51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse For First Time

George ~ You are correct and race is specifically cited in the report.

Paul

I feel your pain, as does Naran, I'm sure.

Naran is 1/2 Jewish and I'm part MicMac.

George - your response to my original comment gives away your own, true attitude:

I suggest a chiropractor - they've been known to do wonders with those large chips on shoulders.

George, I once heard this:

There are two things to remember about minorities

1. Forget they are a minority

2. Never forget they are a minority

I have had very close contact with a black family (we were guardians to an AIDS orphan from NYC per her dying mother's request and so became part of their family too). IMO, many problems of minority groups are due to influences within the minority, not from society as a whole.

Agreed Lucky. Rules 1 and 2 are spot on. It's unfortunate, but true.

Agreed also on where solutions need to come from. No one is forcing Black women to abort one-third of their kids, or raise the majority of the survivors in fatherless homes.

It would be nice though if government policy removed incentives for dumping the father.

Heck, I am seriously considering divorcing Patrick and living together as an unmarried couple in order to gain the tax advantages associated with the Earned Income Tax Credit. We would pay a LOT less in taxes after this baby is born if we do that. We just may do it, if I can talk him into it. I think if I put it down on paper next year and show him the financial benefits, he will be hard pressed to say no.

There are still 51% of all women living with total control of the remote.
:D

Gees Gerogie, I always just thought of you as my friend George from Westbrook. Do I now have to view you as my "colored" friend George from Westbrook or can we just leave it as my friend George?

Actually, I always just thought of you as a good American. Of course, I have a simple mind. :wink:

I was afraid of this. :oops: Now people are going to start treating me all ... special. GAG.

Please don't do it Catherine, your child needs a married mother and father. Plus, you'll lose your conservative card, AND become a racial stereotype. :P

What a load of crap!

It doesn't matter whether or not we have a state sanctioned piece of paper that tells us we have to pay more in taxes or not. We were just as much a couple the 6 years we lived together before we got married as we are now. I would still call him my husband and we would still have the same last name.

We will just pay a lot less in taxes.

As for the conservative card, nobody is taking that away from me.

When I read that this thread was started by Paul, I was surprised it didn't start off by saying,
" So many women, so little time."

Well, somebody had to say it. :oops:

The fact that the state recognizes a potential revenue stream when it sees one and charges everyone to get a marriage license does not reduce marriage to a state-sanctioned piece of paper. Marriage is conducted before man and God, and serves a higher purpose than filling government coffers or appeasing man-made law.

That is correct, and since I already did that, shedding myself of the shackles of the tax burden imposed upon me shouldn't matter. We would still have gone through the steps God asked us to go through. I don't think getting a legal divorce and continuing to live together as man and wife would condemn us to Hell.

Nothing is decided, I am just saying it's a consideration due to the high tax burden, and the HUGE savings we would be entitled to if we weren't legally married anymore.

Catherine,

What would you give for grounds for divorce in the divorce documents?

Just curious

paul

"Irreconcilable Differences" is the blanket used for all frivolous divorces today.

I have no idea!!!

I didn't know I had to. Don't we have no fault divorce? I suppose I could make something up. Is convenience an option?

:lol: :lol: :lol:

George is right, the distruction of the family has hit the AA community the hardest.

Secondly - living alone has been great for me - once I got used to it. Last Sunday I was watching the football game with my reloading equipment spread all over the kitchen table, measuring out powder for my new .43 Spanish Rolling Block cartridges and thinking to myself - life does not get better than this (except when I am actually AT the range.) Frankly, I don't know if I would want to live with another person right now, I LOVE having my own place/space. And "finding a partner" when you are a 49 year old guy is a lot different than the awful dating experinces in your 20s.

I don't think single parenthood is good for kids, though.

For the record-

I would never object to Patrick watching football with reloading equipment spread all over the table. :) Some women are really flexible and supportive. Patrick has band practice in our basement every Sunday, and it's so loud the china in the cabinet shakes, but I don't complain. :)

Everyone does things that, within a marriage, could be viewed as annoying and/or inconsiderate. If your partner has more things that you love about him/her it makes it easy to overlook the annoying stuff.

I also have an expression - they're men, they don't mean to be. :lol:

Catherine - in this case, you would use "Irreconcilable checkbook differences," of course.

As for the other issue, I recommend the Man's Prayer, from Red Green.

"I'm a Man.
But I can change.
If I have to.
I guess."

Catherine,

Why not tell them the truth.

Reason for divorce.

"Cannot live in Maine as a married person due to tax burden."

Naran - that's a good one too! Is the rest "right after I have a beer and scratch myself"? :lol:

Then again, Ray... I could be like you and DeeDee and have 4 kids! That would more than give us a tax break!

I was getting depressed the other night doing the taxes, figuring out next years bill, and realizing that we make too much money together to qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit and even with a thousand dollar deduction, the tax bill will be GIGANTIC. Then, doing the math as a single parent, I realized how much we would save.

Of course, having 4 kids would make being married worth our while again. :D

Cat - we'll save room for you and yours just in case!

Well, I don't think they are going to tax us THAT much... :lol: We'll still be able to put a roof over our heads.

:lol:

I was talking about living together unmarried to save money, not living apart. :P

When did this shoes at the door stuff come on the scene. In our 47-1/2 years the only time my shoes were at the door was when I came in with mud or snow in them.

Al, you take your shoes off when they are muddy? I think I love you!

That makes me feel nice and warm. 8)

Al, if you were in charge of vaccuming the rugs you too would encourage folks to leave their shoes at the door. It keeps the floors a lot cleaner.

Sorry Tom but shoes were designed to be worn on feet.