Marriage or Shacking Up

Marriage without a true commitment usually ends up in divorce court. Pro se divorce has become the norm – family law judges are left with the shattered pieces of a marriage and expected to deliver favorable decisions. Divorce statistics show that over half of the marriages end up in divorce. 

There was a time when shacking up, opting for single parenthood and same sex marriages wasn’t the norm – but in 2013 Americans participate in all of the above without ever considering consequences. Children raised without a father’s influence is the norm – somewhere around 20 to 30 million children are without a father figure.

"Ominously, the most reliable predictor of crime is neither poverty nor race but growing up fatherless." 
Fortune Magazine

Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears said recently, “ children born to unmarried women and to those in cohabiting relationships "must often overcome increased risks of poverty, education failure, child abuse, delinquency, emotional distress and mental illness."……the lack of a father's guidance in children's lives is a major cause of their suffering. "Marriage is the best child welfare, crime prevention, anti-poverty program we have," 

Isn’t it ironic that two consenting adults ignore the horrific consequences that occur from their selfish desire to do as they please without taking responsibility for the children that they bring into this world. 

As the norm changes so do the traditional values once associated with marriage.  Love, honor and obey till death do us part has been relegated to the ancient history shelves – the nonchalant attitude in many marriage isn’t based on vows but on convenience, material things and finances.  It’s sort of the old adage that two heads are better than one – two paychecks, a bed partner and a path to materialism.

Both parties enter the marriage with a “try it see if we like it” attitude actually the only commitment if one could call it that is we’ll give marriage a try, but divorce is their get out of jail free card. 

A High Court family judge, Sir Paul Coleridge suggests couples should not have children unless they have a stable relationship. Divorce is at epidemic proportions and is once again the norm in the USA. Something is definitely wrong with this picture. 

No one is pointing their finger at the people who wish to cohabitate, but everyone should be concerned for the children from these adults who are left to fend for themselves.  They’re the latch key kids or the children who are raised by the daycare technicians and schools – is it any wonder that this group of children struggle in their adult lives? 

As Always,

Little Tboca
www.caseboss.com