Divorce Petition

Around fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. That means fifty percent of all marriages are dysfunctional, whether it be abusive (either physically and/or verbally) or are polygamous in a non practicing sense. So if we simply ban divorce, all those problems will go away right? Wrong.

John Marcotte, a writer, filed a petition recently to ban divorce in what some consider to be a way to mock the Proposition 8 supporters who wanted to protect marriage by making sure it remained between a man and a woman. Marcotte believes this is the best, and most obvious way to protect marriage.

It seems obvious enough. What really ruins marriage is not who is getting married, but the people getting divorces. You cannot ruin a marriage any more than by ending one.

Religious groups should be behind this petition one hundred percent because they are such strong proponents for the sanctity of marriage. Marcotte believes that every supporter of Proposition 8 should also support his petition. He wants to protect marriage in the most obvious way so there is no reason why they would not.

Whether Marcotte is serious or kidding he has made an interesting point. But if he is serious, does he really have a point?

Divorce obviously has its ripple effect on a family and may have long term effects on the children who become the collateral damage of it all, but they are already being affected by the unhealthy marriage.

If the petition passes and divorce does in fact get banned, then it will make people and couples think more thoroughly about whether or not they want to get married. The same way divorce has a ripple effect, banning it will have its own ripple effect on choices people make outside of wedlock.

Shotgun weddings and eloping will most likely decline, causing those wedding chapels in Las Vegas’ business to suffer. Also, marrying the girl you just knocked up will probably not be as common. Single parent households will probably increase as well.

When children are involved it makes this whole petition about banning divorce much more complicated because they are going to be affect negatively either way. It is a catch-22.

If a couple is truly unhappy with each other and were not allowed to get a divorce, then it will be evident to the kids, and could possibly cause them to have unhealthy relationships in the future. If that is all they are familiar with the possibility of them recreating that kind of relationship is much higher. Some children who grew up with dysfunctional parents will realize relationships do not have to be that way, and in turn, benefit from it.

The catch-22 is that allowing divorce can prevent children from witnessing an abusive or resentful relationship. Killing the petition and keeping divorce as an option also allows for a spouse to take his or her children away from an alcoholic, drug addicted or abusive parent, and into a better situation. This goes for the spouse as well; being able to remove his or herself from an abusive relationship instead of being trapped, by law.

If fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce, that means fifty percent of all marriages last. For every one marriage that ends, one lasts. Is the marriage cup half empty or half full? That is the question needed to be answered.