Defenders of the dark ages

The so-called defenders of marriage and family seem intent on returning us to the middle ages. Not only are they pushing further same-sex marriage bans (seven more states passed bans on Tuesday, bringing the total to 27, and Massachusetts is considering one), they also want to make it more difficult for couples to get divorced.

What strikes me about all this is just how inhumane it is, crafting laws to regulate love relationships, requiring failed marriages to continue unless there is a specific “misconduct” and only allowing divorce after a proscribed waiting period.

Having witnessed too many married couples soldier on in bad marriages and watching what that does to the kids involved and what it does to the couple, how sour it turns them, how bitter, one has to wonder exactly what winning this fight will mean. What benefit does legislation like this have for married couples or society? None that I can see.

It’s the same question that should be asked everyday about same-sex marriage — what impact will allowing same-sex couples to marry have on the rest of us? The answer, again, is none.

What, then, is gained for society by continuing to regulate love relationships in this way? Again, nothing — unless you want to drive the entire culture back to the dark ages, which seems to be the goal.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet