The traditional marriage vow goes something like this: "For richer, for poorer. Until death do us part." Those contemplating to publicly and in the eyes of God, make those vows as well those who are bent on preserving the 'institution of marriage' both have one thing in common - they don't want to or never seem to remember about divorce. In these United States, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau report, there were 19.1 weddings performed per 1,000 men and 17.6 per 1,000 women across the U.S. in 2009, while divorces became final for 9.2 of every 1,000 men and 9.7 of ever 1,000 women.
Adding to those that wish to conveniently divorce their minds of the facts, Ex-Senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum took the opportunity to deflect these impressive divorce statistics and instead concentrate on putting the blame for a record low rate of marriages on recent advances by insistent, same-sex, marriage equalitarians. According to his Tweet it was one of the direct effects of changing the definition of who can and should not participate in the traditional marital act. Among others, factors such as a greater emphasis of education and career development, social acceptance of (same- and opposite-sex) cohabitation, and an increasing desire by women and men to be financially independent before entering into marriage, were conveniently excepted from Mr. Santorum's argument.
One wonders just what it is that keeps defenders and preservationists of marriage from being reminded of the seeming "check out clause" of the traditional marriage vow. Perhaps they don't want to put the effort toward lobbying Congress to enact more stringent divorce laws in America? Would they find themselves unable to uphold such laws?
It's fairly apparent that divorce is quite likely what's being defended given the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), since it was enacted on September 21, 1996, was ineffective at curbing the tide of divorce. Perhaps, again, much like the beaming bride-to-be in white and husband-to-be in black there are a great many that don't want to think about the matter of divorce. DOMA was a non-starter for affecting a reduction in divorce rates because defenders and preservationists of divorce need to defend the "check out clause." They want their traditional and sanctimonious wedding cake AND they want to eat it too.
It's quite comical (and perhaps evidence of the above stated hypothesis) that a full website search of the National Organization of Marriage internet presence is devoid of any mention of,...not one reminder of the existence and prevalence of divorce.
It would seem that defenders of the marital institution have an equally forgetful (or purposed defender of divorce) list of accomplices - the partnerships of Family Policy Councils, the Family Research Council, and (to a lesser extent) Focus on the Family. They all concentrate on fighting for issues that ultimately codify who can enter into a marital relationship, human sexuality, abortion, parental rights, and pornography. Lost in all these charged issues is the most important issue of all - THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF CHILDREN within the sanctimonious institution of marriage.
Marriage preservationists might want to also be aware that, according to the same report, roughly 1.1 million children or 1.5 percent of all children in the United States, lived in 2009 in the home of a parent who divorced in the previous year. How about a Focus on the CHILDREN OF DIVORCE? How about a Focus on DIVORCE LAWS?
Oh, that's right...these defenders want their cake and they are not leaving a piece of it for the children of divorce. (Photo: Courtesy of Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)
Adding to those that wish to conveniently divorce their minds of the facts, Ex-Senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum took the opportunity to deflect these impressive divorce statistics and instead concentrate on putting the blame for a record low rate of marriages on recent advances by insistent, same-sex, marriage equalitarians. According to his Tweet it was one of the direct effects of changing the definition of who can and should not participate in the traditional marital act. Among others, factors such as a greater emphasis of education and career development, social acceptance of (same- and opposite-sex) cohabitation, and an increasing desire by women and men to be financially independent before entering into marriage, were conveniently excepted from Mr. Santorum's argument.One wonders just what it is that keeps defenders and preservationists of marriage from being reminded of the seeming "check out clause" of the traditional marriage vow. Perhaps they don't want to put the effort toward lobbying Congress to enact more stringent divorce laws in America? Would they find themselves unable to uphold such laws?
It's fairly apparent that divorce is quite likely what's being defended given the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), since it was enacted on September 21, 1996, was ineffective at curbing the tide of divorce. Perhaps, again, much like the beaming bride-to-be in white and husband-to-be in black there are a great many that don't want to think about the matter of divorce. DOMA was a non-starter for affecting a reduction in divorce rates because defenders and preservationists of divorce need to defend the "check out clause." They want their traditional and sanctimonious wedding cake AND they want to eat it too.
It's quite comical (and perhaps evidence of the above stated hypothesis) that a full website search of the National Organization of Marriage internet presence is devoid of any mention of,...not one reminder of the existence and prevalence of divorce.
It would seem that defenders of the marital institution have an equally forgetful (or purposed defender of divorce) list of accomplices - the partnerships of Family Policy Councils, the Family Research Council, and (to a lesser extent) Focus on the Family. They all concentrate on fighting for issues that ultimately codify who can enter into a marital relationship, human sexuality, abortion, parental rights, and pornography. Lost in all these charged issues is the most important issue of all - THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF CHILDREN within the sanctimonious institution of marriage.
Marriage preservationists might want to also be aware that, according to the same report, roughly 1.1 million children or 1.5 percent of all children in the United States, lived in 2009 in the home of a parent who divorced in the previous year. How about a Focus on the CHILDREN OF DIVORCE? How about a Focus on DIVORCE LAWS?
Oh, that's right...these defenders want their cake and they are not leaving a piece of it for the children of divorce. (Photo: Courtesy of Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)
CNN mentioned the low marriage rate the other day and commented that young people are waiting to marry, possibly because of the high divorce rate. It's not clear to me that social Conservatives watch the news. They are routinely anti-intellectual, and other things.
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