The Alarming Divorce Rate

The Alarming Divorce Rate
Posted by Al Mccray
Published: December 28, 2008
The institution of marriage is under continued attacks and has been for decades. In Tampa, hundreds of couples are facing a divorce. The statistics on the divorce rate in our country are quite alarming. By all accounts, the average marriage last seven years or less. Well over 50% of all marriages end in a divorce. There must be a way of slowing down this divorce choo choo train.

What has contributed to the high divorce rate? Was it the ladies’ liberation movement, introduction of the internet, the decaying of social values, the incompatibilities of the couple finally surfacing, being divorced is no longer a taboo, people have more courage to leave a failed and unhappy marriage? Then again it could be that lawyers have made getting a divorce a cottage industry. There are many reasons for why people and divorce.

I would simplify the marriage and divorce process. I would allow all marriages to expire in 5 years. This would stabilize marriages. It would have a mutual renewable roll over clause. This clause could be exercised ninety days before the original term expired. If either party wants out, getting your freedom would not be held up for countless agonizing years of arguing over property rights, child custody, alimony, marital debts and other divorce conditions. It would certainly save a lot of money and grief. It would remove divorce future tensions from marriages. If Jose still loves Maria, renew again. If Leroy still loves Hattie, renew again. If Ken still loves Barbie, renew again. If they don’t still love each other, all parties could simply walk away. If the couples cared to remain married, they would have to file a “marriage renewal agreement” with the local courts for five more years. The same legal issues would be handled and settled as they are now, via the courts. Yes, you would still need a lawyer for those kinds of issues.

On August 2, 2008, I attended my nephew’s wedding in Virginia.





This was a very teary eyed and glorious day for all the attendees. It was an especially a grand day for my sister, Burnette Beckles (A.K.A “Sister Holy” and her husband Anthony Beckles, a CPA (A.K.A. “if it’s not in the budget we can’t afford it”. Their first born was getting married. They had dutifully nurtured their little boy to complete college, become an adult, and watched him to become an airline pilot.
At the chapel during the wedding, my attention was equally divided between, looking at Anthony Jr., by the preacher, and looking at his bride, Amber Reed (computer technology teacher), walking up the isle. As happy as the ceremony was, I kept wondering; whose marital history would the newly weds follow? Would it that of his grand parents.

Both couples (Jack and Minnie Brown, Cubit and Bertha McCray) were married over fifty years plus, till death did them apart?



Or, would it the history of that of millions of Americans, including myself, with a divorces in their past?
The marital and divorces ratios are high, look at numbers below, per 1000* of the population;
2007 Marriages 7.4 Divorces 3.6, FL Marriages 10,023, Divorces 8023
2006 Marriages 7.6 Divorces 3.6, FL Marriage 11,017, Divorces 7696
2005 Marriages 7.7 Divorces 3.8, FL Marriages 9707, Divorces 6233
*National Vital Statistic report, U.S. Dept of Human Health Services,
I have a feeling that when both parties know that either partner can walk away in five years, this could encourage the best of behaviors and lead to longer marriages. It will cause both partners to tolerate more from the other. I can imagine a spouse saying, “Well I only got to put up with this foolishness for 2 more years, so I’ll be cool and wait”. There could be remarkable improvements in the marriage.

In all honesty to my nephew and niece in law, they are off to a great start for a long marriage. Since both of their parents have been happily married for more than two decades, I feel that this will keep Anthony Jr. and Amber married for-ever.

Labels: The Alarming Divorce Rate

posted by Robert Heard at 4:15 PM