IS THE TOOTH REALLY A WORSE OMEN THAN THE MARRIAGE?

9-Year-Old Girl Marries Dog in India (AP, Jun 19, 2003)

A 9-year-old girl was married to a stray dog in a ceremony attended by more than 100 guests in a village in India's eastern state of Bengal as part of a ritual intended to ward off a bad omen, newspapers reported Thursday.

The girl, Karnamoni Handsa, had to be married quickly to break an evil spell, according to the beliefs of her Santhal tribe in the remote village of Khanyan, the Hindustan Times said.

Karnamoni's tooth had grown on her upper gum, which Santhals consider a bad omen.

You're tempted to laugh until you realize that most of the Democratic candidates for president probably consider this just a variation on the
antiquated and discriminatory institution of marriage. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 20, 2003 8:30 AM