Divorce is not a bad thing
27 March 2019
Divorce doesn’t mean a happy marriage is over, it actually means a bad marriage is over, and before access to divorce improved in the 70s, people were trapped in awful relationships. Before the 70s, to get a divorce one would have need both spouses present. One would also need to establish fault, so if spouses wanted an easy divorce, they would need to lie to a judge. This was particularly bad for women because, in many states, domestic violence was not considered grounds for divorce. So they could become trapped in abusive marriages. All that changed in 1969, when Ronald Reagan introduced no-fault divorce, which made it way easier for couples to separate. The concept soon spread across the country and by some estimates reduced cases of female suicide by twenty percent. Divorce rose in the 70s, not because society was crumbling =, but because divorce was finally available to the people who really needed it.
The common concern of kids pops up in any conversation about divorce. Most sources say divorce is bad for kids, but in reality divorce is good for kids. Sure it would be hard at first, but unhappy homes are even harder. Research suggests kids tend to do worse when surrounded by constant parental conflict. In many high-discord families, kids experience relief after separation. For some couple divorce is the right choice and to them, it represents freedom. It’s a crucial, social right. When getting married couple hope their love lasts a lifetime, but if it doesn’t, divorce is an option, it is not something that should be feared or stigmatized.