In an effort to curb the nation's 50-percent divorce rate and to enforce marriage as a lifelong relationship, state Rep. Harold Vorhees (R-Wyoming) proposed a bill that would make it harder for married couples who submit to a voluntary marriage "covenant" to get a divorce. One of Vorhees' incentives for the proposal are staggering divorce statistics - in Kent County in 1995, there were 4,810 marriages and 2,233 divorces. The legislation is similar to a bill recently passed by Louisiana's legislature. In addition to Vorhees' bill, state Rep. Jessie Dalman (R-Ottawa) has been trying for two years to repeal a 1972 law that established "no fault" divorces in Michigan. The law allows couples to cite "irreconcilable differences" as cause for their divorce, making extensive explanations unnecessary. The movement to revitalize the commitment between couples call into question how well state legislators understand relationships between people. The new marriage "covenant" is logically flawed - legislators should not interfere in couples' private lives.
Life takes unexpected turns when people are least prepared for them - 20 years of marriage can often produce two very different people than those who originally entered the union. No couple gets married with the intention that they will eventually divorce. Vorhees' bill does not account for unforeseeable factors in relationships that cause dissolution - the government should not force marital relationships.
People change over time and this new "covenant" creates a system that would pit one member of a couple against another when trying to obtain a divorce. It would be the duty of the person seeking a divorce to prove the fault of his or her partner in order to justify the break.
Under the proposed bill, there are five criteria for an expedient divorce. It is allowed if one spouse commits adultery, a felony or is sentenced to life in prison. Also, if one spouse is physically or sexually abusing their partner or if they abandon the home for more than a year, a divorce would be allowed. Short of these criteria, couples must split for two years to attain a legal divorce. In addition, "covenant" marriage couples would commit to seek counseling when problems occur.
One of the problems is that the bill applies the same set of criteria to all relationships. If one partner repeatedly abused a spouse psychologically and verbally, the abused member may want to seek a divorce immediately - in a "covenant" marriage, this is not possible. Under the law, they would have to separate for two years or abandon their home - a ridiculous requirement. The state government has no right to stipulate excessive requirements for divorce.
Every relationship is unique from all others, with its own set of problems and obstacles. Vorhees and Dalman's bill constitutes a violation of couples' rights as free citizens, regardless of whether couples voluntarily agrees to this "covenant." The state legislature should vote the proposal down. Divorce is a problem for our society - but "covenant" marriages are not the way to solve it.
10-10-97
| Previous Article | Next Article |
should be sent to: daily.letters@umich.edu | should be sent to: online.daily@umich.edu |