising contractions, closer and closer together, for hours. And after that, they have to push a BABY out of their vaginas. Do you know how small a vagina is? And how big a baby is? Mine tries to rip itself off of me and run away just thinking about it. It's agonising hell, quite frankly. Period pain is nothing compared.

If a natural childbirth is not wanted, or not possible, they get C-sections. They get their stomachs cut open, their muscles cut, so that no sort of exercise afterwards will make a difference. The only way to get a good body again, is through surgery. And in today's society, appearance is everything, so it's kind of a big deal to most women. Drugs can be used, but they have their own side effects and risks.

What's her reward at the end of all of this? HER baby gets to take her HUSBAND'S last name. What was the husband's biggest contribution here? An orgasm.

Is this fair or just, or common sensical, in any sense of the word? No. It's ludicrous. Yet this continues, day after day after day.. with nobody apparently giving a shit. With nobody seeing anything amiss here.

Women carry on the bloodline, through blood, sweat, tears, and broken pelvic bones. WOMEN should have their last names passed on.

It makes me angry that apparently nobody in the world questions the status quo.

Question everything.