I'm pretty much a hard core conservative, but I think my anti-gay marriage friends are all wet.
Not because I'm for gay marriage, I'm not. But instead, I really think their effort should be focused on protection of the traditional marriages already out there.
Where are these folks when it comes to doing away with "No Fault" divorce? Where someone can just say, I didn't really mean my vows, I want to go off and boink someone else and not lose any of my stuff.
If my fellow conservatives want to protect marriage, make it much harder to get a divorce.
I'm not saying if a man or woman is married to an abusive partner, they can't get a divorce. What I'm saying is stop women (or men, but it's mostly women) from just saying I'm unhappy, so I want half of your stuff, no I will not consider working on the marriage.
In America, about 75% of divorces are filed by women. Not all of these are for their husbands infidelity or abuse. I've read where upto 60% of men and 40% of women are unfaithful to their marriage partners.
So if you assumed that all women who were cheated upon filed for divorce (which they don't) then there is a large number of women who file just because they are not happy anymore.
If you want to protect traditional marriage, then make it nearly impossible to get a divorce.
Make infidelity count in the divorce, in child custody decisions and for alimony. I.E. if you cheat, you forfeited alimony. If you cheat and your partner was faithful, you are NOT going to be the custodial parent.
Enforce Covenant Marriages. Couple can choose to have a marriage governed by their religious beliefs. This would not be manditory, but rather if a couple chooses, at the time of their wedding to be bound by the rules of their religion regarding marriage, then that is the only body that can grant a divorce.
I know, you can't force people to love each other and treat each other with care and respect. But you can even the playing field and make those who make a mockery of their marriage vows by cheating pay a heavy price for their part in the destruction of marriage in America today.
Tony
"Seems like our society is more interested in turning each successive generation into cookie-cutter wankers than anything else." -- Jato 8/24/2004