Jade Walker's comments

Is it Right to Marry for Money? - Blog Entry

04 Sep 2007 08:19 PM

I would never marry for money. I make enough to support myself so I don't need to wed to elevate my class status. For me, marriage is about love, friendship and support.

Army Wife May Be Deported - Blog Entry

23 Jun 2007 04:29 AM

An update: "The U.S. Homeland Security Secretary says an illegal immigrant married to a soldier missing in Iraq may apply for permanent U.S. residence without penalty."

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-06-22-voa51.cfm

Divorce is Not an Option - Blog Entry

06 Jun 2007 06:19 AM

My dealbreakers?

1. Infidelity. 2. Alcohol or drug-abuse or excessive gambling. 3. Violence.

Other than that...divorce is simply not an option for me. In my mind, if you choose the right partner, seek assistance when necessary and work hard to keep the relationship happy and healthy, the marriage will last.

Marriage in the News: Temporary Marriages - Blog Entry

06 Jun 2007 12:44 AM

Temporary marriages have been around for centuries. In the British Isles, they were called handfastings. (If you saw the movie "Braveheart," you've already seen one.)

Unlike the temporary weddings in Shiite Muslim tradition, handfastings generally lasted for a year and a day. The couple "handfasts" by clasping or binding hands and saying vows in front of witnesses. From that point on, the couple was considered "married" to all and sundry.

Then, after the trial period ended, the couple could "hand part" with no consequences. One caveat: If the couple had a child during the handfasting period, the person who left the arrangement after a year and a day lost all rights to the child.

Although handfastings were recognized as legal marriages in Scotland and Ireland for many centuries, they've since been adopted in the United States by people from a wide variety of backgrounds (gays, witches, pagans, etc.).

For more information, visit these sites:

http://www.handfasting.info/histhand.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handfasting

http://www.religioustolerance.org/mar_hand.htm

http://medievalscotland.org/history/handfasting.shtml

Ask a Marriage Blogger: Isn't Advocating for Gay Marriage Out of Line? - Blog Entry

23 May 2007 09:39 AM

"I honestly do not believe that marriage should be defined as anything more than as a union between one man and one woman - this is the definition of a nuclear family. Children need a female and a male parent, they need the security provided by raising children with both genders."

I wonder about this point of view. Should couples who opt to remain childfree be banned from marrying because they're not a "nuclear family"? What about couples who can't have kids? Do they not deserve the same rights as married couples who breed?

"You write about how to take care and protect and strengthen your marriage and then you endorse a lifestyle that attacks marriage and wants to destroy it. "

I also don't understand this. How does Rick marrying Steve or Jill getting hitched to Michelle affect other married couples, let alone destroy their marriages? Does reading about a gay marriage make a wife turn to her husband and say, "These two people have ruined all we hold dear. Let's divorce immediately."? Looking at the divorce rates, I think heterosexual couples are destroying the institution of marriage quite efficiently on their own.

Marriages Ending as Deployments Are Extended - Blog Entry

19 May 2007 04:37 AM

If you want to know what it's like to be a military wife, check out Standing By, a great blog written by Jan Wesner. Her husband's over in Iraq for another 14 months and she's not shy about sharing what it's like to live in fear/hope on a day to day basis.

Is Divorce Just so Five Minutes Ago? - Blog Entry

14 May 2007 09:13 AM

As noted above, Generation X learned the lessons of divorce from our parents. We suffered through difficult splits and have no interest in going through that again -- or forcing our kids through it.

I also think more and more people are waiting to get married. They're not getting hitched at 18 to their high school sweetheart and then divorcing 7 to 10 years later because they've finally figured who they are and what they really want out of life.

Another factor? People are living together without getting married. The old reasons for matrimony don't stand up anymore. You don't need to wed to avoid a spinsterhood rap. You don't need to wed to have kids -- people have kids out of wedlock all the time. You don't need to wed to have someone take care of you; men and women are both working now and they can take care of themselves.

Honestly, the only reason to get married anymore is for love and lifelong companionship. Make something of yourself. Date until you find the right person. Don't settle for anything less than what you deserve. And then, once you've found your mate, love him/her deeply and work hard to make that relationship last.

Marriage in the News: Oregon Okays Bill for Domestic Partnerships - Blog Entry

05 May 2007 02:36 AM

Thanks for keeping us updated on the changing civil union/marriage laws!