May 11, 2007
MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT:
Americans no longer married to the idea of divorce (DAVID CRARY, 5/11/07, The Associated Press)
Despite the common notion that America remains plagued by a divorce epidemic, the national per capita divorce rate has declined steadily since its peak in 1981 and is now at its lowest level since 1970. [...]Other experts, however, are heartened by what they view as the increased determination of many couples to make marriage work. Among them is Bill Chausee of Child and Family Services of New Hampshire, which offers marriage-strengthening programs in a state where divorces dropped more than 25 percent between 2000 and 2005.
“People don’t see marriage problems as some sort of stigma any more,” said Chausee. “They’re really interested in learning how to stay married; a lot of them are realizing they need more skill.”
The decline of marriage is itself healthy, as couples who don't enter into the institution are acknowledging they aren't serious about their relationship. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 11, 2007 12:00 AM
Right. And it's good for a leper to have his fingers fall off because they're too weak to be much use to him. What nonsense. The decline of marriage is just delayed reaction to the fact that society has made marriage nearly meaningless by making it so trivial to get out of.
Posted by: b at May 11, 2007 12:11 PMBut the people entering into it are less likely to get out. Of course it should be made much harder to.
Posted by: oj at May 11, 2007 2:27 PM