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Social Engineering at its Finest

By:  Sandra Price

I am not anti-marriage and certainly not a feminist but I am horrified at a new pilot program being offered by President Bush to promote marriage to single mothers.  

He says marriage is good for America!  Okay and I say dogs make good pets!  What has this to do with the Federal Government?  It has a lot!  50% of all marriages end in divorce.  So with President Bush’s  wanting to spend $300,000,000 a year on a program with a 50% failure rate is too ridiculous to take seriously.

If anyone cares, I have felt for years that most people get married for the wrong reasons.  Men tend to want a wife to cook, take care of the house and kids and women tend to want a provider for her efforts.  So if that is all we want, why do so many marriages fail?  And what business is it of the federal government?

I have two daughters and I was determined not to allow the “Cinderella” syndrome to take over their future plans.  With today’s culture, going through the marriage ceremony does not guarantee a “happily ever after” future.  It can often lead to brutal beatings and even a request for abortions to keep the expenses down.  It is not what it was 100 years ago.  Women often have to work putting a extra strain on the children and home.

Total incompatibility is also a factor when we marry before knowing the mate well enough.  This leads to the inability to keep the vows that were clearly called out during the ceremony.  What ever the reason 50% fail.  

Divorce can mean a single mother left with 100% financial care of the children and that can lead to a monthly welfare check needing to be issued from D.C.  Aha! I believe I see where the feds are assuming responsibility for this mess…

Supposedly this is what is forcing this expensive proposal to be considered necessary expense from the White House.  What I can’t understand is where does the authority for this $300 million dollar a year expense comes from?  Does the Federal government feel it is their responsibility to marry women off as if they are slaves?  

Knowing how the federal government operates, the next step will be for Bush to pay men to marry women with children.  Will there be a time limit that they have to stay married before they have to give back the money?  Knowing the minds of Conservatives, will they try to ban divorce?  Or at least stop the government-sponsored marriages from filing for divorce?  Once these people have a little authority they tend to take it as far as they can.  We must tread carefully with Conservatives.

This could expand (as most federal programs do) to the point where the new department of match making will take over and the cost much more than the $300 million dollar a year.  

As a Libertarian I am offended with a Social Engineering programs of this size or of any size for that matter and would like to see this program nipped in the bud.  How can this be done?

I would love some input on this subject and explain why anyone would approve of this expense for a program with a 50% failure rating.